Leer Cap - Big Problem

Hi guys,
I've had a Leer 100XR for over a year and have had serious problems with the rear glass door. It kept coming open on one side or the other while driving and sometimes opened all the way on the freeway or at some other inconvenient time. I've been back to the Leer dealer three separate times. The first two times they just adjusted the cables/tinkered around with it and the third time they actually replaced the rotary latches that holds it shut. The third visit to the dealer seemed to have fixed the issue until I took my truck on a recent trip to Mexico. The spot we went to was about 100 miles down a dirt road and the glass door kept opening when going over bumps so we kept having to stop and the whole damn shell filled up with dust. Ended up having to bungee cord it shut for the rest of the drive. Here are a couple pictures of what I'm talking about:

So after the trip I cleaned the latches but one side or the other still comes loose occasionally. It makes me think that this is just a bad design if you can't lock it tight and keep it shut. Has anyone ever dealt with this problem and what did you do to fix it? I'd hope there would be some way to just lock the shit out of the back glass so you can actually go places without it opening. My other thought was that maybe it's possible to convert the back glass to the style like the 100R where it has the old school turning handles on either side that physically holds the window from opening. Let me know what you guys think!

 

Sometimes simple is better. I have dual handles and have never had a problem. I never even turn the handles unless I need to lock it and it has never opened on its own. I'm not familiar with how that works from the inside. Just a wild guess, but would moving the cap forward a fraction of an inch make for a tighter fit between the tailgate and window.

 

Weird. Never had this issue with my Leer 100XL in the 5 years I've had it.

 

How do the angles of your bed sides look? It might be that the bedsides are pushing out and it's causing the back of the camper to spread out thus making it harder for the latch to do it's job. Just thinking out loud here.

 

In your picture the right side of the shell looks to be further out than the left side. Looks to be spread out.

 

Weird. Never had any issues with my 100XR. Both sides "click" into place just fine and don't come loose like yours seem to.

Seems to be installation alignment issue like others here have said

 

I have the 100XQ. I had to adjust the strikers where the latches latch to. Mine would sometimes not lock on one side when closing it. After doing some adjusting initially it has been fine. Maybe your dealer doesn't understand how to adjust it.

 

I totally agree -- the simple handles would be the better call. I asked the dealer if they could move the cap forward a bit but they said it looks like it's "right where you want it" haha.

 

I had the same issues. It took some readjustment to get the latches to click in without any play. No issues in a couple years since I got that readjusted

 

I see what you mean in the picture but in person it looks to be pretty centered and even on there. If the bedsides are pushing out how would that be fixed?

 

mine did the same thing. you just have to find a dealer that isn't crap and is willing to do a good job. it took me forever to get it right. but after a year or so of having it "fixed" it just sticks now and I have to turn the handle and pull the glass out to open it. good luck bud. I'd just try another dealer and tell them that the one that installed the cap was incompetent. hopefully you get it figured out. I wish I would have gotten the manual latch.

 

Bed stiffeners perhaps?

 

As others have said I would just tinker with the placement of the cap. It definitely looks off-center in your picture unless that's just because it's a picture.

The heck with the dealer, I'd do it myself.

 

Seems like most people agree that the dealer I've been using probably doesn't know how to adjust this thing correctly. I'm going to try another dealer and see if I have better luck.

I still wonder if it will ever get to the point where it can handle the bumps of a long dirt road like the manual latches do. I feel like they should be able to take off the rotary latches and just install manual ones in their place on both sides of the glass.

 

you say that till you screw with it for weeks and can never get it right and end up needing to redrill the holes for the catches to line up correctly and you think to yourself "I just paid over 2k for this thing and its nothing but a POS headache? fuck it let them fuck with it"

 

If you find a way, let me know. I'd trade the fancy ones in a heartbeat. nothing but trouble for me so far.

 

^^ this. I have dual handles on my LEER and couldn't be happier.

OP, hope you get the issue worked out soon.

 

Yeah I guess you're right. Maybe the bed needs 'stiffened'....These trucks are pretty flimsy in the rear end, especially that tin can they call a tailgate.

I used to use caps on full size trucks years ago and never had those issues.

 

Check the circular cutouts at the bottom of your sheet metal bed supports. Look for hairline cracks. Usually there is one crack per cutout. The composite Tacoma bed was simply not made for the load that a shell places on the bed sides - especially in bumpy roads, etc.

 

The problem ain't in the truck. The Leer cap in my Avatar has been on there 10 years and 182,000 miles without a single issue. It's been down a lot of bumpy gravel and dirt roads. The cap is defective or installed incorrectly.