A.R.E topper ISSUES 2018 tundra

Has anyone had issues??
I picked this topper up on 2/24/19. On 2/25/19 I returned it back bc the topper was rubbing all 4 corners and did 1800$ in paint damage bc the mold was to short and to much build up in the corners. Are said they would NOT fix the paint. They said that the warranty states there toppers will cause paint damage, even after 24 hrs. My response... if everyone new that I’m sure your product would be looked at very different. I understand after years of use yes it will rub but this was literally after driving it once and it setting in my drive way. The dealer reassured me that he would get it resolved. I waited a month only to see the same exact with the same issues. The dealer said are would not replace and that he installed it wrong....?? The topper is bowed out on the side and the skirting doesn’t even set lower than the bulb seal. I could fit my whole hand on both sides of the topper and all four corners had to be raised up with shims to prevent from rubbing. This topper is way out of spec and does not fit. Plane and simple. I have had other toppers in the past. I know how they should fit. I have been spoke to horribly and told I’m stuck with it from everyone at ARE. The video is the second install as they are trying to tell me that the sides aren’t bowed and that it’s setting as it should. A 2000$ topper should fit and fit good as the others Iv seen on tundras. The TUNDRA”s are having all the same issues I am on the forums with ARE. I tried to be patient and fair. But they don’t want to make it right. Iv wasted two months and missing money in my pocket only to get the run around. I will make this known on every forum or review I possibly can. This business is a joke when it comes to making things right with the customer.

 

Would the lower molding piece help any?

 

Thanks for the PSA. They're off my list.

 

Welcome. And probably not bc the inside of the mold was rubbing not the outside

 

ouch that sucks. ARE supposed to be good.

 

Looks to me like your cap is missing that lower molding piece?

 

No they don’t install them on the caps anymore.

 

Are has been sold so many times in the last 10 years... quality and customer service has disappeared

 

maybe the installer did a $### job and doesn't want to own it ? couple guys run the ARE here. they probably will chime in.

 

Dang man, I’m sorry for you. I bought an ARE last October and haven’t noticed anything like what your experiencing. I did have the cap re-installed after about two weeks because it leaked bad. They ended up putting two layers of tape down and that fixed the problem. I’ll see if I can find the pictures of my truck when the cap was first installed.

 

Pics of my ARE cap.

 

The more the marry! All I’m saying is I accepted that my brand new left over 18 with 1500 miles now had a quote for paint repair and I could only get it touched up. Also the customer service in ARE’s end was horrible. The dealer did say they sent him a video how to properly install. But again... the squirting should not set above the bulb seal. That defeated the purpose of the skirting design. I had a snug top on my last tundra and it fit perfect and was engineer with a bulb seal already in it. You just lay it on the bed rails and it fit like a glove. Are’s bowed out like the glass wasn’t cured and bowed outward( that’s why I can fit my hole hand up under it but on the corners it fits right. Sides bowed and the corners pulled in. All I really asked for was a new topper and to make it right.

 

See how yours fits normal. You can see the plastic in the bed rails and it actually set over the corners of the bed.

 

Ya I see what you’re saying. I’ll try and take some back end pictures tomorrow if that helps you at all? I’d keep hounding your dealer and/or ARE. Something clearly isn’t right. Don’t give up either.

 

I just had one installed about a month ago and nothing yet! I'm going to keep an eye on this though..

 

The only place mine rubbed was from the glass door’s lower molding piece that overlaps rubbed the tailgate.. have heard this is very common and luckily I caught it early so paint wasn’t that bad. Was easy enough fix with touch up paint and clear 3m tape there to protect the paint.

But my dealer/installer still has yet to address issues I noticed after leaving tge lot for some small tears in the screen mesh and the inside frame molding being all mangled and then crappy repair effort

 

After reading this I immediately ran out to check on my Z series. I went around it with a flashlight and no part appeared to touch. The foam tape supported it just high enough to keep the edges off the paint.


Suburban toppers in DENVER does a ton of these installs on Tundras. Might be worth talking to Chris Blais with them to find out their experiences.

 

My ARE topper rubs in those same spots. It didn't do it right away, but when I started to do some offroading with it, it shifted and started to rub.

 

MotoJ I bet you anything you are rubbing torward the cab. On the first install it rubbed like this, from literally 24 hrs. I’m not saying all ARE toppers do this. I have been reading on Facebook and such that this is a reacurring issue. The back end on mine hooks to hard and that’s why it rubbed. These should be engineered to have a 1/4 inch gap and over hang like the leer and the snugtop. It’s a poor design my model was the CX Classic. And another thing to throw on top of this. When they pulled it off the bed 3 screw came out of the front folding window

 

Yours seems warped as well. The front seems to be tight and then a gap appears as it runs toward the back. It may just be the angle of the pic but that’s what I see.

 

It’s tight towards the corners but opens up some down the middle. The picture magnifies the gap because the angle. Never really thought much of it to be honest. I bought cap to keep the dog and gear dry, so far that’s been a success after they re-installed the cap with two layers of tape.

 

I’m sure it’s fine but you might want to keep an eye out for rubbing.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=onK963ANW-Y#

They said this is how your suppose to install all tundra toppers?! My game is super tight in the front and rear of the bed and bowed out in the middles.

 

Yup, I will. Good lookin’ out.

 

for the price they ask for these CAPs...

 

And again. I’m not the first person with this issue

 

My installer sells both ARE and leer. I asked which was better for a tundra and he mentioned the ARE fit too snug and didn't reccomend it. Now I have a leer 100xr and couldn't be happier.

 

Funny. The dealer I went to is all in on ARE but has sold SnugTop and Leer over the years. I have a Leer dealer and factory in my home town and still went with ARE because I felt more comfortable about the so called “service after the sale” that I heard about ARE. However, in the OP’s case this doesn’t seem to fit, no pun intended. I hope they make it right. It sure seems like he’s not a one-off scenario.

 

I just looked at mine even closer. I will say that one side bows more than the other. Didn’t notice until you pointed it out. I have a gap all the way around except it is very tight towards the front of the cab in the corners. There might be contact at one spot that looked like a pen point. I’ll have them look at it again if I’m ever in the neighborhood. I most likely will never take this topper off. The tailgate definitely does not touch. I purchased ARE after reading on forums that they were the highest quality and best fit for Tundras. So I gues all brands need improved design and quality control! I also had an ARE on my Tacoma and it still looked great after 10 years when I sold it.

 

I’m in the same boat with all you said.