thinking of adding a cap to 2nd gen DCSB

[Clymber]

Ive been thinking of adding a cap to my DCSB Tacoma and then putting a RTT tent on it. Was wondering who has done this and if they have any complaints about it. If i were in the desert there would be no worries of hitting things but in CO there are tons of trees on the trail.
What are the pluses and minuses of the RTT on the cap
I would be able to add and awning and have covered lockable storage
How the hell will i get up there to close up the RTT
What is the noise like when driving down the road

 

[yonah]

Ive been thinking of adding a cap to my DCSB Tacoma and then putting a RTT tent on it. Was wondering who has done this and if they have any complaints about it. If i were in the desert there would be no worries of hitting things but in CO there are tons of trees on the trail.
What are the pluses and minuses of the RTT on the cap
I would be able to add and awning and have covered lockable storage
How the hell will i get up there to close up the RTT
What is the noise like when driving down the road

For me a shell is a must. It's, in my opinion, the most practical modification one can do to a truck. The ability to lock up my gear and give my dogs a safe place to ride out of the weather is necessary for me.
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I have a '12 DCSB with a Leer 180 shell mounted. The shell has factory installed Thule HD load bars that are rated for 400lbs. They're removable and beefy. I can mount my Ironman 4x4 RTT, 13.5' kayak, and awning all on the load bars alone (the kayak must come down to deploy the RTT). The 180 is a tall shell which gives you 20% more storage capacity per Leer's website. This means my RTT is high - especially on a truck that is mildly lifted. With that being said, deploying the RTT isn't bad, especially if you have a decent set of sliders/rocker guards to stand on. You can also stand on the tailgate and tires to unzip and unhook everything. I'm 5'10" and it's not a chore at all. I cut the old rain cover zipper pull off and made a 1' pull out of heavy para cord. Now I simply walk around the truck to open up the tent. With the RTT on the shell you'll most certainly need a ladder extension for the tent. Ironman 4x4 sells one for around $60.
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On the road there is no noticeable noise from the tent. However, the wind drag is there. The truck definitely has to work harder to get up hills at 65 MPH on the highway. The RTT also costs me around 1-1.5 MPGs while on top of the truck. Keeping the truck below 55 MPH seems to negate this a lot though. But in the end, it's a big unaerodynamic brick.
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In a perfect world I would run a Flippac, but I live on the wrong side of the country, so that's not going to happen. The shell + RTT is the next best thing right now. I also like the extra headroom and storage space that the 180 offers. You could also look into the bed racks that mount the RTT so that the top of the tent sits generally level with the top of your cab to improve aerodynamics, but then your back to not having a dry/secure place for your cargo in the bed.
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Let me know if you need any further information.
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Cheers,
-Stephen

 

[Clymber]

I currently have the RTT on the rack like you mentioned and its on my truck all the time. I went to Expo and with all the rain I have decided that I need something to keep my gear dry. I would love to get the flip-pac but right now it's not an option unless some rich relative that I don't know I have dies or I win the lottery

I figured the RTT on the cap would kill my mileage so it's one of the things where I guess I have to way my options, if it were possible I would like to do the set up the Aussies run on their rigs

Thanks for the advice

 

[yonah]

I currently have the RTT on the rack like you mentioned and its on my truck all the time. I went to Expo and with all the rain I have decided that I need something to keep my gear dry. I would love to get the flip-pac but right now it's not an option unless some rich relative that I don't know I have dies or I win the lottery

I figured the RTT on the cap would kill my mileage so it's one of the things where I guess I have to way my options, if it were possible I would like to do the set up the Aussies run on their rigs

Thanks for the advice

When you say the setup the Aussies use are you talking about a ute bed or something similar?
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If you don't have dogs and simply need dry storage space, I would recommend doing a some type of hybrid tonneau/bed rack. If you could reinforce the tonneau so the lift function still worked with the RTT on the rack, that would be ideal (similar to some of the trailer lids out there). If not, just keep the tonneau in place and maybe install some sliding drawers to access all of your gear. Taking out the rear seats and storage area behind the seats yields a lot of useable space too. A lot of guys have done it on here with good results. I believe you can simply take out the bigger seat and still leave the smaller rear seat behind the drivers seat if you need it for a child's car seat or something.
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I'm hitting the woods tonight and I'll snap a few photos of my tent on the shell to illustrate what my setup looks like.
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-Stephen

