Pro's vs Con's of a Camper Shell on a Double-cab Short Bed

Hey Guys,

I have been a member for a long time but have yet to be active on here. And well, it's time to start making mods to my Taco.

I have been bouncing back and forth between getting a camper shell and keeping my bed cover for a while now. I would love some insight on the pros and cons of having a camper shell on a double-cab 5 ft bed taco as I weigh whether to do it or not. Thanks!!!

Question: What are the pros and cons of having a camper shell on a taco that has a 5 ft bed?

 

Caps have more room and space but a pain if you need to take it off without having some sort of rigging set up. I keep mine on all the time. I highly suggest waiting until you find a used one. Paid half the price of a new one for mine. Great for drive in movies.

 

Pros:
Storage, security for your gear, possible truck camping setup, less worry about someone breaking into your truck through the rear window, looks pretty cool.

Cons:
Unable to carry tall items in the back of your truck, the expense, and it looks like you wanted a 4Runner instead of a truck. Recently some members have noticed the bedsides flexing a bit with the weight of a cap (or anything that puts weight on the bedrails really). Total Chaos has bed side stiffeners that correct this issue by bracing the bedside to the floor, but that is another expense if you choose to buy them. I'm sure it's not a new phenomenon, just something that more people have noticed more recently. Plenty of people have been running caps on their trucks with no issues for many many years and have had no issues (flexed bedsides or not).

It really comes down to your needs/wants. I like them personally, but I carry tall items too often to justify having one just to pull it off all the time. I has a fiberglass tonneau on my last truck and it was always getting dinged and scratched when I'd take it off- which ended up being almost once every other month.

 

I almost didn't test drive my truck because it had the shell on it. Turns out it's one of the best parts. Locking tailgate and a Bed Rug make for a lot of usable space. Of course it all depends on what you use your truck for. I live in the rainy Northwest so it's used a lot for groceries, Costco, kids bikes, my bike, motorcycle gear, etc. It's nice to throw that crap in the back and have it dry and safe.

 

Don't forget less visibility when backing up/changing lanes. But you get used to that.

 

Love my topper, but... long bed FTMFW

 

I like being able to throw the dogs and wife in the back when they're dirty!

 

Pros: The right shell makes the Tacoma into an SUV, with good looks. Sealed environment in the cargo area. Adds 180 lbs to the bed, which is great for winter and for wet conditions after your tires have been exposed to UV for 2+ years. People are trading up right now, and ditching their Tacoma caps so you can get them for 1/2 price in your area if you wait. If you get one, plan on leaving it installed.

Cons: Lose the ability to move large oversize items. Very expensive when purchased new, you don't know whether your shell will be made on a Friday afternoon with resulting defects or during the normal workweek. Seems like you get-what-you-get in terms of worksmanship when purchasing new from a dealer. Need to purchase top-level campers to have the best appearance, otherwise the camper will have visual characteristics that don't match the styling or vehicle lines. Leer has a stupid triangle embossment on their shells, making it hard to completely shave their branding. Need a place to store, and definitely need a friend who isn't clumsy during removals and installations. Lose the ability to stand in the bed to clean the roof.

 

Pros - more secure, weather resistant storage. Place to put a ladder rack and/or RTT.

Cons - can't load a dirt bike or a refrigerator in the back. $$$.

I have found that most of the times I need an open box, whatever I am loading is a bulky, heavy thing anyway, and is better transported with a trailer with a ramp. I just bought a cap - and will be pulling the trigger on a 5x8 trailer shortly.

 

I've been running a cap for going on 6 years now and have not noticed any bedside flex. Granted I do not carry a load on my cap full-time. I'd be willing to speculate that the flexing bedsides are occurring on rigs that are running a good bit of weight up top, specifically RTTs. Lots have folks have running cargo racks, spare tires, Hi-Lifts, other tools etc. on their caps for quite some time. Not to say that RTTs are new, just that they have grown increasingly popular in recent years and their users are often carrying other items on top in conjunction with the RTT. Admittedly, I could be completely wrong on this.

 

Most pros and cons have been covered but I'll add that it can make your rear end sag over time. Air bags fixed this for me and I still like my topper.

Oh, and I'm not sure if anyone said anything about "old man truck" but there's that too.

 

Subbed like to hear more responses as I am about to purchase a shell.

 

Well, my favorite part is no more dog hairs in the cab. And all the wet and stinky stuff stays outta the cab as well. Fishing waders can get get pretty stinky when covered in egg juice.

 

love my softopper. keeps eyes off of my stuff, although wont protect from break-ins obviously. roll up the sides to get shade when I want to lay out or nap. great for camping. sleep back here all the time as it's not as hot as a hard shell. within a minute it can be collapsed for moving tall items (moved a couch with it collapsed. within 5 minutes you can remove the entire thing and store it in the garage. barely takes up any room. just throwing it out there in cased you need some options. huge thread about it on this forum search for "lets see some softoppers"

 

Since I just moved to Utah, I am going to purchase a Softopper. I like the idea of having it flip forward in case I need to put something tall in the bed. The cost new isnt bad (~$700 plus shipping). The cap/ Topper keeps snow out of the bed as well!

 

good idea. also it looks badass. get so many compliments on mine.

 

I am sure once I get one, people will ask more about the topper instead of all the other stuff I have done to the truck :/ ..... hahaha

 

Thanks guys that is some good info to chew on!

 

My truck with cap is my mobile locker room... It locks and offers enough security to keep honest people honest. I also have the roof rack on the cap for canoes and kayaks.

I use a trailer when I need to pick up bigger things or mulch/stone/etc.

 

I had a Softopper on my Frontier and I have a Bestop on my Tacoma. For sure any canvas top is worth its weight in gold for flexibility, no matter which one you choose.