Truck Cap vs. bed cover

[Dale B]

I have a RCSB on order which I plan to use as a daily driver. I have had trucks in the past, but never used one as a daily driver. My plan is to add a cab height truck cap rather than a bed cover to be able to carry things out of the wind and weather and use a trailer to carry things that won't fit under the truck cap. My daily drivers for the last twenty-six years have been two seaters, but they do have trunks, small ones. I don't see many regular cabs on the road and few with truck caps.

I thought that it would be a good idea to ask you truck guys your opinions before I spent the money for a truck cap. Any words of wisdom for a new truck guy?

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[redline]

Each has there pros and cons , you have to figure out your use case and pick the right solution for you..

 

[walnutF150]

I have a RCSB on order which I plan to use as a daily driver. I have had trucks in the past, but never used one as a daily driver. My plan is to add a cab height truck cap rather than a bed cover to be able to carry things out of the wind and weather and use a trailer to carry things that won't fit under the truck cap. My daily drivers for the last twenty-six years have been two seaters, but they do have trunks, small ones. I don't see many regular cabs on the road and few with truck caps.

I thought that it would be a good idea to ask you truck guys your opinions before I spent the money for a truck cap. Any words of wisdom for a new truck guy?

I have a tonneau cover. I like it a lot better than a truck cap. Personal preference.

 

[Dale B]

I have a tonneau cover. I like it a lot better than a truck cap. Personal preference.

May I ask the reasons why you prefer the tonneau cover to a truck cap?

 

[walnutF150]

more sleek. less hassle to load items. don't like the look for a truck cap on my platinum BAP

 

[Kodiak]

This is the first truck I have owned that I bought a topper for. Here are my thoughts on it.

If you plan to haul a lot of big items or things that need to be dropped into the bed, then forget the topper. A topper is wonderful for enclosing your bed and keeping things out of the elements but not for hauling large items. If you have a trailer for those things, then you will probably love the topper.

I do not know if your truck will have the tailgate step but that is a wonderful option with a topper. If you do not have the tailgate OEM step then a AMP Research step (or similar brand) is the next best thing. In fact I have the tailgate step and added the AMP step just for the convenience of it. The AMP step lets you get up without lowering the tailgate. Both are useful but both are not needed. One or the other is a must though IMO with a topper.

Toppers can be taken off but unless you have a number of friends close to your home or you have a hoist for it on your garage ceiling, consider it a permanent part of the truck. Little or no flexibility with it.

I am past the stage where I haul refrigerators and stuff and I just pay for delivery and installation now (I'm old). I do not need the open truck bed anymore, so this topper is great for me. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Samson16]

Crawling into them to reach the back and large item restriction are the main drawbacks. Color matched like @Kodiak looks great though

 

[Popplemer]

I have a hard tonneau now but I vote for a cap. These new trucks are far too nice and stand too tall to be loading over the side rails. One piece of firewood or god knows what falling off the side whilst loading and you'll surely be sorry. I just installed a bed rug in my truck and I imagine with a cap it would be real luxury when coupled with the tailgate step.


Back in the day trucks were utilitarian and cheaper to replace if need be. My XLT high is a Rolls Royce compared to my '88 Lariat. Use the trailer as a beater and keep your truck in good shape. My 2 cents...

 

[tottendan]

I have a RCSB on order which I plan to use as a daily driver. I have had trucks in the past, but never used one as a daily driver. My plan is to add a cab height truck cap rather than a bed cover to be able to carry things out of the wind and weather and use a trailer to carry things that won't fit under the truck cap. My daily drivers for the last twenty-six years have been two seaters, but they do have trunks, small ones. I don't see many regular cabs on the road and few with truck caps.

I thought that it would be a good idea to ask you truck guys your opinions before I spent the money for a truck cap. Any words of wisdom for a new truck guy?

My choice was for a Leer Cap due primarily to my lifestyle. I have a dog kennel that does NOT fit with a Tonneau and carry all my fishing, kayak etc. equipment. It is personal choice and the cap for me gives extra room for my daily driver.

 

[Abraham5G]

I was fine with a bedcover (Bak G2) for 10 years in my daily driver regular cab. I never saw a need for a topper.

 

[dogboye]

We have a couple of trucks, one Tacoma, one F150 PB. We have caps on both. I wouldn't be without one.
One thing to note: we were thinking of getting a tonneau for the F150 to start, with the idea if we needed to later, adding a cap. The dealer told us that putting a tonneau on (OEM, factory, or that dealer, not sure) would prevent being able to put a cap on later. I don't know why that was, but thought I should mention it.

 

[N1KAW]

As with all the other comments, "It depends on your needs"

For what it's worth, I've had a full Cap/Topper on my trucks for 30+ years. We use our truck primarily for long road trips and loose cargo-specific tasks in town several times a week. There have been a few times when I couldn't initially carry that new washer or other large items that was higher than the cab-height LEER cap, but those have been very rare (< 2% of the time), and I've appreciated the weather and physical security of a full locking topper.

