SNUGTop XTR Reviews

Hi there!
I am looking at toppers and think I have read every post on them here (OMG and thank you). I am looking at the SNUGTop XTR and it seems to not be getting much air time.

http://www.snugtop.com/products/truck-caps.html?view=truckcapfeature&l=xtrpopup

I can't find one on a floor or on a truck (can find picts which look GREAT!). I love the sporty look of the railed version. I don't typically like shells, but this one got my attention. Its not cheap so I am trying to do all my homework.

Its mainly for recreation - camping at trailheads, etc. (I would love to ditch the tent and all that)

Anyone willing to share their experience and photos?

Thanks!

 

I had one for a few years.

It was nice, never leaked water and looked good.

I ended up selling it because I took it off a lot for offroading, never camped in it (5 ft. bed). Needed money for suspension...

I had it stored in my garage using cables to hoist it to the ceiling. That allowed me to lift it on and off of my truck by myself.







Shovel mounted inside roof using "Quick fists"




Garage hoist

 

What are these toppers going for? I've had a hard time finding prices online.

 

Ironically DDD the photos of yours elsewhere on this forum was one of them that made me certain I wanted to investigate that topper. I went today to a SNUGTop dealer and ... no go on one on the floor. - or in the lot. I usually get lucky and at least ONE employee has what i want so I can see it.
Thank you for the additional info. I LOVE the hoist and plan to do something similar.

I have what is called a short bed but it's 73.5"- how that is still called a short bed is beyond me. What do they call the 60"? micro?

But to answer the other open question - here in greater Denver, $2525 (and I expect, given comparison on other topper prices at that place, its competitive for that unit).

 

Check the Leer shell it looks the same and is not as expensive as Snug top. I have one on my speedway blue and it looks great. I had problems with Snug Top personnel and would buy anything from them.

 

To be honest Leer and ARE both make a model that is similar. Check the classifieds here and Craigslist for a used one. Resale starts about half the price of new and goes as low as $200.00.

 

I have the leer, and I love it. cost me 1450 installed

 

Thank you guys for the input! I will take your advice and look into Leer. The ARE dealer here... yeah, no. Been there, left.

Admitted Ozmon, your truck looks good. The access cab unfortunately because of the longer bed line makes a shell harder to make look as nice on the truck- at least in my opinion. My truck, my opinion matters.

As for looking for resale - Great advice! I have seen the XTR with rails here- not my bed but.... I am going to be patient.- I really want it in the spring. Spring is a long way off. I may also get a better price if i go talk to them in say late Jan or Feb. At this point, I wont get it soon enough to do much with it this year anyway. Might as well wait and see if i can save myself some cash.

The one thing I love on that snugtop that the others don't have are the bars. They just work for me. I hate that there is only one out there like that. Maybe by spring Leer will offer something like it. who knows. That additional "sporty" tips the scale for me. I will strip the hard tonneau for that one and get into what is much more suited to my lifestyle. But a better price would make me a happy camper! This will be my first shell.

 

That is what I thought and argued- but I lost. In the industry, it is called a short bed. (When I configued and bought it, I remember arguing I didn't want the "short bed" - envisioning the double cab short bed, until they clarified.)
If I go online and check availability for a shell for my truck the only option for the access cab truck I have every time is a "short bed" and when I went to places, they confirmed what I have is called a short bed and yes there is a shell for it. Go figure but I am done arguing against an industry. lol.

 

I ordered a SnugTop Xtra Vision for my '06 Access cab at the begining of the month and I hope to be picking it up in the next few days. The only options I added were pet screens and fold down front sliding window, total was $2,300 plus tax. IMO the SnugTop fit and finish is the best. I like the full glass rear tailgate door and the EZ open lock. The lock fits flush on the door and pops the tailgate when the key is inserted and turned. Even though I have a Leer dealer here in my hometown I traveled 200 miles to get the SnugTop.

 

Yeah these things new are too rich for my blood! Looks like I'll be going with a soft topper or a used hard topper.

