How to store a fiberglass topper/shell when not using it?

[Martinjmpr]

This is a follow up to my Motorcycle carrier question. I have now come to the conclusion that the best way to carry my small DR200 motorcycle on camping trips (where we pull a trailer) will be to simply carry the bike diagonally in the bed. It should fit easily as my 5.5' bed is nearly 7' measured diagonally. The bike is only a little over 6' from front wheel to rear wheel.

But I'm not going to get rid of the topper. It's a very nice color matched Leer topper with side win-doors. It's very useful when carrying stuff to keep it dry and secure, so it's for sure going to stay on the truck until Springtime.

My question, then, is: Has anyone constructed something to keep their fiberglass topper safe and secure when not on the truck?

In a perfect world, I'd have a garage where I could rig up some kind of hoist system that would not only keep the topper safe and secure, it would also allow me to remove it by myself without help.

Unfortunately, in my current garage that's just not an option right now for a number of reasons, so I'm having to go to my next option which is to find a way to store the topper in the back yard. I've toyed with the idea of trying to make some kind of scaffolding I could drive under to then lift the topper off the truck, but again lack of space is the real issue.

I should also point out that I'm about 2.5 years away from retirement and the wife and I are considering moving out of the Denver metro area once I retire. I'll put a priority on having a place with a garage/shop or sufficient space to put one up. As it is, we live in an HOA neighborhood that severely limits what we can do on our property.

So I'm looking for ideas - anybody who has come up with a creative way to store their topper when not on the truck in such a way that it can be put back on without too much trouble. I'm guessing the topper probably weighs in the neighborhood of 250lbs so it's going to need at least 2 - 3 adults just to lift off the truck even if it is only going a short distance.

 

[Todd780]

In a perfect world, I'd have a garage where I could rig up some kind of hoist system that would not only keep the topper safe and secure, it would also allow me to remove it by myself without help.

Unfortunately, in my current garage that's just not an option right now for a number of reasons, so I'm having to go to my next option which is to find a way to store the topper in the back yard. I've toyed with the idea of trying to make some kind of scaffolding I could drive under to then lift the topper off the truck, but again lack of space is the real issue.

Can you access the backyard with the truck? What about building a type of scaffolding using truck camper jacks and 2x4's to hold the canopy up?

Home depot scaffold:

 

[Martinjmpr]

Can you access the backyard with the truck? What about building a type of scaffolding using truck camper jacks and 2x4's to hold the canopy up?

Home depot scaffold:

View attachment 696461
View attachment 696462

^^^^^^

Yes, something like that might work.

To answer the question, yes, I can access the back yard (actually, it's technically the SIDE yard) with the truck, because that's where we keep our camper.

I'd have to pull the camper out to do this, but that's easily done.

I was trying to think of how to make a scaffolding like that.

So here's are a couple of photos of the side yard, taken just now (my home office overlooks the side yard.)

This is looking to the back side. The tan and red structure on the right is an 8 x 8 wood shed



This is looking towards the front/street side of the house (we live on a corner.) You can see the gate on the far left, that's how we get the camper in and out.



SO, it looks to me like there'd be room for something like this.

My thought is that I'd keep it in the back, near the shed that you can see in the top picture. The further back and closer to the side fence the more sheltered it would be from wind (my biggest concern.)

My only worry is: Would 2 x 4's spaced probably 6.5' apart like that be enough to suspend a ~250 lb topper without flexing or breaking? I could cross-brace them (like they are in your example) but only on the sides and on the back - obviously in order to leave space to back the truck in, I couldn't have a cross brace on the front.

By any chance do you have any details or build specs on that? I actually have a bunch of 2 x 4's in the garage that were here when we moved in.

Seems to me the way to build it would be to make the two side pieces, and then after the two side pieces were built, connect them at the rear only....

Hmmm...well, I've got a few months to figure it out...

Thank you for the ideas!

If anybody else has any ideas, keep 'em coming!

 

[Martinjmpr]

The Home Depot scaffolding looks sturdy but I'd need two of them for the length of the topper. It would also require me to scoot the topper backwards which means trying to move all 200 - 250lbs at once.

The wood scaffolding I think would work better because it would only require me to lift 1/4 of the total weight at a time (each corner, one by one.) Which I think I could easily do.

 

[Todd780]

Sorry, nothing. I just pulled the image off of google.

 

[Buddha.]

Maybe one of these instead?

TopperLift (Lifting Kit Only) - TopperEzLift

The TopperLift Lifting Kit is a self-install topper lifting system. This all electric system is powered directly from your vehicles’ 12 volt battery. This means no hydraulics or air to worry about. Holding the safety switch, select up or down on the control box, and your existing topper lifts to...

topperezlift.com

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

No pictures, but I hacked together a framework of 2x4s to lift/slide it off the truck (2 down the length and 2 across) with the shell bolted to it. The longitudinal ones are about 12-14" longer than the shell. I use those to stand the shell on, leaning/supported against the wall of the shed. Tied off securely of course. It has Yakima rails and crossbars so it leans against those. A picture would help but I just put the shell back on for winter (take it off for summer)

Found a picture

 

[1000arms]

... I actually have a bunch of 2 x 4's in the garage that were here when we moved in. ...

You might want to:

Use the 2x4s to build a framework that has two "pickpup truck bed-rails" at the top to support and hold the truck cap. (All of the framework is below the stored truck cap EXCEPT for edges on the outside of the rails that keep the truck cap from sliding off the framework.)

Stake the framework down to the ground with construction stakes and rope. Tie down the truck cap to keep it secured and/or create framework-mounts that allow you to secure the truck cap to the framework the same way you secure the truck cap to the truck.

Make the rails on the framework the same height as the pickup bed-rails.

Either use a few people to easily move the truck cap, or, use broomsticks/pipe to roll the truck cap from the truck to the framework.

Build the framework with outer edges that prevent the cap sliding off, and enough crosspieces that prevent the truck cap from dropping through if someone/something slips.

Seal the bottom of the cap to prevent insects from creating nests under the stored truck cap.

 

[FAW3]

I made two 2x4PT "saw horses" wide enough for the topper on my Tacoma. The sawhorses are made about the same height as the truck body. Two people could lift one end of the topper at a time and place a long 2x4 under under each end. Then you slide the topper off sideways and onto the sawhorses. I secured the topper to the rig with rope.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I made two 2x4PT "saw horses" wide enough for the topper on my Tacoma. The sawhorses are made about the same height as the truck body. Two people could lift one end of the topper at a time and place a long 2x4 under under each end. Then you slide the topper off sideways and onto the sawhorses. I secured the topper to the rig with rope.

By any chance do you have pictures of your setup?

 

[Martinjmpr]

Found a YouTube video that pretty much shows what I need to do. Two sawhorses will store better when not in use and should be a little easier to use than trying to make some kind of framework.


My issue would be to make sure I have enough space for the width of the topper + the base of the saw horses. I think I do but not sure, I'll have to measure it this weekend.

 

[yfarm]

use 4 4x4 fence posts set in the ground with 2 2-4x4s for crossbars, back between as in the sawhorses. If you want it to be removable get a pvc sleeve that goes over the posts at HD (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda...te-Traditional-Post-Jacket-73002149/100029112) and set 12-18” of that in concrete in the ground so you can slip the posts out when not in use.

 

[nitro_rat]

I'm a fan of the "KISS" principle...



I just huck my K5 roof off behind the shop. Note the wood square to keep it from sinking in the dirt