 

[zscott]

I have had my RTT on my cap for about two years now on and off. In my opinion it is the best way to go for overland travel. If you plan to do techincal trails often and by this I mean real off camber trails that have a lot of really uneven terrain I wouldn't recommend it. The extra weight up top made me uneasy when trying really challenging trails but on the majority of trails and 90% of what I do it works great. Even in Utah with some pretty densely forested trails I haven't had problems.

The dry secure storage of the shell is priceless and after many different setups including a bedrack the shell is the best compromise I have found.

 

[Clymber]

 

[Clymber]

That setup to me is almost perfect

 

[yonah]

Here's my current setup sans the awning (which would mount on the passenger side):

I really have not complaints other than the wind resistance on the road. It's high, but that's not a terrible thing when we camp in the Blue Ridge where black bears are common. Being 7' off the ground definitely brings peace of mind.
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This would be the time of year to buy a cap as it's a buyer's market. The demand seems to be higher in the winter.

 

[WillRunner]

I've been thinking about buying either an ARE or a Leer for my 12' DCSB... How do you like the quality of the Leer?

 

[Justin_A]

I run a SnugTop Rebel cap with their "sportsman" upgrade which they double layer the ceiling with a honeycomb layout along with Yakima rails layed in. Its supposedly rated to now hold 500lbs. I've read some people mounting their RTT with the reinforced ceiling and with out. If I recall it, to reinforce it was $250 range? Well worth the investment and peace of mind for me personally.

Mounted in the yakima rails I picked up a PrinSu Design rack over on TacomaWorld. Solid build and it fits my ARB rtt perfectly on my topper.

The bed cap was the first purchase I made when picking up my rig. I typically travel with a lot of gear: Rock climbing gear ($2k value), inflatable SUP or kayak, ARB fridge, dual sport motorcycle riding gear / tools, recovery gear and misc camping gear. When I leave the house I bring everything so I can do anything. So to be able to have a large lockable topper makes me feel comfortable when having to the leave the rig for any period of time. An example, on an impromptu trip to Zion national park we stopped in Las Vegas, NV for a night and were able to valet my truck, gear and all. I wouldn't want to leave all my gear in the back of an open truck, but you could argue just don't stay at a hotel. But the buffets are too good!! :chef:

The other guys were right, too, the topper will mess with your geometry. Not crazy bad, I still wheel with a rtt but do so carefully.

 

[Doc_]

Having spent my entire life around pickups with shells, I can't say "go for it!" strongly enough. They add so much utility, additional security, and functional storage to a pickup, it's unbelievable. I personally would prefer to advise an external lumber rack take the load of your RTT over the shell, but I don't doubt that a suitably reinforced shell could take the load.

 

[Justin_A]

For what it's worth, I wish I had upgraded the side windows of my topper or at least one side to be a flip up window door. It would make packing and retrieving small items closest to the cab easier and you wouldn't need to crawl in.

 

[WillRunner]

I'm having a hard time deciding between ARE and Leer. What do you guys think?

 

[Adventurous]

I'm having a hard time deciding between ARE and Leer. What do you guys think?

I have owned both a Leer and an ARE. They are both pretty comparable and I'd say it was more or less a toss up. I preferred the handle/locking mechanism on the ARE more but that wouldn't be enough to sway me enough to choose one or the other.

 

[WillRunner]

I have owned both a Leer and an ARE. They are both pretty comparable and I'd say it was more or less a toss up. I preferred the handle/locking mechanism on the ARE more but that wouldn't be enough to sway me enough to choose one or the other.

Oh really? What makes you prefer the handle/locking mechanism on the ARE more?