 

FlagRS - post pictures?
I am excited for you!
I saw a snugtop on an access cab this past weekend and I agree - best best and best.

and thoughts on the pet screens - I will most likely add that too -

 

I'm still waiting for it, hopefully it will be here this week. I will post up some photos.

I figured the pet screens would be a good idea:

 

Thanks Sunryse - here it is, we are pretty happy with it.

 

Thank you for posting the photos! It looks great! Congrats on your new toy accessory.
Now I get the pet screens! Oh yeah, adding. Thank you. (65lbs of ornery will be camping in that shell with me. )
Very nice setup. The dog looks happy with it.
Thank you so much for posting photos.

 

Thanks for the comments - we are all pretty happy with it, especially the pup (Cooper). With that platform he has a lot of space to spread out. And he can lie down and still see out the big windows. The pet screens are pretty heavy duty and the bug screens are on it to, they are on the outside of the pet screens.

We call it a "Cooper Shell" not a Camper Shell.

 

I thought I would report out - and will post photos when I have it on the truck!!

In the end, after much research, and thinking about what I "need" given the intended "use", I had to go with slider windows. I found a dealer with a large inventory(of both SnugTop and LEER) and spent a lot of time there looking at, touching/seeing, all the different options. The XTR (glued in windows in general) will not provide sufficient ventilation - THE reason I am buying a shell is to camp in it. The dealer had a Rebel in black (my truck is black, albeit a different black (metallic) but still...) I asked them to put that one on my truck so I could "see" what that would look like. They did it and OMG. I was floored by how perfect the integration to the lines of the truck. The whole fit was perfectly snug (no pun intended). No overhang at the back, slight overhang on the sides (perfect for keeping out the elements). I was shocked by how good it actually looked. The picture in the brochure is a horrible representation! I will be putting the down payment in on an order Monday. I am going to ask for an install date of March 29th just because I don't want it until the weather starts warming up here. I want, however, the deals they are more willing to make in the slow, cold, months!

From here, I plan to add the rack tracks that work for both Yakima and Thule - after I decide what setup I want to go with there. But I can do that aftermarket. The mfg is just doing the same thing the dealer I am dealing with will do - drill/seal. I don't need that right now, I just want it because it looks more 'sporty'. I am also thinking I can do that install myself...

In the meantime, I get everything designed and created for the bed of the truck to be installed once under a shell. I will be "luxury" camping from now on.

I do have one question for folks - I was given a heads up by a different dealer I may want to replace leaf springs. I don't disagree with the thoughts there- sagging. I was thinking Hellwigs Rear EZ-1000 Helper Springs instead. I won't go into detail as there is a thread here on it - but has anyone found they needed them after a shell add and some weight in the bed?

 

My dealer said the XTR is only for the short bed (5 ft) so I ended up going with the Rebel. The ventilation is better so it worked out well. No issues and looks good.

 

Good looking lab! That's my primary reason for a topper too.

 

I don't know about 2013's but for 2007-2012 - the "short bed" on the access cab is the 6 foot bed. - I argued with the sales guy when I bought/ordered mine when he said I would have a short bed.

I then went to argue with the guy on the XTR, having forgotten the argument from years ago. - He told me a had a short bed! lol.

The "short bed" is the 6 foot for the access cab 2007-2012. (again don't know on 2013-2014) I think there was at one time the option for a long bed on it - thus the std was the "short" bed. I think the original line up for the 2nd gen Tacoma was a short bed (5'), a short bed(6') and a long bed(7?'). Obviously stubby (5') was for the double cab only. The other two were for the access and the reg cab.

The guy that sold me the rebel told me the same thing - I knew better from SnugTop, and from another dealer (too expensive to buy from but they seemed to know their stuff).

But I will say- having had the choice, I still chose the Rebel. The glued in pop outs have practically no ventilation. they open something like 3 inches, and its a small part of the window that opens. Rebel.