Weight limit for roof of Camper Shell?

soonenough

Explorer
^Thats amazing!
x2, that's a really cool system!

FWIW, I talked to a guy that's been working at Leer for over 15 years, and he told me that the general rule of thumb on the 100R (fiberglass not aluminum) is 250 lbs max on the roof. Of course that's going to depend on how well the weight is distributed, etc etc, but suffice it to say that a RTT, plus associated mounting hardware, plus two people is probably going to be beyond the 'safe' zone for a fiberglass shell.
 

Crom

Expo this, expo that, exp
I, too, was concerned about the extra weight on the roof and in particular the lateral forces created when driving aggressively off road. I got a reinforced shell and then built and internal frame that comes off with the shell. It sits on the rails of the truck and is bolted through the roof to the tracks and rack on the exterior. It also provides a great place to store my axe, shovel, tow strap, high-lift, fire extinguisher and (on the ceiling) my two Snow Peak camp tables. All of this stuff is out of the way and takes up little internal space. Works like a charm. Metal Tech in the Portland area crafted this. They also built my rear bumper with swing out tire and gas can racks. Anyone in the NW looking for custom solutions to all types of Toyotas should contact these guys.

^That's a very impressive piece of ingenuity. Thanks for showing the pictures. :)
 

Dipodomys

Observer
Aluminum "commercial style" camper shell

One of the commenters here asked me to post photos of my commercial-style aluminum camper shell, so here they are. I had originally planned on going with a nice ARE fiberglass unit but I decided to go with a more heavy-duty unit for a number of reasons. First, I didn't want to worry about weight on the roof, and I wanted to add a RTT at some point. I also wanted flip-up sides so I could get at stuff in the bed of the truck without having to crawl over everything. Some of the A.R.E. models offer that too, but some do not. I also liked the idea of security screening to protect my gear from thieves and also to protect the windows themselves from stuff moving around inside the shell. However, the most important concern for me had to do with the long-term durability of fiberglass. I've seen more than a few cracked fiberglass shells over the years, and having lived in the desert southwest for many years I knew that they don't hold up particularly well in brutal sun. Maybe they are better now, but that has been my experience. Since I plan on keeping this truck for many years, I just didn't want to worry about that possibility. Sure, steel and aluminum campers can crack too, especially if used a lot offroad, but when I weighed everything, the aluminum commercial style seemed like a better fit for me. And speaking of weight, the shell I ended up with is quite a bit lighter than the ARE fiberglass model I was originally considering.

A.R.E. makes a commercial shell like this too, but they are boxy and aren't made to match the angles and contours of specific truck models. You'll notice on mine that the sides are angled to match the lines of the truck cab. The front of the shell is also angled slightly to match the angle of the back of the cab. The A.R.E. commercial models aren't like that, and one size fits all, so you end up with boxy sides and a grandpa-looking truck. I ended up going with the Workmate model by Lifetime (www.workmate.us). They have a manufacturing facility in San Bernardino, California near where I was living at the time. I could pretty much order any option I wanted, so I got the flip-up sides, extra crossmembers and bracing in the interior for extra roof strength, insulation, security screening, the ladder rack, and lights over all the doors. They also build their shells to match the lines of your particular truck, so it ends up looking a lot better. Essentially you're getting a custom shell made just for you. In the end it cost me $2,200, which was cheaper than a comparable A.R.E. aluminum commercial model which would have been a few hundred dollars more and a lot uglier. By comparison, a fiberglass A.R.E. shell with flip-up sides and a few other options was going to cost around $1,600. This shell was $2,200 so for an extra $600 I got exactly what I wanted. I've had it for four years and it still looks brand new. All of the hardware is heavy duty and the doors are very secure. No rattles, squeks, or other annoyances. The Lifetime guys did a really great job and the workmanship was top rate. The standard color is white, but they can be painted to match whatever you want, for extra $$$ of course. Since my truck is white I didn't have to pay for paint. It matches perfectly.

The only thing I'm not crazy about is the ladder rack. It's functional but it's kind of goofy looking. It's removable but I usually leave it on for convenience in case I need to haul lumber or something. I've thought of having a rack made that looks better but I guess I haven't been bothered by it enough to actually get around to it.

I realize that some people don't like the looks of these types of shells. That's cool, but I dig it. I was going for something that was truly utilitarian that would hold up for many years. My wife is not a fan of the shell. She says I look like a Border Patrol guy or a game warden. Another guy said my truck looked like a giant refrigerator. Whatever. I like it and I'm keeping it!
 

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Flagster

Expedition Leader
Well when I see these pics of a endoskeleton that looks like it belongs on the mars rover I think why...If you are carrying that much ******* you need to simplify...I have had a lot of crap on the roof of my snugtop...and it has survived...like I said if I can find its limit I will be sure to post:ylsmoke:
 

cwvandy

Adventurer
Not sure what planet you come from, but a shovel, an axe, a tow-strap, a fire-extinguisher and a high lift isn't ******* , it is basic, simple safety and recovery gear for over-landing up here in Oregon. BTW, the "endoskeleton" weighs less than 25 lbs and protects about $4000 worth of RTT and truck bed capper. Not wanting to wait to see if the top would survive when the actual loads more than double that recommend by the manufacturer wasn't "rocket science"...it was common sense.
 

Jbmotley

New member
Cwvandy: I'm going to look around for a shop to build just an internal support cage. What should I expect to pay for something like that?
 

Barroninc

New member
caper shell

I went with a heavy-duty aluminum contractor shell for just this reason. Even though I have yet to attach a RTT, I wanted the option to do so in the future without having to worry about killing the shell. Fiberglass can be successfully reinforced as suggested by other commenters, but I figured a well-built aluminim unit would be lighter, stronger, and more durable in the long run. I paid about $2,200 for my shell, and it has lift-up windows on three sides, security screening on the windows, four internal lights, insulation, and an integrated ladder rack mounted to the roof and supported by the shell's internal framing. It was expensive but I really like it. It was made to match the angles of the truck so it doesn't look like a boxy grandpa camper. An ARE fibergalss shell was about $1,500 but it didn't have some of the features I wanted, so I spent the extra dough and went with the aluminum model. So far so good.

Since I guess you already have a fiberglass unit, I'd seriously lean towards installing some sort of interior bracing to which you can bolt your rack directly. Better safe than sorry. Alternately, consider a ladder rack mounted to the bed rails and then extending around and over the shell. That way you have no weight at all on the shell. I've seen that employed a few times and I've also seen that kind of setup posted on this forum. It seems to work really well and it can look pretty good if done right.

What brand/Model shell did you buy? Thanks
 

Henry_G

Observer
The camper shells should have a static weight and dynamic weight. I have a Tepui on my Leer canopy and it's been great. No issues so far. Keep in mind the trips I've been on have been very mild compared to most on this forum.

The last trip was 2500 miles but mostly highway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

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