Truck Cap Good or Bad

[padam]

I’m considering putting a cap on my 96 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins long bed.
I use this mostly for towing my car on an enclosed trailer. I always put tools and parts in the back, and don’t like that they are exposed to the weather and easy reach for thieves.
I would also like to be able to camp in the back occasionally.

What I don’t want to lose is the easy access to the sides, and to be able to stand up in the bed, and to be able to load from the top.

I don’t use the truck a lot, but I like
To drive it on the highway. If I had secure storage in the back I think I could get more use out of it.

What do you guys think?

 

[beanhead]

By 'cap' do you mean a tonneau cover, or a camper shell? Sounds like you don't really want one, for the things you use your truck for. They're nice but it will always be there, in the way...
Maybe consider one of those retractable covers.

 

[khryslerkid]

I have a cap on my Dakota. Was hauling firewood a couple of weeks ago and it was more difficult than if it wasn't on there. You would still have to crawl up in the bed to stack and unload but I delt with it being on there. A tall item would be a pain.

I've thought about a frame outside to be able to remove it by myself. Back under it, lift it up and pull out. I haven't really had the need for it yet.

 

[padam]

I have a cap on my Dakota. Was hauling firewood a couple of weeks ago and it was more difficult than if it wasn't on there. You would still have to crawl up in the bed to stack and unload but I delt with it being on there. A tall item would be a pain.

I've thought about a frame outside to be able to remove it by myself. Back under it, lift it up and pull out. I haven't really had the need for it yet.

Yeah, I’m afraid as soon as I put it on I will need to haul something where it’s in the way.

 

[Thrashingcows]

I've been running a softopper on my 84 W350 Cummins crewcab for close to 10 years and absolutely love it, it's such a versatile canopy cover.

How do you get a motorbike inside your canopy....you fold it up and drive the bike in the back then put the top back down!

Softopper – Dodge Ram 1500/2500/3500 – Softopper – Truck Tops, SUV Tops, Accessories

 

[Budnicks]

Keeps stuff dry
I've had several shells cab height, usually color matched fiberglass
like Leers
I like a good shell

&

You'll have an excuse, don't have to help everyone move their ****

if you're hauling big or tall **** a lot, don't do it

motorcycle are tough to get in too

the rest of the stuff no big deal, put something to stop the stuff
you put in the back by the tailgate from slidding forward
& makes for a lot less crawling in & out, still no big deal

I voted good

 

[copper67sat]

I had a fiberglass cap on my 94 Dakota Sport. I liked it, most of the time, for the reasons the OP wants one. With a rubber floor mat, my dogs could ride back there as well. I got the neigbor to help me take it off and put it back on the handful of times I needed an open bed. Pretty quick and easy with 2 people.

I put a hinged tonneau cover on my 01 R/T because I didn't want the look of a tall cap on that truck. I originally considered a hard fiberglass cover, but opted for a less expensive fabric one. It was ok, but it was a pain to load anything near the cab. Bonus was that I could take it off / put it on by myself when needed. It eventually started to rot out so I took it off and left the bed open.

 

[Runcharger]

I have had them and they are not for me. I had removable tonneau cover and that works great for what I do. I'm 6' tall and a canopy just plain sucks, hard to see around as well.

 

[64BEL]

I went through this same question when I took delivery of my truck in 2000. I finally decided that I didn't want a full sized cap. I've been running this fold a cover for years. It's made of aluminum panels and can be folded open from 1 to 4 sections. It's completely removeable, too. With it closed, I'm limited with how tall something can be to fit in the box, though. I like how it looks, and it's pretty versatile and leaves the box 100% easily accessible for loading and unloading. It does leak a little along the rails now that it's 15+ years old, but not terribly. I originally had a hard fiberglass hinged cover that fit over the top of the rails. It was completely weather proof, but I didn't like the way it looked, and over time it rubbed the paint off one of the rails. It was also very heavy, so it wasn't all that removeable (though technically it was possible). And it was hard to get up to the front of the bed with that thing.

 

[copper67sat]

over time it rubbed the paint off one of the rails.

This is a good point. Both types that I have used wore through the paint on the tops of the bed rails. The clamps used to hold the covers down also left marks.

 

[6872n73]

I've had the hardtop single piece and a roll up style and I prefer the roll up. It added coverage and was still a little flexible for items. Just taller than the bedside. it was easy to roll up and put refrigerators and whatnot.

