Installing a used shell - seals and such?

I'm about to grab a shell I found on craigslist. Since I'm going to be driving 150 miles at 75mph on the way home, I want to make sure I know how to install it properly before I go pick it up.

Surprisingly I didn't really see any existing threads about the topic (sorry if I just overlooked something obvious).

So: it is an ARE shell, and it's off the same generation Tundra, so I don't anticipate fitment issues. It comes with clamps, which I assume are fairly self-explanatory.

What I am wondering about is what sort of seal, if any, do I need between the bed and the shell? Is this generally a durable thing that I should expect the shell to have on it, or should I be prepared to re-install worn out weather-stripping type stuff?

What else do I need to know that I don't even know to ask? Thanks!

 

I would recommend you bring with you 40’ +/- of peel and stick 1/4” x 1 1/2” weather stripping to put on the top of your bed rails. (I suggest doubling the weather strips)
The provided clamps will hold it on getting you home.

 

Ok, sounds like a good plan.

 

Glad you found one! This Tundra thing is workin' out, sounds like.

 

i don't use any weatherstripping with my ARE shell. If the shell is meant for your year/make/model (which it sounds like it is), it won't need it. The clamps will do what you need them to do and you shouldn't have any leaks. I go through car washes with my shell and zero moisture.

 

Yeah, so far things are going pretty well. I love having something that gives me things to do now (like building a "living space" back there) and the power and freedom to go the places I want to go when I get a chance. There's a longer boring explanation I don't need to get into, but having this makes me feel less trapped by other things in life.

The shell is not my ideal, but the funny thing is it wasn't the seller's either: he bought it to tide him over until he found a mid-rise color-matched shell, which is exactly what I've decided to do. It seems like the kind of thing that doesn't really lose value after a certain point, so unles it gets damaged, I feel like I should be able to re-sell it for about what I paid for it if/when my dream shell shows up on craigslist (or I get over toward San Diego / LA where there are even more of them for sale).

 

Update: just drove down to Tucson to pick up my new-to-me shell. Not only did I get a solid shell, at what seems to be a decent price, but I made a great new connection with the seller. Really nice guy! Turns out we both love exploring the same region of southern Utah and northern Arizona, too.

Regarding the thread topic: I definitely do need some seals / padding. There are gaps in some areas - possibly from uneven residue from an earlier seal - but in any case it's clear that I need some foam stuff. It's been dark so far, but I'll make and post some photos when I get a chance.

Surprising, to me at least: I'm pretty sure the shell is lighter than the tonneau that I removed - is that possible?! That s.o.b. was heavy (and is now the largest thing in our living room, the only place I can store it). The fiancée is ok with that...for now at least. It was her idea to keep it, since she thinks it makes the truck look way sexier than the shell.

Next question: if I decide to paint it to match, roughly how much would that be? Aesthetics isn't my highest concern, and after buying the truck I should not spend any more money anytime soon, but once I see it in daylight I may think about a paint job.

 

Glad you found a shell Mark! I had a shell on my 85 and I used some Frost-King weather stripping from Home Despot. If it was me I'd scuff it, prime it, and rattle can it white. It's a neutral color and by far the most reflective.

 

It's soooooo close to matching. (Terrible photo at a gas station on the way home.)

 

Close enough. In that environment it'll fade anyway.

 

In part two of my one-step-forward-two-steps back crap day (part 1 is here) I installed seals on my new-to-me camper shell. It did not have any, to speak of, just the gooey remains of what once was. In most cases it was bare metal against my bed caps, with plenty of gaps, especially at the cab end.

Made some new friends at the apartment complex - traded a few PBRs for help lifting it off and flipping it over in the grass. Spent a while cleaning goo off with paint thinner and stuff. Noticed that there were several holes where screws or rivets used to be. Sent fiancée to Lowe's for a pop rivet gun and pop rivets (new tool, yay!)



The 1/8" pop rivets were not wide enough to grab the hole. Since I was running out of time and daylight, that remained unfixed, and I "wasted" $25 on the rivet gun and rivets. What few screws I had on hand were of course too small or too large.

Not knowing any better, and going on the very descriptive product names, I ordered a "

$16 ESI Front Rail Seal 6ft EPDM Rubber

Front rail seal" and "

$29 ESI Super Cap Seal 20 FT (1 1/2" Width x 1/2" Height x 20' Length) EPDM Rubber for Caps 200 lbs or less

Super cap seal" for the sides. Both are apx 1/2 thick, with the front rail one apparently a sturdier stuff.

