Cheap camper shell/ cap/ canopy for 3rd gen Tacoma

Hey Everyone,

Wanted to see if anyone has found cheap (less than $1000) camper shells that would fit a 3rd gen Tacoma? Either from a previous gen or different truck with similar dimensions.
Not looking for anything fancy, perfect fit, cool looking etc. I have diamondback cover and would only use the shell for trips with my dogs.

Thank you.

 

Search Marketplace and Craigslist several times a day for as long as it takes. Cheap toppers are few and very far apart, but if you're patient and diligent in searching you can find one. I got a Leer 100R for $400 a couple years ago, which was about 25% of what everyone else had been asking.

The guy I bought it from had just got his Tacoma used and it came with the topper which he didn't want. By the time I drove over to his house (the same day he made the post) he'd already received several offers above his asking price but he sold it to me anyway since we already agreed on a deal.

 

I hear you, i have been looking for months now and no luck. thank you.

 

Slightly above $1k, but Naturnest on Amazon. Seen a few YouTube reviews on them, they look decent.

 

I'm no expert, but I woudn't really recommend a camper shell to anyone who doesn't intend to leave it on full time, or at least a majority of the time. I know there are solutions out there to hoist a shell on/off, but that just adds to the budget.

But to answer your question, deals are out there. You just have to be fast. Its hard to find any 3rd gen shells under $1k, but its not uncommon to find a miscolored basic shell with no fancy stuff. They're usually work fleet vehicles with basic white camper shells, or aluminum utility shells. Search Facebook marketplace multiple times a day and be ready to drop everything you're doing to go get it when you find one. I did that for about 2 years straight when searching for mine.

 

How about a Softopper? Readily available used for around $600. Much easier to install and remove. I plan to buy one for the sole purpose of provide in ng cover to my hunting dogs during transport.

 

Something i have been considering for sure, usually my 3 dogs ride in the cab with me but my family is growing so i wont be able to keep them in the cab much longer,

 

soft topper for that type of use. for a hard shell, anything thats been taken on and off multiple times wont seal and most of the hard shells youre paying for the "sealed bed" aspect of what it provides. Westin and OVS offer camper shells in the $2500-3000 range but are brand new, so none used currently. I wouldnt recommend a fiberglass shell for frequent on/off applications, likely wont last. Soft Toppers can get real cheap 2nd hand, spread the search range out. heck paying for shipping would still be cheaper than $1000 for a used soft topper.

 

I'd suggest not considering anything topper-wise that didn't come off a tacoma unless you can verify that it's also designed for a Tacoma. Measurements alone don't always tell the full picture.