camper shells

[egalitarian]

I think what really matters isn't the cap, but how well the door seals. And the tailgate lets in a surprising amount of road dust.

That's a very good point. However, isn't a correct fitting cap, with a well sealed hatchback door along with rubber stripping on the top of the tailgate supposed to take care of that?

 

[egalitarian]

This is what Bobby is talking about:

View attachment 98337

It’s made to go with the Softopper, but I bet you could adapt it to any cap; soft, fiberglass, or aluminum.

View attachment 98338

Oh, I see. Interesting!

 

[bobbywalter]

And if you really want to take a walk on the upper east side, there's ideas like this
youtube.com/watch?v=szQinWneTOQ

Back when I was living in my truck ... I could not have imagined such luxury....let alone naughty level French onion soup. Never in to video games..but ....that setup is killer. Luxury is a solid definition.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Back when I was living in my truck ... I could not have imagined such luxury....let alone naughty level French onion soup. Never in to video games..but ....that setup is killer. Luxury is a solid definition.

I live on the road - by choice - until I can't or don't want to anymore. I've met some of these types of people. They exist and so do their rigs. A lot of them are outstanding. Heck, some even get together and do builds for one another. The 'buildee' has to supply materials, beer/soda and pizza and the builds are outstanding. It usually happens in Quartzite and sometimes in Colorado and Flagstaff.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Oh, I see. Interesting!

There's more info right here in this forum. You might do well to jump in there rather than be an offshoot unto your own. JAT: Camping/overlanding gear thread. | The Ranger Station

 

[BroncLander]

That's a very good point. However, isn't a correct fitting cap, with a well sealed hatchback door along with rubber stripping on the top of the tailgate supposed to take care of that?

Well I'm kind of old, so I'm used to old rigs that don't seal up the tailgate.
If it were me, I'd probably want to remove the tailgate and rear hatch and make a one piece wall with a door in it.

 

[JohnnyO]

Leer and ARE are both top shelf and rather pricey. You can option things like opening windows, top racks, carpeted interiors, etc.
Ranch caps are a little less costly and not as smooth looking but perfectly acceptable. I had a Ranch cap that I bought used for my old Sport Trac.
Guy on the Sin Rumbo channel on YouTube has a Ranger with a nice layout but he's in South America where you can get a regular cab with a 7' box.

 

[sgtsandman]

I'm looking for advice on purchasing a cab flush fiberglass camper shell for my 2022 4x4 Ranger to go truck camping. Which camper shell is the most lightweight while well built & strong? Which one having openable windows is the most secure? Does it matter which shell I purchase given I want to install an interior bed frame including storage? Thank you in advance!

Ok, here comes the book...

In my experience, all the fiberglass caps weight the same with the exception of the ones with the reinforced roof made specifically for supporting weight on a roof rack. They aren't light but are more aerodynamic and more quiet than an a aluminum cap. Aluminum will be down right noisy when there is rain or hail.

Regardless of the cap you choose, moisture build up inside is a thing. Carpet lining minimizes that some and provides some insulation value compared to a bare interior. The bare interior can get wet enough to actually drip water on you unless you leave a window cracked.

Locks on a cap only keep the "honest" thieves, regardless of the latch style for the rear hatch or side opening hatches. If you want to greatly reduce the temptation of a break in, out of sight is out of mind is the rule to live by. Either have solid side hatches that give no way for one to look in or install something to block the view in. Curtains or window stickers with the hole pattern in them that give you some ability to look out but greatly reduces an outsider's ability to look in. Another option is to build a platform in the bed with drawers and pull out panels for storage.

The Ranger bed isn't really that big. So building a bed on one side and a storage system on the other really isn't an option like it is in a full size truck with a 8' bed. You can do it but the walk way will be narrow and would be a significant loss of storage space. With a 6' bed, the platform will give the most flexibility. You could also install hatches above the drawers for access to what is in them but don't forget about the space in front of and behind the wheel wells. Prime space for cubby storage that you can have removable covers over or you can build small cabinets along the sides over the wheel wells for even more storage.

Either way, you want to get yourself up off the bed floor. You can loose a lot of body heat laying directly on the floor unless you install insulation. The deck will accomplish that and give you storage you wouldn't otherwise have.

