So I went down the rabbit hole last night, looking at truck toppers. I was leaning toward the RSI Smart Cap, but their locks seem to be riddled with problems. I'm also not keen on the fact that someone could actually lock you in the back of the truck. I looked at the RLD caps as well. They seem to have some quality control issues. I then looked at the Dirtbox caps. I like the design, but I read that these are imported from China and may have some engineering flaws. The lack of photos and information on their website is somewhat concerning. I also looked at Alu-Cab but I don't think they make a cap for a Ram 1500 with a 6.4' bed. Do any of y'all have experience with any of these caps or do you have any recommendations for a good cap? Obviously looking for something light but sturdy. Windows with screens would be nice. I've heard the fiberglass ones have had issues with cracking, but I think that was mainly due to having a heavy rtt mounted on them or seriously hardcore offroading. Not going to be doing either of those things, so that may be moot at this point.
Ram 1500 build ... should I even bother?
- Thread starter Olde_Kyng
- Start date
Sparse Gray Hackle
Geezer
I recently put an ARE topper on my new 1 ton, including Yakima tracks, flip down front front window, and dog screens over the sliding window screens. With color matching, it was $3K and change. Did not get the opening side windows. No mouse fur inside, just fiberglass. I believe it’s better made than the Leer on my last truck, and it’s still made in the US. IMO, would have no issues with a RTT on top.
I take my trucks into rough terrain, but nothing extreme. Canoes and gear on top, maybe close to 200 pounds total, never had any issues with cracking.
Looked at the Smart Cap when choosing, seemed well made, but pricy.
I take my trucks into rough terrain, but nothing extreme. Canoes and gear on top, maybe close to 200 pounds total, never had any issues with cracking.
Looked at the Smart Cap when choosing, seemed well made, but pricy.
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ChasingOurTrunks
Well-known member
I hear you Thundah - I think as long as one isn't planning a roof load, those fiberglass toppers can be a real viable option for a lot of people. It's easy to knock together a drawer unit/sleeping platform out of some plywood and toss a lightweight mattress over top. The dust ingress issue I mentioned isn't always an issue - it is for us because for a time, we were almost always in convoys, but if a person is solo travelling the dust ingress is mitigatable - pull over and don't drive behind other vehicles on dirt roads and the challenge is mostly solved for a decently sealed cap. Plus, a truck with a topper is fairly common - you get a "stealth" benefit as compared to a heavily built 4x4 with all the Expo-chic accessories bolted to it. It doesn't work for us as we are in a mid-size truck with a family, so we wouldn't all fit, but for solo/coupled travelers it can work nicely and be a lot cheaper than a wedge camper (which fundamentally does the same thing albeit with less headroom). OP also has the 6'4 bed, so there's room for tall folks.
Besides all that, in my opinion the only "wrong" way to get out and experience an overland trip is to do so unsafely or disrespectfully -- the gear one chooses certainly has no "right" or "wrong" answer beyond that!
I looked pretty closely at all those brands, and here's what I learned:
1) Fiberglass Toppers - they are not built for roof loads. They are fine if you want a cover over your bed area with no expectation of a roof load, but not great generally speaking if you do want something up top.
2) HD Fiberglass Toppers - these are still fiberglass, but they are made with reinforced rails to allow minimum roof loads. They are expensive and heavy, and so if I was going to go with a topper like this, I'd just consider going for a non-fiberglass one and eliminate the cracking risk entirely.
3) Commercial Caps: These, like the ARE one mentioned, are the steel white ones - they are a bit more robust than the fiberglass ones and in some cases can come with lots of neat accessories (storage units, slide attachments, ladder racks, etc.). However, they are pricey and and for the cost of the metal caps, you can get an off-road specific cap that seems more robustly built to me. They are probably fine but I wanted certainty.
