Anyone out there running an Aluminum Contractor Topper?

[Bravo1782]

I know I want to upgrade the basic, Unicover Topper on my truck. I've looked into all sorts of fiberglass toppers (snugpack, ARE, Leer, etc) but there's almost no info on Aluminum Contractor Toppers. I've got a 2011 Ford F-150 Short Bed, so tons of companies make them. It seems to me they'd be plenty tough and the ladder racks are integrated into the frame of the topper, so they should be really strong too. Plus they won't rust, plus they're light, plus they have lots of awesome security options, PLUS they're more affordable...it seems like a great option for an adventure truck!

Anyone out there have any experience using a contractor topper for an adventure rig?

 

[anickode]

I like mine, but there are a few things to look out for.

They dent REALLY easily.

While they don't RUST, they will CORRODE, particularly if you spend much time in the salt belt. Mine has corrosion around the door latches. It starts out as blisters in the paint so you know what to look out for.

The racks are strong, but not rooftop tent, spare tire, gas cans, pelican cases, highlift jack strong. They don't handle point loads real well as they are made from .060 thick 6063 aluminum. They are really intended for carrying ladders and long awkward building materials like pipes and boards.

While light, they are not particularly aerodynamic and you will notice the difference in gas mileage vs a streamlined fiberglass topper.

Some plusses:

Easy to insulate - flat surfaces makes it easy to tuck 1" polyiso board between the frame struts.

Easy to wire - plenty of good places to secure wires out of the way, and penetrations through the skin are easily done with a step bit for external lights. All metal construction means you can ground to the frame for stuff like done lights, brake lights, high turn signals, etc, halving the amount of wire you need to run.

Easy to mount things in. Self tapping screws work, but aluminum rivnuts are the isht.

The available side boxes inside the gullwing side doors are flipping great.

They look expo-tastic.

 

[Bravo1782]

Thanks for the input! That's really Helpful! I do have a rooftop tent, but right now I'm running it on a trailer. The search for a good topper that can take a weight of a RTT seems endless...every company seems to give me different info...I literally had three different reps at Leer give me three different answers as to whether or not I could run an RTT on their 100RCC topper (I got absolutely not, yes, and only a small RTT, only one person).

That's surprising about the MPG...I would think so long as you run cab-height it wouldn't matter, really.

Are you just running the included ladder rack? I know Leer has some other rack options.

 

[anickode]

Thanks for the input! That's really Helpful! I do have a rooftop tent, but right now I'm running it on a trailer. The search for a good topper that can take a weight of a RTT seems endless...every company seems to give me different info...I literally had three different reps at Leer give me three different answers as to whether or not I could run an RTT on their 100RCC topper (I got absolutely not, yes, and only a small RTT, only one person).

That's surprising about the MPG...I would think so long as you run cab-height it wouldn't matter, really.

Are you just running the included ladder rack? I know Leer has some other rack options.

I have a Chevy Colorado, so the cab height is a little bit lower than a full size. I believe my cap is 28 inches tall, so sticks up about three inches higher than the cab. I also have the deluxe ladder rack that has side rails and the 30-inch cabover section giving me about four and a half by 8 feet of space on the rack. Since my cap has barn doors on the back, the rack is very useful as I cannot fit 48 inch wide material inside. The flip side of that is that removing the rack is not really an option for me because I do use it on a regular basis.

 

[Bravo1782]

@anickoke, what model topper do you have?

 

[anickode]

@anickoke, what model topper do you have?

Mine is a Swiss HDU. It's pretty nice. There's a few little features that are nicer on the ARE DCU cap, like the smooth roof panel vs the swiss's corrugated. Water tends to pool up there a bit when parked. Other than that, all the different brands of alu.inum contractor caps are pretty much the same.

 

[chet6.7]

I have an ARE DCU,the welds are crap,the material is beer can thin.I got the ladder rack,it is screwed into the camper,it leaks where the screws are.
Have you checked out Caravan and Tradesman camper shells?

 

[Hummelator]

In the above photo I have two 10'x10' sectional doors + tracks + shafts on the rack. Total weight over 650 pounds.
While that was definitely a strain on the topper it held up over a 40 minute trip through the city even over train tracks. I would not hesitate to mount a roof top tent to the rack. What the rack can handle weight wise and what the dealer say it can handle are off- dealer provided weight limit is in conjeuction with their warranty.

I don't overly care for the look of the aluminum canopy but it's utility is awesome. I have two side doors that I can have shelves in ( I took my shelves out to give me some more room sleeping in the back with my dog). I also have a decked drawer system which provides a flat surface for the entire box. ( this picture was when I was still using it for work but you can still see the decked system)

 

[southpier]

please say there's more than C clamps holding that to the truck ...

 

[Bravo1782]

@Hummelator: THIS! I've got DECKED drawers in my F-150 and that was more-or-less the setup I was looking at (although I'm thinking about doing a Passanger side windoor that opens to the bed). Great pictures! Leer offers some other rack options that look interesting...it'd be nice to run a standard track mount two-bar rack system.

@Chet6.7: That's some harsh language for the ARE, thanks for the info though! My current topper seals like garbage around the back tailgate...it's just a bad topper. I really want it to be ACTUALLY water proof and ACTUALLY (reasonably) dust proof. Backroads in the midwest are full of dust. I have not looked into caravan and tradesmen toppers, but I will now! Thanks for the info!

 

[Hummelator]

please say there's more than C clamps holding that to the truck ...

Haha yes. That c clamp isn't actually there to secure the canopy. That's just where I stored it. I have the proper canopy clamps that were designed to secure the canopy.

 

[Hummelator]

Current photos

 

[Bravo1782]

Those pictures are awesome. Thanks for the info! Does it seal out water and dust well?

 

[Hummelator]

No water issues yet. As for the dust, nothing excessive. Tailgate doesn't seal perfectly so I suppose hours on a gravel road might work some dust in but as far as the canopy I doubt any dust will get through there. All openings have gaskets to seal.

 

[toyotech]

I love my topper. Got it mainly for the internal frame and the side doors that open. Makes reaching in for items a lot easier and faster. A lot hard to break into imo as my rear windows have metal security mesh behind it.


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