2019 Truck cap/topper/camper shell thread

[SFAngus]

What size bed do you have? I have the 6'4 and my RSI has a "shelf" where the cap ends, and the tailgate continues. I don't see that on yours.

Can you post a photo of that?

 

[easye515]

This is what mine looks like. I have seen similar setups on their website. To bring it "back" more to make it flush would leave a gap at the front, so that clearly doesn't make sense to do.

 

[easye515]

I also found it amusing that the dealer I ordered it through quoted me a 10 hour install and 2 guys to do it. I opted to pick it up from them and do it myself. Had it assembled and installed in 2 hours (and it was 20 degrees out).

 

[SFAngus]

View attachment 14407
This is what mine looks like. I have seen similar setups on their website. To bring it "back" more to make it flush would leave a gap at the front, so that clearly doesn't make sense to do.

Hmm. Maybe it's just a different style tailgate?

I think yours is what mine will look like.

Good for you on the install... I've seen people report that it's doable, but it's a pain.

I am opting to have the shop do it for me because I know they've done a few already, so they know how to make it sit properly. I think they only quoted me two hours.

 

[easye515]

Hmm. Maybe it's just a different style tailgate?

I think yours is what mine will look like.

Good for you on the install... I've seen people report that it's doable, but it's a pain.

I am opting to have the shop do it for me because I know they've done a few already, so they know how to make it sit properly. I think they only quoted me two hours.

It was actually super easy to put together. A little tedious at times, but nothing overly complicated. I will say that like many other customers of theirs, I had to reach out to customer service and get the brake light harness sent to me which they forgot to put in the box, and get new keys for the locks (they sent the wrong ones). But their customer service team is amazing.

The topper itself is also amazing. I have had a topper on every truck I have owned to keep camping gear and work gear safe and dry, and this one blows them all out of the water.

 

[SFAngus]

It was actually super easy to put together. A little tedious at times, but nothing overly complicated. I will say that like many other customers of theirs, I had to reach out to customer service and get the brake light harness sent to me which they forgot to put in the box, and get new keys for the locks (they sent the wrong ones). But their customer service team is amazing.

The topper itself is also amazing. I have had a topper on every truck I have owned to keep camping gear and work gear safe and dry, and this one blows them all out of the water.

That's great to hear. How long did it take to get yours?

 

[easye515]

That's great to hear. How long did it take to get yours?

I think I hit it in the right time, I ordered just after Christmas and had it 7 days later.

 

[SFAngus]

I think I hit it in the right time, I ordered just after Christmas and had it 7 days later.

Yeah, I think I just missed it. As recently as February people were still getting them promptly.

I ordered mine in early March, and still no word on a delivery date.

 

[BigBoy2500]

I'm waiting impatiently for mine... when did you order it, and did you get it from a dealer or shipped directly to you?

I got it through a dealer. They had it the next day.

 

[BigBoy2500]

What size bed do you have? I have the 6'4 and my RSI has a "shelf" where the cap ends, and the tailgate continues. I don't see that on yours.

There is a “shelf” there. It sticks out an inch or two.

 

[easye515]

There is a “shelf” there. It sticks out an inch or two.

awesome. does the tailgate open and close without opening the top? Mine will open, but the gasket doesn't allow it to close. I know thats a feature they talked about, which I was kinda interested in. Not a deal breaker at all, just curious.

 

[BigBoy2500]

awesome. does the tailgate open and close without opening the top? Mine will open, but the gasket doesn't allow it to close. I know thats a feature they talked about, which I was kinda interested in. Not a deal breaker at all, just curious.

Mine is just like yours. Can open the tailgate but can’t close it with hatch closed.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

My topper arrived at my dealer today. Tomorrow would have been 17 weeks since I placed the order.

ARE overlander topper.

FYI: other ARE toppers were being delivered in shorter times but there was a supply chain issue with the “Bedliner” material that is applied on part of this topper.

getting installed tomorrow

 

[Will_T]

I have had an ARE on order for 10 weeks now. I was told 12 to 14 weeks when I ordered. I called just to check and was told ARE "is not getting any quicker" and I should expect it sometime in June. So for mine it looks like the best case delivery time will indeed be about what I was told when ordering.