4) Overland-specific caps: RSI Smartcap is one option, as is the RLD Designs which I didn't see mentioned yet. Alucab has a stellar reputation but as you said they don't (yet) make one for your rig. The way to think of these caps is more of an investment - you can move them from vehicle to vehicle, and invest in the types of add-ons (tables, kitchen modules, etc.) that you want for your rig, and theoretically you can move these caps from rig to rig the same way you would a slide in camper. These are the only caps I would trust with a roof-load over long term washboard personally - I don't have data to back this up other than some experience with roof racks and Jeep hardtops, and I do not trust/like relying on fiberglass under stress in high vibration environments. I had not thought about getting locked into a Smart Cap - I'm not sure you would as I'm pretty sure you can disassemble the toggle locks from the inside (but I'm not 100% on that so double check just in case!). The downside is these caps can look good, but also look very "expo-chic" so you lose the "stealth" factor that comes from a commercial/consumer grade cap which are much more common.
5) Build you own - this is what I did using aluminum extrusion and composite cladding. The cap cost me only about $1500 total, is built exactly how I want it, and can be done with basic hand tools. It can support more weight than necessary (my entire payload can be cantilevered by an unsupported span 4' away from an anchor with less than 1 mm of deflection - in truth I could have gone for smaller extrusion and saved weight and cash) and is light enough that I can lift it myself.
Well color me intrigued … I would love to see what the finished product looks like.
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Jeff Graham
New member
First congratulations on the weight loss, keep up the good work.
I was also a big guy. I also overland a Ram 1500. What model 1500 do you have DS (6 lug wheels) or DT (5 lugg wheels)? This makes a difference on practical payload. Information you may find interesting:
The Ram 1500 DS has an Engineered GVWR of 7100 lbs in USA, but 7600 in Australia. No differences except they move the steering wheel when the truck arrives down under.
I agree that a level lift would be a good idea. You should always include an upper control arm, when adding more than 1.5 inch of lift. You will need this for updating the geometry, so you can properly align the vehicle.
For wheels and tires, on a budget. I bet you can get Ram Rebel take offs for cheep. That will get you 18” wheels and 33” tires. Depending on the gearing in your current axle, this may be the largest tire you will want to run.
As I mentioned, I was a big guy also. I hated RTT it was not comfortable for me. I really preferred a ground tent. Much lighter, and easy to take out when not traveling.
I’m down nearly 100lbs, dieting and getting out camping (lots of hiking trails). This over-landing stuff can change your life. Don’t worry about the truck too much. Just get out and enjoy life.
I was also a big guy. I also overland a Ram 1500. What model 1500 do you have DS (6 lug wheels) or DT (5 lugg wheels)? This makes a difference on practical payload. Information you may find interesting:
The Ram 1500 DS has an Engineered GVWR of 7100 lbs in USA, but 7600 in Australia. No differences except they move the steering wheel when the truck arrives down under.
I agree that a level lift would be a good idea. You should always include an upper control arm, when adding more than 1.5 inch of lift. You will need this for updating the geometry, so you can properly align the vehicle.
For wheels and tires, on a budget. I bet you can get Ram Rebel take offs for cheep. That will get you 18” wheels and 33” tires. Depending on the gearing in your current axle, this may be the largest tire you will want to run.
As I mentioned, I was a big guy also. I hated RTT it was not comfortable for me. I really preferred a ground tent. Much lighter, and easy to take out when not traveling.
I’m down nearly 100lbs, dieting and getting out camping (lots of hiking trails). This over-landing stuff can change your life. Don’t worry about the truck too much. Just get out and enjoy life.
Thanks so much, and congrats on your weight loss as well (100lbs is awesome!!!). My Ram is the classic (DT). Just decided this evening that I am going to keep an eye on local dealers and if something with low ish miles for a good price shows up, a good price being something that lowers my payment from what it is now. I may trade in my current truck on a Ram 1500 with the crew cab. Go figure, never needed that back seat till I got rid of it.
ChasingOurTrunks
Well-known member
Happy to oblige - Overlanders and Rig Pics are like grandparents with their grandbabies. Photos are always handy 
Here he is - the mighty Pachyderm, or "Pac" for short (fits the theme of the screen name!). The bumper is off a chevy colorado since they don't make one for the Canyon, and the "Racing stripes" on the hood are actually 3M Grip Tape - the sticky sandpaper used on ladder steps and such - which allows the dogs to hop on the hood and gain access into the RTT.
