Building a Custom Wedge Commercial Shell

I'm planning to build a camper in the back of a RCLB 2nd Gen Tundra (still shopping for the right truck) by putting a commercial cap on it, and I'm leaning toward an ARE DCU. I want a high wedge for the combo of camper headroom and aerodynamics it provides, but I also want the added sturdiness of DCU Max or Diamond Edition. ARE only seems to offer wedges with the thinner standard DCU skin. Has anyone gotten an ARE commercial wedge built with DCU Max or Diamond? Had something comparable made by another manufacturer? If not, is there any reason this shouldn't be possible?

Also, the DCU wedge is only offered with a 6" height change (as in, 23-29", 26-32", or 30-36"). Any reason a builder shouldn't be able to make one that ramps up further, say from 26-36"? Would it just be a matter of fabricating a few new pieces for the wedge portion, or is there some other reason (contracts? liability?) I don't see non-standard professional (as opposed to DIY) builds out there?

 

Here's an example of what I have in mind:

Wedge starts near the top of the cab at 23" and runs up to 36" more steeply than ARE's standard wedges to maximize the area under the shell at the max height. Is this do-able with an ARE builder? With DCU Max / Diamond Edition? Through another manufacturer?

 

Updating in case it's helpful to anyone else. Spoke with a helpful ARE dealer in North Carolina today (Boondocks Manufacturing) who said that he's not sure, but he could put in a special order for a DCU Max wedge and see what ARE says. Going to try contacting some other shops too.

 

Did you hear any word back if the raised height is possible? Thanks.

 

No, I sent an email directly to ARE yesterday, and I'm planning to call around to a few more dealers tomorrow. I'll update this thread when I learn more.

 

UPDATE: Just heard back directly from ARE's engineers. They say they can't build a wedge with DCU Max or Diamond, and they also can't build a custom wedge (e.g., 26-36") with standard DCU.

So that means I've either gotta choose from among their stock wedge heights (probably either 26-32" or 30-36") or go with another manufacturer. Looks like Century will build a steeper wedge. Here's a recent 23-36", but the owner was disappointed with the build quality. They appear to be essentially rebranded Leer products. Anyone have experience with Century caps?

 

Very helpful update, and recent 23-36 link is great to get a visual. I have never seen one of these up close, have no relation to this company but I wish more of these were built at what I'm going to say is a more competitive cost (I priced this out....it's a lot) -https://www.hiatuscampers.com/ as a commercial shell. I know bel-air shells function-wise is comparable to this, seems like there could be something quality wise and in-between these two. Thanks.

 

Looks like a nice pop-top, but high price aside, I'm more interested in a hard-sided shell. As for Bel Air, from what I understand, even though they do a lot of custom work, their caps don't tend to be particularly sturdy. Hoping Century, or something similar, might be a nice compromise.

 

I'm doing the same, working with Boondocks as well (might be in the same area, I'm in Haywood Co). Would love to share exp/issues, if not, I'll continue to follow your build.

I caved and decided to not do the wedge, even though i need 38" to sit fully upright (i am 6' 4").

I have an 06' DC and my measurements show I can make it work with a DCU Max 29" cap.

Main reason I need to go flat and not wedge is Van Life Conversions in Marshall is able to cut/install a weather sealed hatch (think boat hatch) on the top for me to access the roof. We'll build a roof deck on top of the cap with rails and then throw a 1 - 2 person pop up tent on top when needed (our camping trips range from my son and I to our entire family; 3 ppl, one dog. me and the dog sleep in the bed, other 2 sleep up top in pop up tent). It would create a passthrough of sorts, using the tent vestibule as a sheltered passthrough into the tent door.

The cheapest pop top camper on the market as of Jan 2023 is Lone Peak Overland, just released their product in December for roughly 5 - 6k compared to the 9.5 - 14k alternatives (SuperPacific, OVRLND, GFC, etc.). My build is estimated to be around 5.4k. So for 2k (ish) less compared to Lone Peaks pop to camper.

My measurements:

7" wheel well
9" platform/drawer height total (wheel well + 2" material for platform/drawer)
2" mattress height

26" ARE DCU Max
21.4" Bed Rail Height
---------
47.4" height to work with

minus 9" platform/drawer & 2" mattress height

39.4" head room when sitting upright. It'll be tight but doable.

I may forgo the platform/drawer and use a 3/8" rubber mat (toss my sleeping pad on that) to free up 11" and have a ton of head room. Van Life Conversions will also do the platform/drawer build (those guys are amazing and super creative).

 

This build is similar and worth a read (tacoma):

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/dcu-aluminium-canopy-build.674031/

2nd gen Tundra:

https://www.tundras.com/threads/the-wallygator-chronicles.65203/page-6#post-3036284

 

What do you think of this? May not be tall enough…

https://www.radicaproducts.com/moonlander

 

I'm going to fab up my own sideboards with a fixed window up front and back with a swing in front gate and swing in /out rear gate. Then add a soft topper that can quickly form a tall roof in minutes. Also will raise the floor 10" with drawers underneath. Trail Ed bedside boxes will remain on both sides. So, I will have the ability to keep my headache rack, have an open bed, have a camper, have under bed secure storage, have a large cargo space. This will give us the ability to leave our travel trailer at a spot and roam the surrounding area and still camp. 5.29 gears will pull it all just fine.

 

is all of this on a trailer? I like the idea.

I am also toying with a ladder rack, build a roof deck with rails for a pop up tent for the family, while i sleep in the bed with the dog. The open sides could be covered with a custom cut fabric using magnets to hold against the frame and bed sides. I estimated it to be around 2.4k cheaper than my ARE cap + roof deck combo.

