Opinions please - camper shell or open bed?

[ol' scott]

I'll go ahead and throw out an alternative opinion.

After having owned two trucks with campers, two without, and one with a Can-Back, I've decided open bed is for me. If Can-Backs were in production and weren't so expensive I'd certainly go that way but it's not an option right now.

I like to use my truck for truck things. I like to be able to load and unload items and gear from the sides and not just through an expensive win-door. I didn't like the decreased visibility from having a camper. I didn't like the fact that what I could haul was limited by the size of the rear hatch. I did like the fact that stuff was out of sight, out of mind, however I didn't like the fact that this led me to just use it as a storage area with me leaving stuff back there for weeks at a time. I could just throw stuff back there and not worry about it. Rain and water getting between the camper and the back glass, hard to clean the windows leading to even worse visibility. I do think trucks with camper shells look better but that's just an opinion. For me personally the pros (and there were more than a few) didn't outweigh the cons.

For me an open bed with a tool box is the best of both worlds. For some reason toolboxes haven't garnered much respect from the Expo community but for a truck I use for more than just "Expeditions" it's a must have for me. Yes, I lose another foot from my already short bed but I get the covered and locked storage I desire. You can fit an amazing amount of "stuff" in a toolbox. I can put two rolling carry-ons in there plus some soft luggage and still have room for my daily items (jumper cables, basic tools, blanket, fleece jacket, hiking boots, etc.). I retain the ability to carry all sorts of items regardless of height. I can load and unload gear from the sides of the truck. Proper loading of gear removes the fear of things flying away. If I cared enough about that extra foot I could always get a bed extender. The added bonus (for me) is the ability to sit on my tool box, it's just the right height from the truck bed and the roundedness of the cab makes a very comfortable back rest. My camper shell has been collecting dust in the garage for two years, I don't miss it.

As for your situation, if it's just you and the wife have you thought about removing the back seats since you won't be using them? There is plenty of dry storage area back there. You could always sell the topper and use the money for other purposes. Also, how about bike covers to help keep your bikes clean and dry while on the road?

 

[kojackJKU]

The good thing is that without much effort you can make a rig up and back your truck in, lift your cap/camper off the truck for times when you need the open air'ness. and just drop it back on after. Best of all worlds. I would have had a crap load of wet items for my son at University if I never had my truck cap on!

 

[mkitchen]

Open bed

I have driven a Tacoma double cab and I had a cover on the bed for ten years. It is nice to keep things secure but it has draw backs too. I was less able to carry larger items etc. Taking off a tonneau or shell is a pain and will not get done as often as needed. I just recently bought a Tundra and was going to put a shell on it but having an open bed is such a nice change that I am going to keep it open. I may put a bed box to lock up tools but I am going to avoid covering the bed. Shells and tonneaus also make it hard to reach into the center of a bed too. For years, I have had some very good quality bikes on racks and just keep a lock on them when travelling.
Mikey

 

[ludeykrus]

Hard camper shells are good for two things: having a dry sleeping spot and providing lockable storage. My last truck had a hard shell and a 6.5' bed. I needed to keep expensive items in the back all the time, so locking was great. Sleeping on the trail without setting a tent was also great. However, the utility and convenience of actually owning a truck was mostly lost, since I had to shimmy into the bed under the shell whenever I needed anything.

I sold that truck and bought a Frontier CCSB, and decided against the shell. I want to be able to toss my bike in the back very quick without dinking around. I can easily toss bags and supplies in the back and go, while easily reaching over the bed rails. The 5' bed is too short for me to sleep in, and I can easily keep my supplies in the cab. I'm addressing the storage and sleeping "issues" by welding up a bed rack to allow for a cargo basket and/or an RTT. I would have went with a Softopper, but i wanted to be able to mount a few solar panels up on the rack, and I haven't seen any rack-over-softshell camper setups I'm satisfied with. A bed toolbox would also give you locking out-of-the-cab storage.

Both are great, but I went from shell to open bed because a shell removes most all of the big advantages of buying a pickup in the first place. If I wanted that covered space, I'd probably buy an SUV from the start.

 

[GDSQDCR]

I have an open bed with a soft roll cover. If I need to lock something out, out of sight, it is the cab with me. The versatility of the open bed is great. I also have a Yakima rack that I can mount over the bed rails. We generally mount that on longer trips and mount the 5 bikes across the bed, over the soft roll cover. The Yakima rack also has a basket which where we keep the solar shower as we drive down the road.

I would never consider the shell with my current life situation. The baseball, the bike rides, the lumber, etc .. the open bed is a win for me every day.

Of course, my most expensive bike is a Walmart special that we just bought for 7 year old. It was a whopping $100 bike. =)