As mentioned, the Cap is home-made using aluminum composite cladding. This is a common material used in signs and in making buildings. I needed 2 sheets for my project and each sheet would have cost me about $100 CDN, but I was able to find some from a construction company who gifted me free panels that were in their scrap bin that I just cut to size so my actual cost was a bottle of whisky. It comes already coloured so you have lots of colour options.
Here it is all deployed - it opens up all around and is built as a "live around" rig, so we wanted good access from all around the vehicle.
A closer look of the inside from the back. The wooden drawer unit was designed to give us sealed storage (two drawers - one for camp items, the other for personal items like clothing). The open area on the left is the fridge slide - if i were to do it again the only thing i'd change is build a "roof" on the fridge area to reclaim some storage space. I was nervous about venting and wasn't 100% sure on my fridge size when I built it, so I left it open, but I'd enclose the top the next time and do venting differently.
I mentioned the dust ingress in a cap - this was my solution. It's a bathroom drain that I painted black - one of those "push to close/push to open" style drains. When open, air is forced into the cap area and that creates a positive pressure situation under the cap. That positive pressure prevents dust ingress from all the other cracks and pinholes which otherwise would serve to suck dirt in via a venturi effect.
And as an extra layer, I put a weed eater air filter on the other end to catch any dust that sneaks through the drain. This works exceptionally well for dust, but since moving to a humid coastal environment, I've learned that it doesn't provide enough day-to-day airflow to prevent mold in the constant-rain winters we have here so I plan to equip a 12v fan there to enhance the air flow and re-assess next year. It's not a big deal - I occasionally have to go wipe stuff down with vinegar in a spray bottle.
Rough shot of the electrical system, housed behind the fridge slide. I've got a Renogy DC-to-DC charger so the deep cycle charges while we drive, which is routed through the fuse box. Fuse box runs all electrical including the switch panel - the switch panel controls the interior lights, the water pump, the inverter, and has 4 USB plugs with voltage monitors built in. Fuse panel also has I think 4 dedicated circuits that I ran to the cab - I use one for my video camera rear mirror (a must when using a cap, I think), and I have a few spares for charge points and in case I wanted to install other accessories.
In terms of “by the numbers”, our truck has a 1550 lbs payload, and the occupants are me, my infant son, my wife, 2 German Shepherds, sometimes a cat. We are usually running between 5800 and 6100 lbs with a GVM of 6000 - we are over when we had both dogs and the BBQ. We’ve since said goodbye to one dog (she was nearly 15) and our son has less stuff as he ages, and the bbq is optional so it’s easy to be under our GVM but we don’t mind being slightly over for short weekend jaunts. For longer runs or more technical terrain I’d like to be a few hundred lbs lighter, and I think I could achieve that via a deck and canopy system over what I have now, but at 10-15 times the price.
Happy to answer any and all questions!
Here he is - the mighty Pachyderm, or "Pac" for short (fits the theme of the screen name!). The bumper is off a chevy colorado since they don't make one for the Canyon, and the "Racing stripes" on the hood are actually 3M Grip Tape - the sticky sandpaper used on ladder steps and such - which allows the dogs to hop on the hood and gain access into the RTT.
As mentioned, the Cap is home-made using aluminum composite cladding. This is a common material used in signs and in making buildings. I needed 2 sheets for my project and each sheet would have cost me about $100 CDN, but I was able to find some from a construction company who gifted me free panels that were in their scrap bin that I just cut to size so my actual cost was a bottle of whisky. It comes already coloured so you have lots of colour options.
Here it is all deployed - it opens up all around and is built as a "live around" rig, so we wanted good access from all around the vehicle.
A closer look of the inside from the back. The wooden drawer unit was designed to give us sealed storage (two drawers - one for camp items, the other for personal items like clothing). The open area on the left is the fridge slide - if i were to do it again the only thing i'd change is build a "roof" on the fridge area to reclaim some storage space. I was nervous about venting and wasn't 100% sure on my fridge size when I built it, so I left it open, but I'd enclose the top the next time and do venting differently.
I mentioned the dust ingress in a cap - this was my solution. It's a bathroom drain that I painted black - one of those "push to close/push to open" style drains. When open, air is forced into the cap area and that creates a positive pressure situation under the cap. That positive pressure prevents dust ingress from all the other cracks and pinholes which otherwise would serve to suck dirt in via a venturi effect.