I have a coleman crawdad i haul in the bed, so having an open bed when not camping is needed.

 

Mine will be on my truck, my trailer is separate. It's also a DIY custom build.

 

I'm happy with my Century High-C, but it's a fiberglass model. I don't know if you're interested in going that route or would prefer a frame and sheet metal construction, but it's built as well as any fiberglass cap and was on the cheaper end of what's available. Cheaper than my last ARE for a shortbed Tacoma.

 

If you're planning to put in any flooring and/or roof insulation, don't forget to factor that into your headroom calculations. The aluminum frame is going to cut into that height 1"-2" anyway, depending on where you're sitting, and from what I've read these things really benefit from some insulating, both in terms of thermal and acoustic performance.

 

I didnt think about that and will subtract the 1 - 2" out; I agree that is a mod I need and will do one day.

The three things I highly desire with my build is a passthrough from bed to roof, a roof deck to hold a pop up tent when needed, and a hatchback door. I work in the woods a lot doing water quality monitoring and a hatchback door to create a quick awning while i rummage around the bed would be awesome.

This cap inspired the idea.

 

Something you might want to look into since you're planning to carry a fair amount of weight on top of the cap is having ARE add some extra gussets to the frame to give it some additional structural stability. They don't mention this option on their website, but I learned about it from an experienced dealer. Should only cost another $100 or so.

 

good looks

I'm going to run the cap purchase by the team at Van Life Conversions. They should be able to do some frame reinforcement ARE cannot, but I have added that to the list.

 

@LocalYokelWx yeah one of the reasons I looked into it is that Tundra beds are particularly flexible, and when you replace the rear tailgate with a much flimsier door, you run the risk of generating even more flex back there and potentially putting too much pressure on that new door or even damaging the cap. Another suggestion I've gotten is to install a set of bed stiffeners to help hold that rear area square.

 

didnt even think about that, makes sense. great insight, adding it to my notes.

 

I finally put down a deposit on a DCU a couple weeks ago. After a lot of discussions with dealers all over the country, I settled on Suburban Caps just outside of NYC (where I'm still living for another month or two). I went with them not only because of the geographic convenience, but also because they came highly recommended by Chris at Suburban Toppers out in Colorado, which is the nation's largest ARE dealer. Even though I told him up front that I was on the east coast, Chris was a big help, recommending several options I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I told him I wanted this truck to be able to handle some light /moderate off-roading, and he assured me that he's successfully worked on a number of orders for search and rescue teams, surveyors, and other folks who expect their trucks to handle fairly rugged conditions.

There's also a family connection between the two shops, but Scott has been in the business in NY for four decades and he really knows his stuff too. While I'd often prefer to give my business to a smaller outfit, bigger dealers have a number of advantages, including more experience with custom orders, and much quicker turnaround times. I was quoted anywhere from 14 to 20 weeks by most dealers I spoke with, but the largest ones had estimates of 5-7 weeks. My cap should be ready by the end of this month. Here's what I ordered:

• 36" high DCU with straight (vertical) side walls and radius (rounded) front
• Double full back doors with windows
• Vented Windoors on both sides
• Radius three panel sliding front window
• 4 extra side wall gussets
• Roof tracks (to mount a Yakima rack)
• Backup camera with wiring harness

TOTAL (before tax): $4375

The cap is going on a 4WD 2016 regular cab long bed that I expect to be living out of for most of the year. I'm a little over 6'2", so the 36" height was important for me to be able to comfortably sit upright after factoring in room for flooring and insulation. I originally had my sights set on a wedge to make the cap more aerodynamic, but when I learned about the option for a radius front, I decided it was better for my purposes because a) it'll have almost a full 8' of flat roof length available for the rack, solar, and vent fan, b) the vertical side walls will make building out the interior easier and give me a little more room (at the cost of a little more drag), and c) I was told the whole structure will be a little sturdier than a wedge would be. As mentioned earlier, I'm also planning to install a set of Total Chaos Bed Stiffeners to protect the rear doors and the cap more broadly from the twist and flex of the bed on uneven terrain.

In addition to Suburban Toppers (Colorado) and Suburban Caps (New York), I also got knowledgeable, helpful guidance from Dallas at Louisville Toppers (Kentucky), who knows Chris too. Thanks to those of you here who shared your insights in recent months. I'll be sure to update ya'll once the cap gets installed, though because I'm no longer doing a wedge, I'll probably post over on Commercial Aluminum Caps: Let's See 'Em!, at least until I start my own build thread.

 

Awesome breakdown. Thanks for the price too, this helps. I didnt know about the wedge being less structurally sound than a rounded front.

Excited to see updates when you can post them! congrats on the big step.

 

Thanks @LocalYokelWx. I'm not sure how much of a difference the wedge makes in terms of structural soundness. Hard to get a clear sense of how the frame varies from one cap shape to another, but I suspect it's not a big deal.

FYI, I have family in Macon and Henderson counties, and I'll mostly be working on building out the interior of this cap in Macon over the next few months. Would def be good to swap info about local shops and whatever else is helpful.

 

Might want to think about how this is going to get through a large hail storm. I would probably go with a layer of styrofoam followed by ribbed steel panels and trimmed edges if it was going to be my house. Just my .02.

 

Yeah, definitely planning to do some insulating and paneling. Still researching the details, but some butyl sound deadening pads are probably the first layer, followed by a thermal layer.

 

If you can get the manufacturer to apply 15/32" plywood to the frame before the skin goes on the roof it will provide some decent hail protection up to about 2" or so hail stones.