 

[Detective D]

My Dakota has:
https://rollnlock.com/m-series
Not this exact one, a different brand probably bought by this company as it looks identical. Also it was bought in 1998 by the original owner, so I do not know if anyone makes something exactly like this for a Ram anymore.
There are other similar products out there. Some fold up, etc. Mine is a soft vinyl over an aluminum cover. Like one of those roll up garage doors, 1" square sections that are all hinged. So it is really quite strong on the surface, and when it is rolled up all the way it is totally out of the way. It locks, but 90's truck tailgates don't lol so there is that.
I made a brace to go across behind the wheel wells to keep stuff from getting too far in so I can reach it from the tailgate. Works for most things, easy to take out if I need to.
This would cover you for everything except the camping out, unless you are REALLY OK with scooting up in there!

I have had caps on most trucks I have owned, going back to '79 farm truck and the impossible to see through the "windows" aluminum cap, to a black fiberglass 80's job with tiny side windows, to a "modern" color matched Eagle fiberglass on a 90's truck. First two had bare beds, last one had the plastic ribbed KNEE DESTROYING bedliner, the type that everything slides around on no matter what lol.

My current tow rig has no cap, but I do want one. Whole bed inside and under was sprayed with Line-X, so no plastic liner. For the odd time I need to move something very big, I can put it on my trailer. It is so handy having an enclosed space for weather and security, and modern designs do not affect visibility like the old ones from decades back did. They make caps specifically designed for camping, but otherwise you can get them with carpeted interiors and if you are serious about camping out you could get a Bed Rug(the brand, not a remnant from the hardware store) which would make it pretty cozy in there.

I don;t live in town, so silly things like "time to get gas for the mower" means without a cap I have to put empty gas cans either in the cab or trust they will not fly away as I have to go a mile up the road(55mph). With a cap, open the rear window, drop them in, leave. It's like that for everything. Tie down a sheet of plywood, or close the gate/window? all the odd jobs are easier and more secure when you take wind out of the equation. And rain. AND SNOW.

But if you constantly find things you have to climb up into the bed to load or unload a cap will be a pita. The roll up like my Dakota has would be much better in that regard.

 

[33 IMP]

First, to me, a cap is the low cover for the bed, a shell is a camper style cover, cab high.
My girlfriend likes the cap on her Dakota, but it definitely restricts what she can carry. No cap or shell on my pickup, though I have considered a shell. It would be nice to be able to lock up the stuff in the bed, and still get something taller than the bed sides in it.

 

[Detective D]

First, to me, a cap is the low cover for the bed, a shell is a camper style cover, cab high.
My girlfriend likes the cap on her Dakota, but it definitely restricts what she can carry. No cap or shell on my pickup, though I have considered a shell. It would be nice to be able to lock up the stuff in the bed, and still get something taller than the bed sides in it.

Ha, I think terminology for these things is regional too. In WI everyone calls a "shell" a "topper" or if you are over 50 years old a "truck cap". Mostly because older folks were around before the invention of the fiberglass bed height caps. Around here, the soft vinyl covers are "tonneau covers" (spell?) and the fiberglass bed height caps were initially "hard tonneua"(lol) because older folks still insisted a shell is a "cap"

Makes looking on craigs list or facebook market really interesting lol
Shell, topper, truck cap, bed cap, bed cover, fiberglass capper
Tonneua, soft shell, bed cap, hard tonneua, fiberglass top
roll up cover, soft cover, bed cover

LOL, good luck searching for a specific in WI!

 

[RemCharger]

My kids used to call them a "Grandpa Back" lol

 

[padam]

This is what I’m talking about. I might go look at this one since it’s pretty high.

 

[padam]

I picked this one up last night. It needs a little TLC, but it’s got a high roof so pretty roomy.
I got it cheap enough that if I don’t want to keep it, no great loss.

 

[dodgedifferent2]

I call them pedophile caps.
Never liked them but I have borrowed one from a friend a few times for moving family members. Now I tell family to call a moving company and I will give them $20 to leave me alone ;-) some reason they stopped moving.

I have had tri-fold and roll up tonneau covers. Tri fold was a pain when you needed the bed space for tall items.
I liked the roll up because easy to keep with the truck rolled or unrolled. The last truck it seemed to be rolled up 98% of the time so I did not get one for the new truck.

Fiberglass covers are for "pretty trucks"

 

[gtx6970]

Ive had caps and vinyl covers. IMO they both have their plusses and minuses

My current truck has a 3 step folding cover on it.

I like it , A LOT. easily removed if the need arises and keeps contents reasonably dry and reasonably secure.

 

[wahya]

It matches up nicely. I’m thinking with that raised rear, it would help when trailering as well.