And as an extra layer, I put a weed eater air filter on the other end to catch any dust that sneaks through the drain. This works exceptionally well for dust, but since moving to a humid coastal environment, I've learned that it doesn't provide enough day-to-day airflow to prevent mold in the constant-rain winters we have here so I plan to equip a 12v fan there to enhance the air flow and re-assess next year. It's not a big deal - I occasionally have to go wipe stuff down with vinegar in a spray bottle.
Rough shot of the electrical system, housed behind the fridge slide. I've got a Renogy DC-to-DC charger so the deep cycle charges while we drive, which is routed through the fuse box. Fuse box runs all electrical including the switch panel - the switch panel controls the interior lights, the water pump, the inverter, and has 4 USB plugs with voltage monitors built in. Fuse panel also has I think 4 dedicated circuits that I ran to the cab - I use one for my video camera rear mirror (a must when using a cap, I think), and I have a few spares for charge points and in case I wanted to install other accessories.
In terms of “by the numbers”, our truck has a 1550 lbs payload, and the occupants are me, my infant son, my wife, 2 German Shepherds, sometimes a cat. We are usually running between 5800 and 6100 lbs with a GVM of 6000 - we are over when we had both dogs and the BBQ. We’ve since said goodbye to one dog (she was nearly 15) and our son has less stuff as he ages, and the bbq is optional so it’s easy to be under our GVM but we don’t mind being slightly over for short weekend jaunts. For longer runs or more technical terrain I’d like to be a few hundred lbs lighter, and I think I could achieve that via a deck and canopy system over what I have now, but at 10-15 times the price.
Happy to answer any and all questions!
That cap looks pretty amazing! Impressive. Most impressive. Don’t know where that 3rd pic was taken, but it looks like my kind of place. May have to head your way once I get my $&@! together! Thank you for sharing those pics. I love seeing everyone’s take on setups.Happy to oblige - Overlanders and Rig Pics are like grandparents with their grandbabies. Photos are always handy
View attachment 818855
Here he is - the mighty Pachyderm, or "Pac" for short (fits the theme of the screen name!). The bumper is off a chevy colorado since they don't make one for the Canyon, and the "Racing stripes" on the hood are actually 3M Grip Tape - the sticky sandpaper used on ladder steps and such - which allows the dogs to hop on the hood and gain access into the RTT.
View attachment 818856
As mentioned, the Cap is home-made using aluminum composite cladding. This is a common material used in signs and in making buildings. I needed 2 sheets for my project and each sheet would have cost me about $100 CDN, but I was able to find some from a construction company who gifted me free panels that were in their scrap bin that I just cut to size so my actual cost was a bottle of whisky. It comes already coloured so you have lots of colour options.
View attachment 818857
Here it is all deployed - it opens up all around and is built as a "live around" rig, so we wanted good access from all around the vehicle.
View attachment 818858
A closer look of the inside from the back. The wooden drawer unit was designed to give us sealed storage (two drawers - one for camp items, the other for personal items like clothing). The open area on the left is the fridge slide - if i were to do it again the only thing i'd change is build a "roof" on the fridge area to reclaim some storage space. I was nervous about venting and wasn't 100% sure on my fridge size when I built it, so I left it open, but I'd enclose the top the next time and do venting differently.
View attachment 818859
I mentioned the dust ingress in a cap - this was my solution. It's a bathroom drain that I painted black - one of those "push to close/push to open" style drains. When open, air is forced into the cap area and that creates a positive pressure situation under the cap. That positive pressure prevents dust ingress from all the other cracks and pinholes which otherwise would serve to suck dirt in via a venturi effect.
View attachment 818860
And as an extra layer, I put a weed eater air filter on the other end to catch any dust that sneaks through the drain. This works exceptionally well for dust, but since moving to a humid coastal environment, I've learned that it doesn't provide enough day-to-day airflow to prevent mold in the constant-rain winters we have here so I plan to equip a 12v fan there to enhance the air flow and re-assess next year. It's not a big deal - I occasionally have to go wipe stuff down with vinegar in a spray bottle.
