Beds with a Shell . . .Liner, Spray-in, or Raw Dog?

Terrible opinion and completely untrue in my experience. But to each their own.

 

Tell me you don't camp without telling me you don't camp.

 

Well . . . considering I do masonry out of mine, and often have a Honda generator, a $3K wet saw, & all the rest of my tool$ in the bed . . . it's kinda convenient to be able lock it up and not have to take the tools out every night, or worry about leaving the truck unattended somewhere. On the weekends when I head out and tow my boat to go fishing, it's nice to be able to lock up the $10K+ in rods, reels, & tackle I use. When I do a combo fish/ camp trip, having a shell keeps me from having to set up a tent to sleep at night, which is convenient especially during the winter.

But yeah . . . trucks with caps are beyond worthless.

 

Alternatively they allow you to have covered space when you need it and open space when you don’t. They also separate the cabin from whatever toxic crap you have in the bed.

 

Lol. You’re wrong but I appreciate how right you think you are



something something opinions and assholes or whatever.

 

All in the feels of the cap crew lol. My best friend has two 3/4 ton trucks both with caps and the newer one has the carpet over the factory spray in. Guess who he calls when he needs a tv moved because it won’t fit in the cap??

 

I'm all for big TVs but that's excessive.

 

If you’ve never owned a truck with a cap, it’s truly a different animal. I wouldn't go back. The utility factor has increased significantly with a cap. Being able to use that space and not be concerned with the security of the contents is huge. I can keep things in the truck that normally would have to be removed nightly or at stops to prevent theft. Stuff stays dry. A 55” TV will fit, in the box, standing straight up. All the family’s crap for a week of camping, or the beach or whatever fits, is secure and stays dry (making it a better SUV as you’ve alluded to). I rarely need to haul stuff that won’t fit under the cap (4 wheeler, yards of dirt etc), but when I do, I would trailer them anyway. Cap is the way for my use.

 

If she makes me zzzz outside….cap
If the kids need to potty or change…cap
Tools, fishing gear, dog apartment…cap
My Papaw had one on all his trucks ….
He was a pretty smart man… & he hated a damn TV

 

I get the dry part but the security aspect is silly. If you’ve got something of value in the bed a cap isn’t going to stop a thief. I load my truck often with the tractor from the side so I’ll never own a cap. It’s constant jabs in a friendly way with my buddy. He thinks it’s only a useful truck with an 8’ bed however he couldn’t haul his tv or go get a few scoops of mulch with either of his long bed trucks lol.

 

This is the one place @Elevatorguy is correct. Where I live, that cap ain't stopping anyone from stealing your stuff. This obviously varies location to location, usually based on population density more than anyting (more bodies jammed in an area == more opportunity for incidents). But I've poked at him about the paw cap view before so I'll skip it. I think he knows he's in the minority on that one

I definitely wouldn't put a hi-rise cap on mine, I prefer streamline caps. Even if it bought me a better interior experience, it'd make it more difficult to mount my tackle along the roof.

 

6.5 ft Beds with Caps or Bedcovers and Bed Rugs are great when you have to evacuate for a Hurricane with your "prized" possessions. It is a matter of need. YMMV.

 

I disagree with the idea that a cap Isn’t more secure than an open bed. It is absolutely more secure. Is it theft proof? No, but neither is the cab of the truck. But having to pry open or break a lift gate or side window is a theft deterrent. Also hides the valuables from plain sight. Also protects them from direct sunlight. Also protects them from Chuck Norris roundhouse kicks and sharknados. Facts.

 

Definitely more secure. The most secure thing you're going to find is a SnugLid or slightly lesser-so a BakFlip, though. Any cap is inherently more secure than nothing, but anything with windows, in higher-density and/or more-sketchy areas, is going to allow prying eyes to see whether smashing your window is worth it or not. Granted, there are any number of ways you can obscure what's inside, but that's just a signal to some shady folks that you've got something to hide/protect, and may also trigger a smash and grab.

It's a good solution, just not a perfect solution. My BakFlip isn't flawless, if you're familiar with the product they're easy to jimmy. When I first moved to ATL, first night I stayed at my now-wife's house, I got hit. I wasn't hip to the city and what goes with that, I had a portable toolkit, a wallet of 200 CDs, some Cisco routers, and misc other work equipment in the truck. Fuckers smashed my ext cab window, crawled in, grabbed anything loose, and went out the front door, setting off the alarm. Fortunately for me, about $8k worth of my work tools were under the SnugLid in the bed. When I unlocked and lifted it, the tailgate fell open... They obviously unlatched it and had tried to get in, but the SnugLid stopped them.

YMMV. Thieves are scum. I hate this city taught me how to think like a thief to avoid getting jacked, but it was a lesson well-learned.

 

When we stayed at the Air BNB in Flagstaff I unloaded everything valuable from my truck. Both the cab and the bed. A topper is helping for fuel and food stops because it's unlikely someone is going to walk up and grab something like they could with an open bed.

 

Salty

 

I'm all kinds of salty. Both my cap/bedrug combo and the fact that it's extra tall were insulted.

 

Just buy two trucks and one cap!

 

I think I’ve seen that video