New Type of Camper

Yes I am old now but I have had a cap on every truck I owned since 1972. The problem is the old cap never fits the new truck. :(

I like the cap level with the cab but my wife thinks it looks like a hearse.:E So my latest cap of course is 4 inches higher than the cab.

The dealer said the cap weighs 250 lbs. so with two adults and a large dog we have used up 750 lbs. of the 1440 lbs. cargo capacity of the truck before we start loading camping stuff.

Someone mentioned side windows -- we got the A.R.E high rise cap with the "win doors" that open up and stay out of the way -- I was worried that they would leak but they don't, and they make it a lot easier to get at the stuff farthest from the tailgate.

Of course, a really young person would not need those win-doors -- they would just effortlessly leap up into the truck bed and crawl into the cargo area on their young knees. ;)

As you get older you get more practical. Yes, it's practical to put a shell on your truck.

With all of the rain we get here in the northwest and having a smaller trailer it made sense for us to put a shell on our truck to keep everything dry and it is comforting to be able to lock the shell, leaving bikes and such in the bed of the truck, when I run into a store or similar.

Your shell looks great!

Nvr2loud wrote:
I don't know about old....

I am 36 and have been considering the idea of a cap. I use the bed of the truck often enough in a way that the cap would be a PITA for me. I would like the extra space. I decided recently (3 weeks ago) to get a tri-fold cover instead... and I love it. Everything stays dry, easy to remove, secure. I wish I had done that years ago.

I would still like a cap, but the tri-fold will do well for now. My plan this camping season, remove the tri-fold and store it inside my trailer during travel (five bikes in the bed of the pickup). After set-up at camp, I'll put the cover back on to store firewood, chairs, ect.

I just put on a Softopper on my Dodge. It folds up like a boat top when I need to put a motorcycle in the bed or pull a Gooseneck trailer. Then just snaps in place and is dry when I need bed to be dry. www.softtopper.com

If we didn't have a 5th wheel I would definitely put a shell on our truck. Very useful.

I like to think of my quad cab Ram with a cap as a diesel SUV with a wall between the cargo and passenger areas.

tatest wrote:
I use a flat cover, have considered a shell but it could use up half my payload.

Not if you go aluminum, they weigh less than 100.

I don't consider a truck cap "old". It is pragmatic. Get one with large side windows that have screens, and the generator can remain inside the pickup truck bed, well out of the sight of would-be sticky fingers.

I like the midrise and high-rise caps because in a pinch, one can use the pickup truck bed as a place to sleep, well off the ground and out of the elements. It isn't as comfortable as a decent RV or truck camper, but it is far better than nothing if stuck out in the middle of nowhere.

I use a flat cover, have considered a shell but it could use up half my payload.

Heck, our 25 year old son just bought (2 weeks ago) a silver Tacoma with a shell and is, at this moment, camping up near Moab.

LS