View attachment 818861
Rough shot of the electrical system, housed behind the fridge slide. I've got a Renogy DC-to-DC charger so the deep cycle charges while we drive, which is routed through the fuse box. Fuse box runs all electrical including the switch panel - the switch panel controls the interior lights, the water pump, the inverter, and has 4 USB plugs with voltage monitors built in. Fuse panel also has I think 4 dedicated circuits that I ran to the cab - I use one for my video camera rear mirror (a must when using a cap, I think), and I have a few spares for charge points and in case I wanted to install other accessories.
In terms of “by the numbers”, our truck has a 1550 lbs payload, and the occupants are me, my infant son, my wife, 2 German Shepherds, sometimes a cat. We are usually running between 5800 and 6100 lbs with a GVM of 6000 - we are over when we had both dogs and the BBQ. We’ve since said goodbye to one dog (she was nearly 15) and our son has less stuff as he ages, and the bbq is optional so it’s easy to be under our GVM but we don’t mind being slightly over for short weekend jaunts. For longer runs or more technical terrain I’d like to be a few hundred lbs lighter, and I think I could achieve that via a deck and canopy system over what I have now, but at 10-15 times the price.
Happy to answer any and all questions!
Sorry to hear about the loss of your puppin. My wife loves her cats and we lost one 2 summers ago to some kind of stomach cancer. It’s just like losing a family member, but probably worse with a dog. Cats make it a little easier on you because they don’t give a hoot about you as long there’s food in the bowl. At least that’s what I tell myself.
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ChasingOurTrunks
Well-known member
That was taken near a small lake in Northwestern Ontario. Most folks tend to focus on the North Shore of Lake Superior - and for good reason, it’s amazing - but there are gems all through the North like this.
I don’t live there - I used to, but now we are on the west coast. But we’ve been lucky to see a ton of Canada and the western US - we have more photos on our website, www.chasingourtrunks.com. This is really just a travel blog - we aren’t selling anything. We do run a consulting company that we link to, but otherwise this is our “personal” site and we are just enthusiastic enthusiasts so feel free to check it out.
Sorry to hear about the cat but I totally agree with you. And on that last point in particular, Dogs join the family - cats infiltrate and control it!
Anyway, for the cap - the only plug-in tools I had was a mitre saw (cutting the aluminum is easy). I have a cordless Ryobi impact gun, drill, and circular saw. Those were the only tools I used for the cap and it took me about two full weekends from parts to bolted to the truck. If I had to do it again I think I could knock one out in a day. If you decide to go this route I’m happy to give you more info.
I am really considering it. So far I’m not really super impressed with any of the overland type toppers, at least not as a place to sleep. Some of the fiberglass ones may fit the bill but I I don’t trust the rack system on those to carry anything for a long time over rough terrain. I am very much a buy once cry once kind of person (within reason).
I do like the idea of building my own, saving money, and weight. I’m going to think on this for a bit. I have a 2019 road king that needs some modifications before riding season gets here, so that is first priority. Do you think some sliding screened windows could be mounted in the side panels? If not, I could probably make a bug net and attach it with Velcro so we could sleep with the doors open in the summer. Where did you get your extrusion and panels from? I may start looking at parts and see what I come up with in my head.
ThundahBeagle
Well-known member
One more option. I've seen flat-footed, tubular racks, often for construction pickups, that sit on the bed rail, with the tube frame rack just outside of what would be the camper shell, Leer, ARE, or otherwise
Sparse Gray Hackle
Geezer
Figure about 100+ pounds for tubing and the plates that sit on the bed rails.
Before doing that, I’d look at a gutter clamp setup with roof rack brackets and bars over the glass canopy.
ChasingOurTrunks
Well-known member
This is a good call - it provides a lot more structural strength than the cap on it's own. I've seen these spec'd for everything from some lightweight ladders to some rather heavy 16 foot aluminum boats. As Sparse Gray Hackle says, it's extra weight, but it can be a good alternative to an Overland-specific shell and provide the same level of peace of mind on the rough stuff. They are also available widely - a lot of commercial folks use them, and there are used options to be found for most common bed sizes.
