Softopper vs shell

What’s better and why?

I’ve had both
And at this point the only difference I notice with my shell is it adds a lot of weight that a Softopper does not

Softopper can also easily fold, roll up, remove, take off back window (or front)

nobody ever cut into the Softopper when I had it.
And it had decent cold insulation. Idk about against heat

both can have storage; shell = roof rack, Softopper = bed exo cage

shell is limiting because it makes harder to move big stuff on occasion like washer, dryer, fridge, etc (have to rent a trailer that’s sometimes not possible to maneuver in tight spots or park)

shell windows might also break more easily if wheeling

Not sure about “shell is more secure” - it’s not that hard for someone to bust out a window then open back glass from the inside

I will say
Without an exo cage, Softopper is ugly, less aerodynamic, moves in the wind
But with a cage, Softopper looks just about as good

Rack for a shell is like $800 and even more weight

shell seems better if you ever have to stealth camp. Crack the windows with a mosquito net, not really noticeable. Softopper can’t really do that

 

Soft tops are butt ugly. They never fit the rails and sit inside of them. Looks like a man wearing a hat 2 sizes too small.



Longevity goes to a fiberglass cap. I've had the one on my Tacoma for 17 years. Other than spending $30 for new struts to keep the back window open it still looks like new. I've owned 4 Wranglers in the last 40 years. Three were soft tops. The soft tops have to be replaced every few years.

If I were concerned about weight they still make aluminum caps that don't weigh much more than a soft top and cost about the same. They don't look any worse than a soft cap.



Due to the limited payload and bed size you aren't going to put much in the bed anyway. The 1st thing I did when moving from a full size to my Tacoma was buy a utility trailer. I can haul more weight and volume than I could fit in a 3/4 ton with an 8' bed and easily tow it with my Tacoma. Everything is easier to load/unload and I don't beat up the bed.



If someone ever designs one that actually fits the bed rails and overlaps some like the soft tops on Wranglers I'd consider one. The price is attractive. But for now that is the deal killer for me.

 

Or get a hard tri folding tonneau cover. Provides more security than a softopper, easily removable.

Different solutions for different people.

 

that aluminum one looks nice. Built in rails. Bigger space. Hopefully they’re not hard to find

flat on top to mount a solar panel better too, and bars on the side for gear externally

eBay has $100 roll up tonneau covers that clear out of the way for more room (all tonneau covers are also completely useless)

 

I bought my Taco with a lockable hard one-piece tonneau (UnderCover) on it, then tried a soft top (Bestop), and currently run a hard shell (RSI SmartCap Adventure).

Tonneau
Pros:

• Great rear visibility
• Clean look
• Reasonably secure
• Reasonably weatherproof
• Light weight

Cons:

• Shallow depth of bed means you can't secure larger objects
• When you need to move larger objects you have to take the whole thing off
• Can't get something large while out and about without having to go home and remove the top

Soft Top
Pros:

• Convenience (can fold the top away for large impulse buys without going home to remove/stow)
  
• Inexpensive
• Light weight

Cons:

• Poor rear visibility
• Constantly covered in a film of dirt/dust/pollen
• Pain in the ass to use
  
• Poor access to the bed from the side with windows removed (frame in the way)
  
• When you do use it, you end up covered in dust
• Not very weatherproof
• Not very secure
  
• Not much in the looks department
• Wind noise

Hard Shell
Pros:

• Reasonably weatherproof
• Reasonably secure
• Ease of use
  
• Roof rack capable
• Looks good
• Great access from the sides
  
• Plenty of space for the majority of my use cases
• (RSI SC Adv specific) Internal molle racks on side doors
• (RSI SC Adv specific) Internal roof fasteners, great for hanging racks for fishing rods/etc...

Cons:

• Higher cost
• More difficult than tonneau/soft top to remove for larger items (I already owned a utility trailer, so not a big deal)
  
• Not great visibility but still better than the soft top
• Heaviest of the options

All in all I plan on sticking with the RSI for the long term, and may even consider something like the Decked drawer system in the bed under it. If I have larger items to drag around I'll use the trailer.

 

I had a shell and found that the height was a hindrance for the occasional large item. I say go for a folding tonneau cover. You get a large truck area that you can lock up and it folds away when you don’t need it.

 

I actually like how my Softopper looks. It adds the kinda military-ish utility look to it. I’m very happy with the functionality of it too. I think hard shell topper have that “old man truck” look to them

 

Plus! Even and old man like me can completely remove the Softopper by myself in less than five minutes. To me, THAT is a big plus.

