Truck Cap / Topper / Camper Shell Interchange Question
#1
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Truck Cap / Topper / Camper Shell Interchange Question
Advertised locally I see a lot of truck toppers listed for Fords & Chevys with 8 foot beds and only a few advertised for Dodges. Does anyone know what will properly fit on our trucks other than what was made for Dodges? Year ranges? Also see the same thing in bedliners. Any info appreciated!
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i have one for a chevy, apparently they get more narrow towards the end of the bed. my father in law gave it to me when i got the truck from him. i only put it of from time to time so it's not that bad, if it's gonna stay on all the time i would shy from a chevy cap.
#3
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I have a camper shell from a 80's model chevy
it fits but the dodge bed is a little skinner then the old chevy''s were so it does hang over the edge of bed about 1/2" on either side.. but as you can tell if fits and I use it..
it fits but the dodge bed is a little skinner then the old chevy''s were so it does hang over the edge of bed about 1/2" on either side.. but as you can tell if fits and I use it..
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Be careful on anything that fits on the 2nd gen and newer dodges. I believe after 1994 the rear gets narrower. I tried a tonneau cover from a 1997 and ran into that problem. I also have an aluminum one from an older Chevy. It hangs over again about half an inch, but it really isn't that noticeable.
#6
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I bought used almost a twin sister to the topper in BRUISER's picture.
It was mounted on a 91 Chevy and I put it on the wife's 91 Dodge.
Like already stated, the Chevies taper from front to back, like a boattail bullet.
It barely catches the bedrails at the rear, so I screwed angle-iron to the inside of the bed-rails, and clamped the center and rear portions of the topper to that, instead of the bedrail.
The length is fine.
Once on the truck, it looks like it was custom made for the Dodge, and the rearward taper is hardly noticable.
#7
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Yes, the second gen beds are not only narrower, but longer too. The inside of our first gen beds (inside of front panel to inside of tailgate at the top) is 99 inches. I believe the 2nd generations are 104 inches. My shell came off of a early 80s Chevy and it fits just fine (I did not have the rearend taper problem so maybe my shell was intended for something else). If you get shells off a Ford or Chevy that is 87 and older, you should be fine. The bed sizes up to that year seemed to be, for the most part, universal. Yes, there are exceptions, but there is to everything too. It was 88 (94 for Dodge) and after that manufactures started playing with bed sizes (Ford introduced their 8.25" bed, as well as the 7" around that time, etc). Even if the shell is a little narrower or wider than the bed rails, it is only fiberglass, it gives!
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#8
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I originally bought my canopy used from a guy who had it on a 92 F-250. I put it on an 86 F-250, I later put it on my 96 F-250 and now sits on my 93 W250. It sticks out about a 1/2" on each side but I just view that as built in rain drip rails....
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