 

[DMC1]

Probably gonna sell my topper now that the 5th wheel camper is here.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Ok so. I really like the look of my topper. It fits my truck well and seems overall well made.

but, This is my experience and I cannot speak for anyone else. If you don’t care about my opinion skip to the pics at the bottom

My ARE topper took 17 weeks from the day i ordered it until the time It was on my truck (today) and I paid over $2700 out the door

On delivery, my topper was missing the sliding window option. I ordered the fold down slider and I got a full fold down. I can live with that. My dealer issued a refund for the difference of the option I didn’t get. It’s not a deal breaker so I will not send it back or fight to get it fixed. I look at it as one less thing to leak.

Workmanship: there is paint on my windows inside my topper. There are areas that are sloppy looking where the bedliner was taped off and areas where the trim looks goobered up around the windows and trim.

I feel like it exhibits sloppy workmanship and it looks like it was rushed out the door even though it took ages to receive. My dealer says they were waiting on the bedliner material and that set them back 4-5 weeks.

next time I would certainly look at other brands.

overall the topper fits well and they water tested it and it seems about as weather resistant as I would expect it to be.

 

[Will_T]

On delivery, my topper was missing the sliding window option. I ordered the fold down slider and I got a full fold down.

It does look good, but wow, that is really bad. On my existing 20 year old shell I have the sliding fold down at the front. Over 20 years I have probably folded down the window for cleaning 20 times. I have opened and closed the slider thousands of times. Most of the time it was left open for ventilation. Yes it is one less thing to leak, but still, what a screw up on their part. I would have tried to get them to install the one with the mistake and then have them order me another one the way it was supposed to be built. Then when the correct one came in, have them remove the mistake and install what you ordered. It is ARE's mistake, they should step up and make it right.

I have seen complaints about sloppy finish and workmanship on all brands. Disappointing but unfortunately seems to be the accepted norm. But you should get what you ordered or they should make it right. I understand they probably will not, but they still should.

 

[Scooter29]

Does anyone have any experience with Fas-Top? I had a shell on my 1500 and it’s great for all the rain here in WA. But with the 3500 I ordered I don’t want the digital rear view and cargo cam to be useless with a hard shell. So this looks like a good idea of a soft topper when we need it and just a regular tonneau cover when we don’t plus we can still have full bed access also. https://www.fas-top.com/default.asp

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

It does look good, but wow, that is really bad. On my existing 20 year old shell I have the sliding fold down at the front. Over 20 years I have probably folded down the window for cleaning 20 times. I have opened and closed the slider thousands of times. Most of the time it was left open for ventilation. Yes it is one less thing to leak, but still, what a screw up on their part. I would have tried to get them to install the one with the mistake and then have them order me another one the way it was supposed to be built. Then when the correct one came in, have them remove the mistake and install what you ordered. It is ARE's mistake, they should step up and make it right.

I have seen complaints about sloppy finish and workmanship on all brands. Disappointing but unfortunately seems to be the accepted norm. But you should get what you ordered or they should make it right. I understand they probably will not, but they still should.

Workmanship and fit / finish has gone down across the board, unfortunately. I put a UWS toolbox on the truck when I first got it and it took two times returning it to get one that was “less sh***y” quality. I settled on the third box and it was still pretty junky. They used to make good toolboxes.

I don’t think I would have the slider much but I did order it based on the fact that the truck has a slider and possibly wanting a pass-through. I guess I’ll never know how much i would have used it. At least it has full slider windows with bug screens.

overall I’m happy with it. I de-badged it after this pic.

looking at the rhino racks to put crossbars on the topper

 

[Scooter29]

Does anyone have any experience with Fas-Top? I had a shell on my 1500 and it’s great for all the rain here in WA. But with the 3500 I ordered I don’t want the digital rear view and cargo cam to be useless with a hard shell. So this looks like a good idea of a soft topper when we need it and just a regular tonneau cover when we don’t plus we can still have full bed access also. https://www.fas-top.com/default.asp

Guess no one has used this before. But could someone help me out with this bed measurement for a standard 6’4” bed. I’d like to order before our truck arrives but the company asks for inside bed measurement. Thanks