how many guys have truck caps...what r the benefits or drawbacks.

 

I've had a cap on all three trucks I've owned. In the Northwest it keeps things clean and dry with all the liquid sunshine we get. : They also give a little more secure storage. I have mine on 99% of the time. There are some nice options available like a fold down front window to make cleaning rear cab window and front cap window easier. 8) <br>I have a LEER 100xl cab high with windows. There's some pics on page 26.<br><br>Nathan

 

I have a hard cover lid made by A.R.E. I think they look better than the cap and still big enough for what I need. ;D

 

I have the Leer Cab-High Shell.
The place I bought it had a special where you can get a &quot;Browning&quot; Package where you get the whole thing Lined inside, I had it painted to match my shell from their factory, The package comes with a storage box in the roof, and a Yakima Rack on top. (just the 2 bars) I also got the Super seal, it is rubber like a car door and sticks to the Shel, not the rail &lt;----Get that!! and a Tailgate seal. A Rubber seal that sticks to the Bed so you don't have any water leaks. I also got the &quot;Bed-Rug&quot; A foam backed carpet custom fit to the ridges of the bed so you don't feel them on your knees

Here is a shot, just reg outside.


This is back open, you see the carpet and a Florecent Light in the roof. Also have a Cheap am/fm Cass. and 2 Brackett speakers so when I use this as a &quot;Tent&quot; I have all the comforts! Just a extra foam pad and a sleep bag, All set!!



Plusses are enormous, Haul anything in the rain, snow whatever, no wet..., Secure and it Looks good too. Can put 2x4's lumber up on the rack for transport if you bought 12'ers.... A place to sleep on a trip. save that money from a dump of a motel.....

Minuses? Can't pull a 5th wheel ha! nothing tall in the back unless lay down.... uhhh Guess thats it

 

I have a Jason cap on my truck. It has many uses, keeps the load of snow you are going to get inside the box out when it snows. stops the box from being a grabage can for the parking lot beer drinkers at work,( first reason I ever bought a cap), keeps gear dry when we go deer hunting, since it is 6&quot; higher than the cab I can haul 55 gallons of water in a barrel standing up inside. With my Yak Rack I haul two canoes tied down tight with out a bunch of rope running all over the place, also extenstion ladders, counter tops and other long matiral I used when building our cabin.<br>Wouldn't leave home with out one.<br>Draw back with mine is, to high for the grarage door (pole barn works just fine), need a step ladder to get up to tie the canoes down with the ratchet straps, and have to crwal inside to get some thing from the front of the box.<br> ;D

 

Here's mine, I love it and I hate it. When you want to haul something in the rain...priceless. When you want quick and easy access to your bed...pain. When you have to climb in and out of it to get something out...pain. If you have somewhere to store it so you don't have to keep it on all the time it is a great piece of gear. I like to shed mine for most of the summer. But it's very nice in the winter especially if you're into hunting, camping, etc.<br><br><br><br><br><br>

 

I have a &quot;lid&quot; from Swiss called the &quot;Patriot&quot;. It's lockable which is the best part about it. It also makes the truck a little more aerodynamic than an open bed. The main drawback, as I see it, is the height limitation. I can't load a four wheeler and have enough clearance. Here's a pic.<br>

 

do any of you have spray in bed liners that go over the rail. can i do this and get a good water tight seal

 

I have a CoverMaster shell. I need it to keep my Honda generator out of the weather and out of sight when I travel with my travel trailer. When we are traveling in the Summer and stop for a short time I can pull the generator out on the tailgate and run the AC and other things in the camper.<br>I am a vol. fireman also and I keep my fire gear back there all the time. At a fire I can stand at the back of the truck and put my turnout gear on and put my shoes hat and coat in the back of the truck. When we finish at the fire scene I put my dirty fire gear in the back untill I can clean it up for the next call. <br>When I haul trash off the the dump site down the road I do not have to worry about it blowing out. <br>It is a pain getting to my tool box though. I have to crawl up to the front on the bed to get anything out of the box.<br>Like some of the other post, shells can be good and bad, it just depends on what you use your truck for.

 

[quote author=DF5152 link=board=7;threadid=15394;start=0#145082 date=1054608747]<br>do any of you have spray in bed liners that go over the rail. can i do this and get a good water tight seal<br>[/quote]<br><br>yes you can. I have both a LineX spray-in bedliner over the rail, and an A.R.E Z-top which I can lock and unlock from the factory remote key fob. very cool, very watertight, and very nice. <br><br>I highly recommend the over-the-rail method. think about hauling something (pipe, stud, a long table, whatever) that is longer than your bed is , and you want it to ride on top of your closed tailgate.

 

Looking for pics of a 2003 with a cap...Leer preferably. Got quoted $1510 for the 100XQ factory painted to match my truck.

 

I have an A.R.E. &quot;Z&quot; cap on mine, with the electronic remote lock that is tied into the factory key fob. The shell is wonderful for locked storage, especially that you can walk away, chirp the keyless system and hear the back door click locked. exterior lines look like factory, and a cool thing I like about it is that the rear door latch/handle doen't look like a me-too version of everyone else's cap. Interior ceiling and walls are carpeted, and there are two wired 12v lights and two clothes hangers inside. also the front window pulls down from the inside so that you can reach the back of your cab without removing the shell.

I'll attempt to post a pic. unfortunately its of the front of the truck. I have Line-X over the rail, and bedrug(tm) over the Line-X.

Mine is dk garnet red, and for sale because it won't fit on my new 2004! I'm selling the bedrug too. which is gray.

 

2nd try. its only 188K so it should load

 

Do you have a link to the A.R.E? Searched, but I can't find anything on it. Thanks.

 

http://www.4are.com/