Pros vs. cons of having truck camper shell???

I am considering getting a camper shell/topper for my truck? I have never had one and I was wanting to know what are the pros vs. the cons of having one??? Do you guys that have them recommend it???

I have had one on my work trucks for 20 plus years. I like having them to keep equipment dry and secure. 1 draw back is your rearview mirror is basically worthless with a shell on. Make sure you are good with using the side mirrors. Other than that, can't think of any complaints

I'd be sure to have side access doors on it, sucks having to crawl through to get to the stuff at the front of the box, and that is where everything you need will slide to. lol

I have ha trucks with and without toppers



without a topper
pro

you can stack the firewood high , higher with side boards
moving big stuff is easy

Con
there is constantly snow in your bed , it melts and refreezes , stuff freezes down , all your stuff is free for any one to take
it all gets wet your tools rust
your constantly moving anything you don't want to get rained on or covered in snow in and out f the garage


with a topper
pro
your stuff stays dry
you can lock it
you can keep a lot more with you


con
you can't put big items in
fire wood is a pain



if you get a topper I suggest a few things , all the windows should be doors that flip up to access the sides and back

also buy a utility trailer for hauling all the big stuff that won't fit in your truck any more



there is sort of a compromise now there are more and more weather resistant tool boxes that bolt in your bed and still let you carry the tools securely but at the same time you can still put larger items on top

tool boxes that rife right behind the cab are also sort of a compromise on topper vs open bed

it all depends how you use your truck

I have had cab high toppers on my last 3 trucks. Never plan to be without one again.

Get the flip down front window so you can clean the rear window of your truck and both sides of the flip down. Flip up on both sides comes in mighty handy as does a tater rake as standard equipment in the truck bed. Haul big heavy stuff on a trailer.

A cap with built in tool boxes on the sides is great. No climbing into the bed everytime you want something. It's all where you can reach it easily. It also leaves the floor open for longer items.

1 con. (Conditionally) if you own a large enthusiastic dog he will knock out the windows and proceed to terrorize folks while you are having dinner with your wife at the local pub. Until the town Marshal comes in to get you. He won't be pleased with you. Then when you put the dog in the back seat so you can finish your steak he will eat the back seat and both head rests. Hope this helps. Little smiley thingy.
Case.

I have done truck hoe and tater rake

in my current truck I have flip up windows all around so nothing is that far of a reach

I keep my leggetts trappers helper it is long enough for what I need to reach

https://www.trapleggetts.com/leggetts-trapline-supplies.html

Good for going camping-thats about it.
We had toppers on the rr worktrucks-they had joey beds to make access of stuff easier.

I have had one on every truck for 40 years. Keeps the snow/rain off and the bad guys out. I can think of 100 reasons to have one and only 1 reason to not have one, and that reason is that sometimes I have to hook up to a trailer to haul something that will not fit under the topper. Small price to pay for the positive aspects of them.

Everyone is different. I have one thats been laying in the woods for 15 years. I hated it and won’t ever use one again. They do keep things dry and away from sticky fingers.

I have a Snug Top high top on my truck. I have a love hate relationship with it.
The key latch is a pita. I even replaced it and worked great for a month or 2. It takes awhile to latch closed. Firewood is a challenge.
Some perks no need to strap some stuff down. Slows down sticky fingers. Instant camp. I keep some just in case stuff in it.

Bed slide and fiberglass lift lid.

That's me.

I have to have windows visible all around me...I do use my side mirrors all the time, I did and do, driving big rigs . That's not my issue.

I like the open air streamlined look of just my Ram truck. I have a Truxedo topper that folds back and is a smooth cover closed, but not in the way of me seeing what is directly behind me.

The cabs are safer for keeping things in lockdown. But I just like the looks of my truck alone, with the open air 360 views I have out the rear windows at any time.

I also think it comes from backing just right under so many horse trailers to drop the hitch perfectly , I'm just used to the open feel of windows and distance dimension.

I have one with and one without. Pretty much everything listed except one i didnt see. Dust everywhere? If you drive gravels stuff gets really dirty

Ask yourself this. Are you ready to drive 10mph below the speed limit? Are you ready to back up traffic 10 deep behind you. If you answered to either of these are already do, then you're ready for a bed cap.

I picked up a used ARE shell on Facebook marketplace for 200 bucks solely for a 16 hr move. I planned on getting rid of it once I was done with the moving process. Been a year and a half and I love that thing. You can get a crap load of stuff packed in there if needed. I like being able to leave tools and gear back there and not get wet/covered in snow. Can crawl back there and sleep if I need to, put dogs in it etc. I’m planning on getting a new truck in the next year and will be putting a nice shell on it.

I such at backing up so I am out

if you need it they have backup cameras that you can mount on the topper
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09938HG1...a1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

why do those things have anything to do with having a topper?

Joke dude.

I have always had gooseneck trailers so I have never once thought about trying out a shell.

I installed a roller bed in my pickup bed, end of climbing in. I don’t haul much but small tools and such. Toppers are great, everything inside and locked!

I drive 80mph with my cap on my truck all the time. Got speeding tickets to prove it

Will never be without a topper on my trapping rig. I've had one on every trapping truck since high school graduation (1981). They do get dusty but that's why they have power washers. Side windows are a must. No sliders. One important thing I will add is to get an aluminum topper. Less expensive the last time I purchased one and easily handled by two people. Heck I've done it by myself multiple times. Take the topper off when going on a deer hunt as it's a bugger to get one loaded with a topper on unless you rig up a come along or have an electric winch. I take lots of trips out of state trapping and can lock up a freezer and gear in the back when staying in hotels and not worry too much.

roller beds are awesome



mine is a mess at the moment but still awesome


had this in my last truck and in my van before that simple wooden drawers worked very well , my neighbor now has it in his truck when my current truck came with the roll out bed
the frame on the tail gait was for hauling gas cans , I could put all my diesel cans on the tailgate in the frame and toss a bungee over them drive the mile to the station fill the cans and bring them home my furnace runs on off-road about 3 trips a year does me burning wood most of the time.



I did sort of miss stacking wood over the cab but I just used the trailer and probably got more wood in a load but couldn't get quite as close to where I cut it , with the tractor I can just drag it out to the road.

I need a 3 window cap for a 99-10 f250 6.5 bed if anyone knows where one is at a good price.

Truck caps give you better gas mileage due to aerodynamics. An open bed causes a lot of drag/wind turbulence. I've tested this with multiple runs to Florida and back documenting fuel usage.

Beware the caps with the cheap aluminum built-in ladder racks. OK for the light occasional use , but if you plan on using it for any serious use , get a dedicated one made out of steel or HD aluminum. Cantilever are best. The aluminum built-in ones break easily.