Best affordable Topper with pics including pros & cons

Looking for the best "hard" topper. Double cab short bed. Cost, pros & cons.

 

Define affordable.

Mine was $3200 and worth every penny.
Pro- Makes the truck a lot more useful
Con- $3200 is $3200.

As for best rated, eh, I have an ARE, it's good I guess. There just isn't a big difference in Toppers past a certain point. Leer, Snug Top, ARE all make good toppers, and the occasional bad one.

 

Soft Topper is probably the best affordable option.

 

I considered the soft top but I'm siding with the hard. Thank you for your help though.

 

Just got mine Friday. Leer 100R, carpet headliner sliding/fold down window. $2076

 

Just got done with my search for a topper. Looked at fiberglass Leer, A.R.E., Lakeland (local brand) and Ranch. All came in at $3000 or more for my configuration.
Also priced out HDU aluminum contractor type toppers, also $3000 ish. All the toppers had pro's n con's, seemed like a coin toss all things considered.
RLD Design and Alu-Cab and RSI are also worth a look in that $3000 price range.
For myself, I was going to buy a Leer 100XR tomorrow' instead I ordered a Lomax tri fold aluminum tonneau and a Adarac aluminum rack system.

 

Spend once, cry once. I just went with an ARE Overland fully optioned out for about $3200. Sliding win-doors, LED lights, sliding folding front window.

Build quality is solid, and if it's anything like my dad's ARE he's had on his '03 F350, I should have it for a while.

 

Just today I drove by Cap It (Alberta) and saw a sign for canopies (Canadian for caps) advertising their in house brand Bulldog for $1850 Canadian pessos ...but I'm holding back till I can gem an RSI Smart Cap...at probably 3 times the price !

 

If you are around the upper mid-west, Lakeland Truck Caps are very affordable and popular in this area. Their fiberglass Voyager model is on sale right now for $1649 color matched to your truck.

http://www.lakelandtruckcaps.com/

 

I like the racks.
I do electrical work and this could be useful carrying the bigger ladders.
What kinda weight have you put up there?

 

Okay, so i got the ARE V-series because it was the cheapest and i was like “why pay more for a fancy topper arent they all the same?”

all i got as an add-on were vented windoors. The windoors are awesome and im glad i got them and would highly recommend them! However, if i were to do it again i would not get the v series, i’d get the reinforced shell so i could put heavy stuff on a roof rack up there and not worry about stress cracks.
That’s my con for ya, v series is non reinforced. Think about if u would ever want to have a roof top tent or a rack with gas cans up there before you buy a non reinforced shell.
Another con is you cant haul tall stuff in your bed anymore, but that’s obvious.
I also wish i ordered it with the yakima tracks installed rather than a bare roof.

I dont know how much off roading you do OP, but “wheelin” with a shell on there makes the truck feel less nimble and more clunky so that’s kind of annoying. I see why the more extreme dudes have bed racks instead of shells, just something to keep in mind.

With the windoors mine was just shy of $2000

I’d def say go with the ARE v series if its all u can afford, other than being non reinforced, i have zero complaints and zero leaks. It keeps my gear dry and safe and the windoors make access to the bed still easy.

and here are some photos cuz you said u like photos

 

I'm a contractor myself and the most I have had up there is 8 PT 2x8x12 and 4 PT 2x8x20's. I can't say I recommend that much as it was probably too much, but it held it. I usually just have an extension and 8' ladder though. It's a Prinsu.

 

If you can live without the bells and whistles a basic cap from Leer or ARE should be $1500-$1700 installed and color matched to your truck. That's all I've ever used and done fine.

If you're patient and look for a used one $300-$500. You will be lucky to find one in that is the exact color, but it could be painted for another $300-$400. And many mixed colors look good together. My wife has 2 brothers with mis matched colors that look good. One is a silver truck with a dark gray cap. The other is a burgundy color with gold trim with a gold colored cap. I had a green Dodge once with a silver cap made for a Chevy. It looked good.

Don't waste your money on a soft top. They aren't that much cheaper, don't hold up and last long, leak, and only create the illusion of security.

 

There is a white one in a local paper for sale near me. Southern WV, no price in the current ad but it was listed a few weeks back for $400. He has had it advertised a while now. Long bed.

 

I've gone with basic ones for both our 2nd gen and again for our 3rd gen;
Found local companies making both of these canopies for a fraction of what the Leer/ARE models would've cost with shipping..

 

Word, thank you!

 

Definitely keep an eye on Craigslist. I got one (ARE) for a steal that happened to be color matched for my truck.

Besides the cost factor, con for me is some loss of visibility (but not as bad as I thought it would be, honestly).

Unexpected pro, I think the truck rides better with that bit of weight on the back.

Good luck!

 

years later

Do you still have this topper, and what do you think years down the road?

I’m considering this exact one. Hopefully you still follow.

If not, anyone else use the ARE Overland topper?

 

Still have it. Zero complaints, would buy it again!

 

Even another year later. Still no ragerts. Did you ever end up getting one?