 

softopper is the way to go. being able to fold it down and PUT stuff in the bed of hte truck is the way. its a truck, youre supposed to be able to carry stuff.

obviously theres some bias on my end, i have a motorcycle that i have to cart around on occasion.

 

I'm genuinely attracted to this picture...the tires are really doin' it for me...

 

Yeah that's the tits for real.

 

I’ve been rocking a softopper for the past few years after debating hard vs soft.

I really appreciate being able to fold it down in 30 seconds to load and unload on road/camping trips. It saves my back from having to crawl in and out of a hard shell as I can easily load it from the sides of hop up in the bed to secure loads. I also use a bed platform with drawers to secure my gear by locking the tailgate if I’m worried about where I’m parking. I take one of the drawers out during ski season and can keep 3-4 skis under there, keeping them out of sight and locked up as needed. My drawer system is pretty basic which makes it easy to remove, so if I am working on some projects, I can take the topper off and bed system out solo in just a few minutes and wammo, I’m ready for a pile of dirt.
This fits me pretty well, like anyone else searching this thread, I’ve gone back and forth a bit, but this fits my needs really well.

 

So far liking this more than shell
Full usable surfaces

to vent breathe camping in the bed might run mesh window and find a fabric to hand curtain from paracord
Easier than making meshes for the sides

rear isn’t quite secure but the sides are def more secure with the rack now

 

How's the soft-top hold up under the weight of some snow? I use to have a thin aluminum cheap canopy and it would collapse down a bit from the weight sometimes if I parked at the ski hill during a storm. Didn't happen a lot but still kinda annoying to have the sheet metal crumpling and getting deformed

I don't have any illusions about my fiberglass Leer, I know it's heavy af. But the weight works to my advantage when the highway is snowy, I'd have a couple sandbags back there if it wasn't installed. And being able to lock up my gear is more peace of mind

In the summer it becomes more of a burden and less of a need. For sure the truck feels like it drives more nimbly without it.

A few years ago I forked over big money for a Alu-cab. It was really light and strong, but to my dismay the latches were trash and would freeze shut in cold weather. It got so bad I was carrying a butter knife around in the glove box to pry them open. Also leaked rainwater at every door and window. I sold it and went back to a Leer

 

I've had both, too. The only downside for me with the Soft Topper was lack of security while parked and away from the truck. For everything else (weight savings, ease of removal, versatility for loading anything, access to all parts of the bed, just as watertight, etc.), I was a true fan of the Soft Topper.

 

On the subject of holding snow, I’ve seen some impressive images in the ‘Let’s see your Softopper’ thread.

Credit: @AK Dudeman

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lets-see-some-softoppers.277644/page-400#post-29529144

 

+1 vote for Softopper. Big upgrade from my soft tonneau. Aesthetically I’m largely indifferent. I prefer to take it off or fold it forward and put the boot on for day to day visibility.

My Softopper was $500 used, I suppose you could find a used hard shell if you were patient for a similar price. I don’t want to beat a dead horse but the only way I’d consider a hard shell is if I could set up a pulley system to lift and store the shell out of the way and independently when it needs to be removed. Ultimately, the Softopper is a good compromise and I would recommend it. Your needs may vary. For my camping and dog needs, I love it. Took the pup to the beach for the first time recently, and I put my salty wet dog securely back there out of the sun. I know we’d probably all rather see pictures of her sleeping back there but here’s a pic. This is a 3rd gen Softopper, so count my bowler cap as 3 sizes too small ! lol

 

Great thread. Really good info. I've got a Peragon tonneau. Love the flexibility of having it lock to keep items secure in the bed and easily opens when I put my kayak in the back, or need to pickup a large item at lowes or something. As the height of the bed is pretty low (i think 22" inch) when closed, I'm researching which bed rack would work w/ this tonneau cover to give me more storage on top of the bed when the cover is closed. I've got a RTT i plan to put on the cab roof and will need more room to carry stuff in the back w/ the cover closed. Looks like Billie Bars may be the only one that works we'll with Tonneau. Getting close to buying them. Can't believe they never go sale! ;o)

If anyone else has experience in bed rack w/ tonneau, please let me know your thoughts. Thanks!!

 

I’ve played the games with truck parts. I’ve found owning a used camper shell and a tri-fold tonneau is the way to go. I currently have a hard tri-fold, soft tri-fold, and a camper shell for my 2021. I switch them out as needed.

 

All of our bed racks and crossbars can be used with the Peragon cover.

Peragon actually uses a picture of our rack installed over their cover in their advertising.

https://www.max-modular.com/toyota-tacoma-years-2005-to-present

https://www.kbvoodoo.com/toyota-tacoma-years-2016-to-present