Cap/topper for 3rd gen 6.5' Tundra Smoked Mesquite

I searched online and I couldn't really find anything that could help me to decide whether or not to buy one topper/cap over another, and I couldn't really find anything that showed a 6.5' 3rd gen Tundra with one. So, if you're interested in getting one, here's what it looks like in smoked mesquite color, since I went ahead and bought one. On the topic of color, I don't really care much about any color, but I seem to have an aversion to chrome or flashyness, so dark brown with no chrome is something I like.

In this case, it's an ARE model, but I'm sure Leer or others would be comparable.

FAQ answered based on my experience of having this thing a little over a month:

MPG? no change that I can measure; same fuel economy with as was without both in town and on interstate even after a lot of measuring with and without box trailers.
Cost? around $3600.00 with no promotions or discounts running, although I had a lot of options included.
Squat? around 3/8" (more than a quarter inch, less than a half inch).
Put on/take off? Two really strong guys, 10 minutes or 4 really weak guys 7 minutes.
Features worth getting? Middle slide front window and tilt down front window features are both there, matching the Tundra's rear opening window; those really help. One handle hatch makes more sense than unlocking and opening 2 corners. Door controlled lights are nice; they don't require ignition to be on like my last truck/cap. Slide/screen side windows are great for camping/pets.
Features killed by cap?
Digital rear view mirror camera, so you use the traditional mirror setting,
Top bed lights, but cap has rope lights on sides and center led lights of its own,
Bed/cargo camera is blocked, I don't have a fix for that, but no biggie for me,
Truck's top/3rd brake light is blocked but cap has its own.
360 view? The cap doesn't affect it since 360 view doesn't use that camera, so you keep that.
Headliner/ceiling carpet? Nope; didn't buy it; they get mildew/mold if you leave something wet there overnight like a load of fresh cut firewood. Plus, the white fiberglass is pretty smooth and diffuses/spreads light well while camping.
Side "windoors"? Nope; didn't buy because the windows are too high to make them useful for reasonable loading and unloading.
Higher ceiling? Nope; my garage door isn't high enough for that; not sure if there would be an MPG difference. It's easy enough to remove if I need to haul tall stuff, plus I have open and enclosed trailers.

I promise I have nothing monetary to gain from this post; not trying to spam truck toppers; just wanted to post somewhere what it looks like to have one in case others had questions about what happens when a 3rd gen smoked mesquite Tundra with a 6.5' bed gets a camper top/cap/topper/shell or whatever you call the thing.

I have so far spent 2 weekends, 2 nights each sleeping in it, and much like my old Tacoma, it was fine. That's one of countless reasons not to consider a shorter bed. I spent 2 nights before having the cap sleeping in the back seat; bad idea. even with trying to level the slightly bucketed seats with padding and having sleeping pads above that, it's not level, and it's not wide enough for my already short 5'9" body to sleep comfortably.

 

I wish the fold-down front window hinged at the top with a clip to hold it up. The hinge down can cause the window to get in the way of cargo. I think they were just making it that way for ease of cleaning, but I'm more concerned with function rather than cleanliness. Having the whole window open-able is great for large long items to pass through though. Reaching from back seat to cooler in bed is a bit more of a reach due to the fold-down window getting in the way of sliding the cooler all the way up. Perhaps the center slider is the better option for that. That center sliding window needs serious strength to slide it open though. I might have to find a way to widen the channels, but not so much as to harm the seal.


The light bars weren't full length despite being advertised as such, but they're insanely bright at night anyway, so I didn't complain officially.
Wiring was a bit ugly; they used a Leer brand harness and said it would have been worse without it.


Finally, they had to put offsets to get the deck rail system to come out enough to clamp the cap on or else they said the clamps would have been at a bad angle. I'm guessing this may have reduced the strength of the side rails and any cleats on them, but I think they're still strong enough for what I tie to them. I don't have that pictured.
Overall, I think it's good. I'd like to learn how to get some removable curtains for privacy since there will be a lot of camping in there. I found some Youtubes on the subject, but not sure which plan to use. Anyone have experience with that?