So, like anything, there’s pros and cons to it all. I’ve gone different ways at different times with this stuff, mainly to suit my needs.
My first Ranger (blue 2000) I put an aluminum cap on with ladder racks. At the time, I couldn’t get a fiberglass cap with a ladder rack and working construction I needed to carry stuff longer than the bed somewhat often, plus the aluminum cap was more my price range at the time. They can be locked, but they really aren’t all that secure. Really though, locks are only good to keep honest people honest and the casual thief at bay.
Years later I ended up going with a soft tonneau cover on it because I needed an open bed for hauling stuff. My green 2000 started with a soft tonneau and I ended up putting my old aluminum cap back on because I needed dry, lockable bed space. My 92 ended up with the tonneau. I was intending to switch that when my green Ranger got back together, but now that the 92 is wrecked I’m undecided what’s going to happen.
My F-150 I went with ladder rack and side boxes because it was my construction work truck and I needed a place to put things. Rack for long stuff, 8’ of open bed for hauling and side boxes for the most dry, lockable storage I could. In my opinion, it’s still a bunch of poor compromises. There’s often not enough toolbox space, the rack is pretty high, and sometimes the side boxes get in the way of what you’re trying to haul. But, it worked and was about the best option beyond running a utility body or custom building something for what I was using it for.
Dad runs a fiberglass cap on his, for the most part it suits his needs well. We have a small trailer so when dad needs to move something that doesn’t fit in the bed with the cap, he uses the trailer. Or my F-150 or sends me, lol.
Some fiberglass caps are reinforced and can have ladder racks, but they really aren’t supposed to be loaded very heavy. But they are quieter in rain and better about not raining on you. By that I mean, I’ve slept in my aluminum cap before and in the right weather conditions (damp and cold) the water vapor from breathing will condense on the inside and drip on you.
Of course, sometimes that can happen in a tent too. I’ve mostly done tent camping, bought an air mattress and that’s a lot nicer than just being in the ground. The overlanding rooftop or bed top campers would be nice, you could have something approaching a real mattress and be up off the ground in case of rain, but I need at least one truck with an open bed around. Might not be an issue in your case. Another thought to keep in mind is that the more weight and the higher you put it, the more top-heavy you become which means you have to adjust your driving accordingly if you don’t want to end up wrong side up.
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