But that is my lifestyle and, IHMO, I like the looks better with the full topper on my 6.5 foot truck bed. More "balanced".

Yes, crawling into the way-back can be a PITA, but in truth the times I've used an open bed, I still had to climb into the bed to move and secure the load. Also, with the lift of the even moderate FX4 package I can't easily reach into the bed, and I'm 6' 1" .

BTW, my latest LEER cap, a model 100XR with single-locks, interior lights, carpeting, sliding windows and THULE rack system, cost almost $4,000. Yes, it was pricey, but the extra couple grand for features I use daily is long forgotten.

But again, it all depends on what you will be using your truck for MOST of the time.

 

[Samson16]

Tailgate step with pole. Full BedRug. BAK Revolver x4s.
Ahhhhh!

 

[Dale B]

Each has there pros and cons , you have to figure out your use case and pick the right solution for you..

Because I don’t have experience with either the truck cap or bed cover, I am trying to develop that list of pros and cons..
What are the cons of a truck cap? I know that the appearance is different and that it adds more weight to the vehicle.
I have driven vans and box trucks in cross winds. Does a cap have the same impact on cross winds?
I would think that a cap would give more cargo room out of the elements than a cover, but is it as practical as I assume that it is?

This is the first truck I have owned that I bought a topper for. Here are my thoughts on it.

If you plan to haul a lot of big items or things that need to be dropped into the bed, then forget the topper. A topper is wonderful for enclosing your bed and keeping things out of the elements but not for hauling large items. If you have a trailer for those things, then you will probably love the topper.

I do not know if your truck will have the tailgate step but that is a wonderful option with a topper. If you do not have the tailgate OEM step then a AMP Research step (or similar brand) is the next best thing. In fact I have the tailgate step and added the AMP step just for the convenience of it. The AMP step lets you get up without lowering the tailgate. Both are useful but both are not needed. One or the other is a must though IMO with a topper.

Toppers can be taken off but unless you have a number of friends close to your home or you have a hoist for it on your garage ceiling, consider it a permanent part of the truck. Little or no flexibility with it.

I am past the stage where I haul refrigerators and stuff and I just pay for delivery and installation now (I'm old). I do not need the open truck bed anymore, so this topper is great for me. Good luck with your decision.

Thanks for the input and pictures. Your truck looks sharp. Mine is being built 1/29/24. I have a RCSB 5.0, 4x4 on order and have wondered about the height. Fancy tailgates aren’t available on a regular cab. I will probably lower mine for ease of entry and better handling. Nothing drastic, but a few inches can make a big difference. I have thought about a Bedrug to make it easier on my knees, I am 71 and know what you mean.
I have tractors and trailers and have found that it is easier to load big stuff on trailers than a pickup. Pallets of fertilizer go on a trailer much easier than the back of a truck. I don’t even think that mine will even handle a one ton pallet in the bed. It’s been a while since I’ve had any thing other than a big truck with a trailer hitch.
Thanks for your words of wisdom.

I have a hard tonneau now but I vote for a cap. These new trucks are far too nice and stand too tall to be loading over the side rails. One piece of firewood or god knows what falling off the side whilst loading and you'll surely be sorry. I just installed a bed rug in my truck and I imagine with a cap it would be real luxury when coupled with the tailgate step.


Back in the day trucks were utilitarian and cheaper to replace if need be. My XLT high is a Rolls Royce compared to my '88 Lariat. Use the trailer as a beater and keep your truck in good shape. My 2 cents...

I tore my rotator cuff years ago loading an ice chest over the side of a bed. I know that the trucks are too tall to do that today. I hadn’t thought about not really being able to access the bed from the sides these days.

 

[Dale B]

As with all the other comments, "It depends on your needs"

For what it's worth, I've had a full Cap/Topper on my trucks for 30+ years. We use our truck primarily for long road trips and loose cargo-specific tasks in town several times a week. There have been a few times when I couldn't initially carry that new washer or other large items that was higher than the cab-height LEER cap, but those have been very rare (< 2% of the time), and I've appreciated the weather and physical security of a full locking topper.

But that is my lifestyle and, IHMO, I like the looks better with the full topper on my 6.5 foot truck bed. More "balanced".

Yes, crawling into the way-back can be a PITA, but in truth the times I've used an open bed, I still had to climb into the bed to move and secure the load. Also, with the lift of the even moderate FX4 package I can't easily reach into the bed, and I'm 6' 1" .

BTW, my latest LEER cap, a model 100XR with single-locks, interior lights, carpeting, sliding windows and THULE rack system, cost almost $4,000. Yes, it was pricey, but the extra couple grand for features I use daily is long forgotten.

But again, it all depends on what you will be using your truck for MOST of the time.

That’s a good point. I had thought about the cost of a cap and decided that the cost of a cap was less expensive than the added cost of a super cab or crew cab.

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