Softopper Overview (w/pics) on my SuperCrew Long Bed

Hey ya'll,

I've seen a few photos floating around of Softopper or Bestop installs but nothing on a long bed, or at least not in a dedicated thread, so here it is!

I came from the Toyota world (Tacoma, then first gen Tundra) so there is a lot more in the works for this truck (I camp a few months out of the year) and had a Softopper previously on my Tacoma and loved it. I have a slide in truck camper and the softopper allows me to easily remove and reinstall the top alone. Their build quality is always top notch and I personally like the look of these over besttops.




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Any questions, ask away!

Thanks,

-Chris

How resistant is it to rain and heavy snow loads? Looks good .

My 2ND Ford said:

How resistant is it to rain and heavy snow loads? Looks good .

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Softopper ships the canvas with Seam Sealer that you apply to the interior stitching if you'd like. I applied, waited a few hours, then went over everything again. It takes probably 10 minutes each time.

I can't speak to this exact topper as it's new, but the one I had on my Tacoma for 2 years was very resistant to rain and snow (I'm in WI so we get real weather). They are not as weather resistant as hard shells so if you're looking for 100% weatherproofing, you'll have to add some extra weather striping between the bed rails and the top of the bed, and in the interior corners. I've had 8 inches of snow on top and it held up just fine, and I've driven through rainstorms and had a dry bed (again, I added some extra weather stripping).

The downfall is washing. I think driving the wind pushes the rain off, but when washing if you shoot your powerwasher directly at the front or rear corners, you might get some spray though!

For my use, it keeps things dry 99% of the time in the bed, but if I know I'm driving through a storm, I'll place things in the center of the bed if I don't want them to get wet. As mentioned, youll sometimes get some water that dribbles through the front corners depending on how you seal.

-Chris

ImChris said:

Softopper ships the canvas with Seam Sealer that you apply to the interior stitching if you'd like. I applied, waited a few hours, then went over everything again. It takes probably 10 minutes each time.

I can't speak to this exact topper as it's new, but the one I had on my Tacoma for 2 years was very resistant to rain and snow (I'm in WI so we get real weather). They are not as weather resistant as hard shells so if you're looking for 100% weatherproofing, you'll have to add some extra weather striping between the bed rails and the top of the bed, and in the interior corners. I've had 8 inches of snow on top and it held up just fine, and I've driven through rainstorms and had a dry bed (again, I added some extra weather stripping).

The downfall is washing. I think driving the wind pushes the rain off, but when washing if you shoot your powerwasher directly at the front or rear corners, you might get some spray though!

For my use, it keeps things dry 99% of the time in the bed, but if I know I'm driving through a storm, I'll place things in the center of the bed if I don't want them to get wet. As mentioned, youll sometimes get some water that dribbles through the front corners depending on how you seal.

-Chris

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Thanks, answered my questions. I would like a hard shell topper, but they are expensive and heavy. There are times I do need to load taller items, so this looks like a viable alternative .

My 2ND Ford said:

Thanks, answered my questions. I would like a hard shell topper, but they are expensive and heavy. There are times I do need to load taller items, so this looks like a viable alternative .

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If you go this route, got to Home Depot and buy an extra roll of camper sealer foam tape. After install, climb in and look at the front corners from inside the topper (best way to see the gaps) and add extra seal where needed. Rear corners are harder to fully seal, but same concept.

I gave a little in full weatherproofing to add the convenience of lightweight, easy storage, and easy solo removal.

-Chris

Got me looking at an expedition or a suburban if I’m going to have a truck for camping.

the ability to seal and protect from the elements and dust sucks.

Farmerj said:

Got me looking at an expedition or a suburban if I’m going to have a truck for camping.

the ability to seal and protect from the elements and dust sucks.

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That's a valid concern (with all truck toppers) and why I went with a slide in camper instead of my original roof top tent. I had the RTT and my Tacoma for a few years, then switched to the slide in and Tundra. Having the slide in keeps all my gear inside dust free!

Pics of my old setups so I can reminisce...

My 2ND Ford said:

Thanks, answered my questions. I would like a hard shell topper, but they are expensive and heavy. There are times I do need to load taller items, so this looks like a viable alternative .

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Here's another soft topper type cap that you can haul as tall an item as you want. It's a clever design. RazorTop.

oneinch said:

Here's another soft topper type cap that you can haul as tall an item as you want. It's a clever design. RazorTop.

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Very nice. Thanks

I'm still trying to find a "softopper" for MY truck...

Soft topper over Bestop all day long. I’ve owned both and currently have the bestop installed just because it was readily available and it’s a pain in the ass to fold down compared to the soft topper.
Im imagining I’ll end up with another soon as it’s so much easier to deal with and remove.

NavyChief said:

Soft topper over Bestop all day long. I’ve owned both and currently have the bestop installed just because it was readily available and it’s a pain in the ass to fold down compared to the soft topper.
Im imagining I’ll end up with another soon as it’s so much easier to deal with and remove.

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That's good to hear you've had experience with both!

We've had some snow, freezing ice, and now rain here the the Softopper is still holding up great and keeping things pretty dry btw!

GEN14OWNER said:

I'm still trying to find a "softopper" for MY truck...

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They have one..

https://razortop.com/#ourstory