If you have the Supercrew cab, the bed is even shorter and you will need to sleep at an angle unless you are pretty short. I'm 5' 9" and found it uncomfortable. The platform is going to be pretty much the only place you would be able to store anything and still have room to lay down.

Speaking of windows, get the front slider, if you can, and install some window screen with some velcro for more airflow and keeping the bugs out.

As far as brand, until recently, I thought Leer was pretty decent. I've had their caps in the past as liked them. My current one has been a disappointment. A lot of loose fasteners allowing water to leak. The lift gate struts started failing almost immediately as well. The seal between the bed and the cap has been leaking as well. I think that is more of an installer issue than manufacturer. And the wiring for the power block connector was not weather tight and it corroded, killing power to the block.

The Jason cap on my 2011 has been trouble free. I haven't had the other brands to make any kind of comment. Prepare for sticker shock though. Prices had almost doubled between 2011 and 2019. I paid $1,800 for the Jason with a front slider, reinforced roof, and a roof rack in 2011. I paid about $3,000 for a Leer about half the size ( 1' shorter in length and maybe about half the height due to the high bed sides) with the similar features. If you go used, finding a cap that fits might be a tall order because of the before mentioned high bed sides and the profile of the cab. I doubt there are many used caps out there since the trucks are still relatively new and bed caps are generally not a popular option now days.

 

[egalitarian]

Ok, here comes the book...

In my experience, all the fiberglass caps weight the same with the exception of the ones with the reinforced roof made specifically for supporting weight on a roof rack. They aren't light but are more aerodynamic and more quiet than an a aluminum cap. Aluminum will be down right noisy when there is rain or hail.

Regardless of the cap you choose, moisture build up inside is a thing. Carpet lining minimizes that some and provides some insulation value compared to a bare interior. The bare interior can get wet enough to actually drip water on you unless you leave a window cracked.

Locks on a cap only keep the "honest" thieves, regardless of the latch style for the rear hatch or side opening hatches. If you want to greatly reduce the temptation of a break in, out of sight is out of mind is the rule to live by. Either have solid side hatches that give no way for one to look in or install something to block the view in. Curtains or window stickers with the hole pattern in them that give you some ability to look out but greatly reduces an outsider's ability to look in. Another option is to build a platform in the bed with drawers and pull out panels for storage.

The Ranger bed isn't really that big. So building a bed on one side and a storage system on the other really isn't an option like it is in a full size truck with a 8' bed. You can do it but the walk way will be narrow and would be a significant loss of storage space. With a 6' bed, the platform will give the most flexibility. You could also install hatches above the drawers for access to what is in them but don't forget about the space in front of and behind the wheel wells. Prime space for cubby storage that you can have removable covers over or you can build small cabinets along the sides over the wheel wells for even more storage.

Either way, you want to get yourself up off the bed floor. You can loose a lot of body heat laying directly on the floor unless you install insulation. The deck will accomplish that and give you storage you wouldn't otherwise have.

If you have the Supercrew cab, the bed is even shorter and you will need to sleep at an angle unless you are pretty short. I'm 5' 9" and found it uncomfortable. The platform is going to be pretty much the only place you would be able to store anything and still have room to lay down.

Speaking of windows, get the front slider, if you can, and install some window screen with some velcro for more airflow and keeping the bugs out.

As far as brand, until recently, I thought Leer was pretty decent. I've had their caps in the past as liked them. My current one has been a disappointment. A lot of loose fasteners allowing water to leak. The lift gate struts started failing almost immediately as well. The seal between the bed and the cap has been leaking as well. I think that is more of an installer issue than manufacturer. And the wiring for the power block connector was not weather tight and it corroded, killing power to the block.

The Jason cap on my 2011 has been trouble free. I haven't had the other brands to make any kind of comment. Prepare for sticker shock though. Prices had almost doubled between 2011 and 2019. I paid $1,800 for the Jason with a front slider, reinforced roof, and a roof rack in 2011. I paid about $3,000 for a Leer about half the size ( 1' shorter in length and maybe about half the height due to the high bed sides) with the similar features. If you go used, finding a cap that fits might be a tall order because of the before mentioned high bed sides and the profile of the cab. I doubt there are many used caps out there since the trucks are still relatively new and bed caps are generally not a popular option now days.

Thank you Sgtsandman! I really appreciate your sharing your experience.