My cap's bottom is not even - the front is maybe 1/16" higher than the sides, and if I remember correctly, the bed top edge is lower than the sides, too, especially since the sides have plastic caps on them. My assumption was that the sturdier Front Rail Seal would fill that nicely, and the squishier side seals would squish out as appropriate to seal off the sides.



Well, nope. The sides did not squish much, so now there is a noticeable space between the shell and the truck bed. Not sure if that is an issue. What definitely is an issue is the now very prominent 3/16"-ish gap along the entire front of the bed. &^%$!





(Cab at right, shell on top, big f gap in the middle.)

So I guess...another piece of the thicker front rail stuff to fill that gap in? I'll check it in the morning, see how it has settled, but I'm pretty sure I need to do something before I drive in rain. Fortunately I won't have to worry about that until August or so.

Oh, and while I had the shell off I also wanted to disconnect the third brake light and cargo lamps, since I've read they will just reflect off the shell and irritate me. Nothing seemed to come loose very easily, so I just pulled the bulbs out. Hope that wasn't stupid? But also - check out this photo! Everything is melted in there like it was about to catch fire. Is that normal?!

 

Leave now....don't come back til ready to spend or you will find the mod bug gets too you...small things only add up for so long before the big buys get ya.

 

That almost looks like the light was always on and melted it. Looks like hest from bulb, if it was electrical it would have melted closer to the base where the wiring and bulb connects.

 

My new tundra bro, there’s a saying , “buy once, cry once”. When you pick up used or marginal gear, you should expect additional time and costs due to fitment issues, wear and tear, or more significant things.
Enjoy the path you have chosen or choose a different path.

 

Sure, but in this case the issues are primarily with my lack of experience and knowledge about the products and process. The shell itself is basically fine for what it is. I'm the dummy.

 

I got that. Good luck with your new old shell!

 

I would get some soft 1/4” thick by 1 1/2” wide foam tape. Put a single layer on the bottom of the shell for the sides and a double layer in the front. Unless you can find the same material in half inch thick. You may have to get 1 inch wide tape for the front edge unless you feel like trimming length wise. Actually that front rail seal looks pretty good I think you just need to rip off the side rails foam and go with something more plush. Something like this. This is similar to what I had on my cap on a previous truck. The front leading edge was the sticker like you already have. When you have the shell upside down grab a 2 x 4 or some flat object that you can check to make sure everything is going to compress the way you want it to.
https://m.lowes.com/pd/M-D-30-ft-Gr...MI0MislY6X2wIVRC-BCh0VXwafEAQYASABEgK2BPD_BwE

 

I saw that in Lowe's (after I ordered the other stuff). Does it hold up pretty well? I'll probably grab it to fill the remaining gaps. The price is right, for sure.

 

The stuff I had came with the shell but it looked just like that almost like a memory foam. I only took the shell off two or three times and it always seem to go back into shape and make a proper seal with reinstall. You should try to use similar material for the front and sides just different thicknesses that way you know everything will compress the same. Good luck friend!

 

Got my ARE of Craig's List too!! $200 plus another $150 to replace a broken out side window. I used this to seal mine. Works great. I use marine grade silicon seal to re-seal side and front windows>>>>>https://www.homedepot.com/p/M-D-Bui...x-30-ft-Camper-Seal-Foam-Tape-02352/202066511

 

Interesting update to this thread: a representative from Extruded Solutions - the manufacturer of the seals that I bought and installed - just found this post and reached out to me to see how their products worked out. She showed my photos to their installation team, had some suggestions, and offered to work with me to figure out a good solution if I was having problems. Pretty cool customer service!

In trying to remember what I had done back then I realized I never updated my findings: in short, I think the seals are doing fine. They did indeed compress and fill in gaps pretty quickly. I think I re-tightened the clamps a couple times in the following day or two, and everything has been fine.

Have to admit, I haven't even looked or thought about it since, which is good and the way it should be. The only leaks I get are from around the window panes (not the window frames) and from my roof rack installation, not from the shell-truck seal.

If you are researching camper shell seals, as I was, and find this thread, it might be worth calling Extruded Solutions to see what suggestions they have - they seem eager to help.