ARE LEER snugtop

I think I’m an old man in a young body but I’m seeing more and more use for a grandpa truck cover .(camper shell) My brother has one of the tonneau covers but that seems useless if you haul things over 4ft tall or run to the hardware store and I busted my knuckles throwing a deer in his once So F that

I’m not hauling bikes in the back anymore (cuz I have a trailer) but it seems like anytime I go anywhere with a bunch of shit it rains . In the beebs most educated opinion. Is one brand better than the other and how is the rear view mirror’s function since now you are looking through 3 panes of glass?

I have a Ford F-150 fx4 with a
Short bed so it’s not a man truck I believe by BBS Standards.

 

Better upgrade to an F-250 diesel. The 150 will know it's there.

 

You will put a cap on it and then in a year or so you will realize you should have just traded for a van.

 

I had an ARE on my old truck. I still have the cap but i took it off. Mine was for an 8ft bed so most furniture fixtures fit. It was nice, i think it actually helped my towing of a trailer. It has two wings that opened up for storage racks in either side. Both wings locked as well as the back.

Wasnt hard to see out of at all although it was a pain in the ass to wax the top.

Had a diesel so i didnt “feel” it like a gasser.

 

I've always had one on my pickups. Good way to haul stuff and have it out of prying eyes and (marginally) secured. If they don't know something's there, security isn't as big a deal.

I always get above the cab for more room, cab high seems nearly as useless as a tonneau. Vision is very good, blind spots are only slightly bigger, you get used to it. Only time I "feel" it is sometimes in a heavy cross-wind.

I have had ARE and Jason. The ARE was a nicer cap but the Leer I just bought for my new truck is the nicest cap I've had.

 

I've had a topper for every truck I've owned for the last 20 years. I prefer ARE, but they are a little more $$$. I remove mine sometimes, but they are on 90% of the time.

 

You gonna put that cap on backwards?

 

Have had quite a few over the years. On rough country roads the ARE held up best. If you go with the Leer I would recommend the frameless rear window , if not the metal around the edge is either screwed or riveted on and is problematic. If the rear window of you truck does not open some of the caps have rear windows that fold down so you can clean them. If I remember correctly Century is the same as Leer just rebranded and used to be cheaper.

 

If you like an option on the LEER or A.R.E. but they don't offer it on the model you want, try Jeraco. They'll option almost everything on most models and, without looking at a badge, you can't tell who made these things anyway.
Jeraco mentions using 5/8" honeycomb (lighter weight, strength) in their roofs, if that means anything to ya. That's the major difference I've found in cap's construction while I've been researchin' (yeah, I want one, too) and Jeraco's the only one doing it.

If you're gonna be puttin' on/takin off frequently, consider aluminum and look at Ranger.

About aluminum...
Cons:
- it's riveted, lotsa "opportunity" for leaks.
- if you sleep in it and it rains, the sound will make you think you're inside a diesel...and condensation will make you think it's leaking. You can insulate...
- damage shows up as dents or tears. Think hail storm, falling branches, road debris...
- not particularly pleasant to look at.
Pros:
- it's light.
- it's less expensive

Fiberglas caps are everything an aluminum one isn't.

 

I have had caps on every truck for the last 30 years, to haul my dogs.
Every Leer I had squeeked, rattled, and basically fell apart.
I have had zero problems with ARE.

 

You know, trucks have cabs for the pups.....

 

Do you get a complimentary AARP membership with the purchase of a cap?

 

That and a Get Off My Lawn sign

 

I thought this thread was a question....real pickups don't have tops.

I'm out

 

Sure they do, you just take them off after hunting season.

 

I thought pickups are for sheetrock and bikes only. Or Costco. Lots of Costco

 

The BEEB says m3's or maybe it was 330's are chick cars. Anyways I'll keep my grocery getter truck. I saw my truck this morning with an ARE topper almost exactly how I would want it. Looked sharp.

This is why my truck needs a topper. Gotta keep all the cans from flying out. (after a night of redneck stuff roughly 2011)

Edit Meh i had a picture of about 50 beers and some dead hogs but figured people might not like the deceased animals

 

Jus' cuz your name is Steak don't mean we don't like Bacon!

 

We have an ARE for the F350. We use it when we pull the 24'. We got it in 02/03 time frame. Still works fine. We set up a thing so it can be pulled off easy. 6 4x4 posts and 2 10' deck boards, then two more boards to put across these to hold the top while I drive out from under it. They are just wide enough to clear the fenders. I've done it by myself. Front window pulls down for cleaning, that's a nicer feature than you think.