camper shell or not?

Got a 2010 with shell on it. I have never been a fan of them, but it has been somewhat convenient. My wife took it out of town this weekend and hated it. Thinking about storing it in the garage or just selling it...I am just on the fence and need pros and cons I guess.

 

They are nice to have when you need them. You could always get a tonneau cover.

 

Wouldn't have a truck without one. Way too many uses.
Your wife probably hated to drive it for the loss of vision... understandable.

 

I had one on my Tacoma a few years ago. I had plenty of pros...can store gear and it will stay mostly dry. Was real convenient for luggage on trips, groceries, camping and the dogs. My biggest con was I just liked the way my truck looked with it off much better and the visibility is better with it off. I ran it for part of the year, especially if I had trips planned. When that was over I would store it.

 

I like my topper a lot. More usable space than a tonneau cover, added “security” for cargo, good shelter when I sleep in the bed of my truck. Also, I live in Alaska so it keeps the snow out of the bed.

Cons: when it gets snow on it, can’t see out of the back. Looks like an “old man” truck. If you haul a lot of big things in your truck bed, then it’s height limited/PITA to get stuff in and out.

If you really don’t need/want it, can probably fetch over $1,000 for it.

 

I think the pros and cons are really pretty much obvious aren't they?
Only you or your wife maybe can decide if they are right for you though?

I know that I can not live without mine regardless of any drawbacks.

 

Don't let your wife drive the truck again, problem solved.








Personally, I won't go without a cap or a hard tonneau cover.
My '07 has a hard tonneau cover, and my '02 has a massive cap.

 

For me the benefit is keeping gear inside dry and having more space for stuff that needs to be covered than just a tonneau cover. I might have tried to get away with a tonneau cover if I had a standard bed and if my wife was capable of bringing a reasonable amount of stuff when we go camping but, from what I understand, most tonneau covers leak at least a little bit.

In my opinion, the only downside is not being able to carry anything really tall but that's not something I anticipate having to do often enough that I couldn't just rent a trailer for the day.

 

Where do you live? This is probably the most pertinent question to determine for or against. I lived in texas and down there I would say no. Dry climate , rare rain , when it did rain didn't last , and was only small portion of the year. Also depends on what activities you do, i.e. dirt biking or something needing taller than cab access. Now that I live in utah however. I wouldn't want a truck without it. Snow and rain is more frequent and I cant use the bed for days when it snows. Also when offroading in spring, the snow melt make for constant mud which usually ends up in my bed. I also intend to use it to camp in up here. I ordered one and am still waiting delivery. Dog will like it too lol

 

I would like one, as my main use would be sleeping/camping in it.

 

I ran a Softtopper on my RAM for years and loved it. Break it down like a Jeep soft top when not in use. Set it up in 5-10 minutes and you have a soft shell on the back. If my Tundra ever gets here, I will have one on order the same day.

 

Nice looking truck! My wife used to call it a "grandpa truck" with the canopy on, but it's actually grown on her now. It's so nice on trips where we frequently have stuff loaded up above the bed rails, and it's a plus being able to lock stuff up back there and keep it dry. It's fairly easy to take on and off with a couple strong folks as well.

 

Thanks everyone. It is definitely a preference I need to decide on. I live in Alabama and don’t do anything crazy, so to me, I like the way a truck looks with it off. It does look more like an old man truck with it on, as someone said, I am mid 40’s with a daughter in middle school so. It is nice to have when carrying her and her friends with either the cheer stuff or tennis stuff. I don’t know. Maybe I will take it off for a bit and just store it in the garage and see how it goes... thanks everyone

 

Did you notice a drop in MPG?

 

I've never calculated the difference, but I doubt it's anything noticeable. I actually do have it off right now as I was getting some gravel, so maybe I'll calculate a couple tanks to see what it looks like.

 

I have seen a few requests in the marketplace for WTB a topper. So I don't think that you will have a problem selling it if you decide to. I use mine all of the time with the weather that I have up here.

 

I used to think the same thing about the grandpa look but , I usually only think that on trucks that keep it pretty stock. On mine I now have ditch lights , lift struts and fuel wheels so I don't feel it will have that vibe. Plus here in the rockies it seems is almost a prerequisite to owning a pickup so I don't think about them like I used to. In Alabama I don't imagine you see them ofteb

 

Yea it’s off and on in Bama, but it is mostly the older guys. I don’t have the money for mods right now, so rims and wheels will have to wait. I would like the ability to ride with the windows down and the back open...I feel I am talking myself into taking it off for a bit...guess I need to clean the garage and find a place for it for now.

 

Do like the jeep guys and rig up a hoist from the rafters

 

I like having it back there but, then again, I'm an old guy. It is a great way to do some simple camping if you like to camp though.

The Mrs and I have logged about 20 nights back there since I put it on a couple of years ago.

 

I love using mine for camping in the cooler months. Typically take it off in the summer when not camping.

 

I've had both a tonneau and toppers on the trucks I've owned.

I had a topper on the 1991 Chevy S-10 I had and loved it. I could store things out of the weather and sleep in it when I had to. This was when I was in high school.

I had a "rolling garage door type" tonneau cover on the 2000 Chevy Silverado I had and had a love/hate relationship with it. It was in the way for taller things, but was great when hauling things that were shorter than the bed sides. It meant I didn't have to have a tarp. It was also able to be locked in a partially open position, so taller things could be hauled closest to the tailgate with the rest still covered. Because it was out in the elements most of its life, the tonneau fell apart about 10 years after I got the truck and I never replaced it. I didn't really like just having an open bed on the truck these last several years.

Now, I just got a topper on my 2019 Crewmax and I love it! Yes, there is less vision out the back, but I think having a backup camera helps quite a bit with that. I appreciate the windows in the topper being tinted, as it helps with the bright headlights from someone behind you in the rearview mirror. I have one of those self-adjusting rearview mirrors that just doesn't seem to adjust the tint all that quickly. I have not slept in the topper yet (and I may not fit without leaving the tailgate down since I am 6' tall...) but it should be nice. I'll eventually have a set of roof racks on the topper so I can haul more things with our Thule carrier when camping.

I'd say keep the topper. After 20 years without using one, I can safely say I have missed it.

 

What brand and model is the camper in this photo?

 

I am interested in purchasing it if it’s in your way! PM me and we can make a deal! You can purchase some other mods with the money.

 

It's a Leer 100XL.

 

Thank you. I like the profile. I see some cab high shells and they seem to keep getting taller as they go back. Your looks like it has a flat profile all the way.

 

Does it have a seal against the rear of the cab? I've seen many that have been on long enough that seal will rub the paint off on the cab. When you remove it you might find damage.

 

Have been thinking crazy lately and thinking about switching up my setup. I love the RTT, the rack, and how this system works, but have lately been needing something a little more stealth and a topper is the way to go for stealth.

 

If I had a DC, I for sure would have gone cap so I could sleep in the bed. With my CM, I got a revolver x2. Pretty happy with it.