Good point on the weight but the reason I'd avoid gutter clamps on anything fiberglass is that long term, they are apparently prone to cracking especially in the gutters/edges like we're talking about here. This is super common with Jeeps - similar design as a truck cap, and folks use gutter-mounted roof bars all the time without issue, but it seems the combination of high vibration (i.e. gravel road) and lateral, side to side movement (i.e. twisty gravel road
) will spell a problem long term for some of these caps. Given the investment, and the potential risk, it's not something I would personally do without some serious reinforcement or understanding more about the stress limits of those gutters. I have seen folks drill through the top of canopies into reinforcement bars (like a backbone for the cap), and that seems to be less problematic, but the gutter mounts seem to crack regularly. This would be a much lighter option than a separate ladder rack though, and depending on the use case it might be a viable option for folks. Great questions!
1) I think it's easy enough to install windows in the panels. No reason that wouldn't work. The extrusion supplier makes some types of extrusion that are designed as sliding surfaces so you may be able to integrate sliding windows with the design fairly easily.
2) Extrusion came from: https://www.fazstore.ca/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxOCs3uKehAMVYAitBh3lXALoEAAYASAAEgK-2vD_BwE but it's good to note I'm in Canada; if I were in the United States I'd check out: https://8020.net/ - they have a TON of design resources. Only reason I didn't use 80/20 was the expense of importation but in the USA you can even get free shipping on some orders if you spend enough (from time to time). I purchased stuff that was already anodized because the finish quality was better than what I could achieve with paint and cheaper in the long run.
3) Panels I got from a construction company in Edmonton, but essentially you're looking for this stuff: https://bcretailsupplies.com/products/alumium-compiste-panel-material-acm-acp - call around to local sign shops and construction companies though, especially if you see a local company building something that is in a colour you want - they might have scraps that do what you need. You can tell a building is using these panels because they look like these (the buildings look like lego, usually in blocks, with coloured accents):
4) For the latches, I went a bit spendy and "splurged" on McMaster-Carr keyed alike latches. Totally worth it to avoid having 6 keys, but this was a bite - nearly $500 just for the latches and locks. You'd probably find them cheaper on Amazon.com but amazon.ca was limited when I was building mine.
5) The weatherstripping for the panels was 3M brand, purchased on Amazon.
6) I used RTV silicone to seal the roof panels, as well as an extrusion-specific gasket material to snug up the panels of the roof.
7) The hinges are just whatever Home Depot had that was the right size.
8) Most of the hardware (nuts and bolts) were ordered with the Extrusion, as I just used the captive nuts that are designed to work with the system. I also used some 90 degree brackets and that sort of thing.
9) For fastening the extrusion together, I used a thing called a Drill Tap to thread holes super fast and easy (took just a few seconds to tap a hole with the impact gun) in the ends of the extrusion. Note of caution - I tapped probably 100+ holes on this thing, and went through a few of those drill taps as they do break after a time. I'd buy them from a place like the Home Depot, and buy 5 of them knowing you can return the unused ones. After the holes were tapped, I used some red loctite on the bolt and honestly i don't think this thing is coming apart any time soon, even if I wanted it to.
Sparse Gray Hackle
Geezer
<clip>
Good point on the weight but the reason I'd avoid gutter clamps on anything fiberglass is that long term, they are apparently prone to cracking especially in the gutters/edges like we're talking about here. This is super common with Jeeps - similar design as a truck cap, and folks use gutter-mounted roof bars all the time without issue, but it seems the combination of high vibration (i.e. gravel road) and lateral, side to side movement (i.e. twisty gravel road
<clip>
I have had them on 3 different Super Duty fiber canopies with no problems since 2000. No cracks, no enlarged bolt holes, no issues. Three sets of brackets, three sets of Yakima towers with round bars. Craigslist regularly has the towers and bars for little $$.
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ChasingOurTrunks
Well-known member
Glad you have had success! I’ve read quite a few folks saying “no problem” but also quite a few folks with cracks. Perhaps some brands are better than others? For me it wasn’t worth the $$ on the cap with a risk of cracking when a more solid solution was available for the same dollars or less, but not everyone will reach the same conclusion.