2019 Truck cap/topper/camper shell thread

[Gondul]

Into the cab is a great idea......(light bulb went off)

If you can figure out a nice clean way to do it, write it up!

 

[Gondul]

Like LateToTheParty, I changed my third brake light assembly. I had the CHMSL and Surround camera. I left the CHMSL camera plugged in and tucked it into the cab hole. My surround works with no problems.

The reason I swapped mine out is because the plastic housing broke and started to leak badly into the cab. (I don't think there is a good leak). It you take your truck off road, you may want to consider the swap with a low profile third brake light assembly. It seems the truck flexed enough to allow the canopy to hit the third brake light with CHMSL. I was not wheeling that hard for it to happen.

I don't recall how much space you said you had, but it wasn't a lot from what I recall...

 

[Rogue 2500]

I don't recall how much space you said you had, but it wasn't a lot from what I recall...

I had 3/4" when the light was broken.

Broken Third Brake Light

Well, this sucks! Went to the car wash and there was water all over my back seat. I went straight to my dealer and we looked at it. Noticed my third brake light is broken on the top two corners. It is weird, I don't see how this could happen. I don't do any extreme off roading. I had a canopy...

hdrams.com

After I swapped out the third brake light, I also backed the canopy off another 1/4".

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Good looking trucks here.

Placed an order for an ARE Overland topper today. They said 10-12 weeks. I’ll report back with current lead times and pics.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Still have a few weeks left before my topper shows up, but I have a question for you topper guys.

Having somebody do wiring on my truck stresses me out just thinking about it. I saw a .pdf of a release by ARE or Leer that had the third brake light tap under the driver door sill. I don’t want the topper guys that far into my truck running wires.

where are you guys tapping in for third brake lights on the topper? I could go to the brake light circuit behind the tail light, that seems the easiest. But, is there a better location already on the truck?

 

[steve49]

I had the dealer install the shell and I did my own wiring. On my 2019 there is a single brake light wire with loom over the end of it just above the spare tire, closest to the back bumper where I tapped in for the third brake light. My ARE shell has the locking handle so I tapped into the door lock wires as stated in the ARE install sheet, under drivers side sill. I also ran 12v hot and ground directly from the drivers side battery into the bed for accessories.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

I had the dealer install the shell and I did my own wiring. On my 2019 there is a single brake light wire with loom over the end of it just above the spare tire, closest to the back bumper where I tapped in for the third brake light. My ARE shell has the locking handle so I tapped into the door lock wires as stated in the ARE install sheet, under drivers side sill. I also ran 12v hot and ground directly from the drivers side battery into the bed for accessories.

Thanks, sir. The brake light wire you reference, is it connected to the trailer harness or tail lights? Or is it specifically for adding a topper? I’ll look for that wire this afternoon.

 

[steve49]

Lower you spare and then look at the group of wires that would be just about where the sidewall of the tire is. In those wires there was a single wire that sticks out of a loom an inch and a half or so. It has a loom of sorts over it and I think something like a rubber sleeve on the end. That should be it, you can test with a test light.

 

[LateToTheParty]

I too was leery, but after talking with the guys who installed mine, they referenced the same blunt cut wires and showed me the pigtail they would be running. After that, I was confident enough to let them do it, but had originally intended to do myself.

All 6 locks on mine are keyed, so I didn't have to worry about anyone tapping the door lock wires.

 

[jadmt]

I used the one that comes with it under the spare. it is a white wire with purple stripe. It is taped to another bundle of wires with white tape or at least it was on my 2020. it has black cap on the single wire. it was simple as can be to wire it to your topper brake light.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Bingo. Thanks you guys rock.

 

[el_barto]

Anyone running a shell that has barn doors or a lift gate (eliminating tailgate)??

I am Interested in the Snugtop Outback or an ARE DCU with barndoors, but I’m concerned about loosing my rear view camera. The ARE and Snugtop websites mention camera relocation, just not sure exactly how this is done...

My truck has the Surround View which I don’t know if that makes things more complicated or not.

 

[Danny]

No sure if this is the right form. Does anyone else have problems with water leaks? I have a 2020 ram with a ARE CX revo. Fully done up with all the extras power lock and led strips power inverter. Great looking top. It has the curved rear glass door which doesn’t seal up that well. Ive been back to the installer 3 times. It leaks a bunch from the front rail side rails rear door.

 

[Gondul]

My ARE MX leaked like a sieve... I had make a bunch of mods on my own to get it to seal better.
While the installer was helpful, ARE was pretty useless... for what I paid, I expected better, the old Z I had on my Dakota has ZERO leaks.

This was the gap at the edges... I shaped some Kydex and used some plastic epoxy glue it into place to fill in the 'triangle' gap along with some some extra weather stripping along the inside.
Also there is no gasket between the plastic and the aluminum door frame, it is just riveted into place... so I used some black RTV to fill and seal that gap and cut up a silicone cutting mat to have a real gasket on the T Handle.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Man I hope mine doesn’t leak. Supposedly my installer leak tests them after install

 

[Danny]

My ARE MX leaked like a sieve... I had make a bunch of mods on my own to get it to seal better.
While the installer was helpful, ARE was pretty useless... for what I paid, I expected better, the old Z I had on my Dakota has ZERO leaks.

This was the gap at the edges... I shaped some Kydex and used some plastic epoxy glue it into place to fill in the 'triangle' gap along with some some extra weather stripping along the inside.
Also there is no gasket between the plastic and the aluminum door frame, it is just riveted into place... so I used some black RTV to fill and seal that gap and cut up a silicone cutting mat to have a real gasket on the T Handle.

Yeah ARE is worthless they told me that their tops are for water management not to be waterproof. The installer told me that water can leak under the factory plastic bed rail covers. Also told me that they would have to remove the factory bed rail supports to move the c clamp forward. The picture is from just sitting in the rain not even driving and that much comes in.

 

[Gondul]

Man I hope mine doesn’t leak. Supposedly my installer leak tests them after install

They are just across the bay from me, but it's still a waste of time IMO... It was just easier for me to 'fix' myself...
Still isn't perfect, but it is a damned sight better.,

 

[Gondul]

Yeah ARE is worthless they told me that their tops are for water management not to be waterproof. The installer told me that water can leak under the factory plastic bed rail covers. Also told me that they would have to remove the factory bed rail supports to move the c clamp forward. The picture is from just sitting in the rain not even driving and that much comes in.

My installer literally used clay to fill the gap for the transition from the side rails to the front and then used a rather large 'bulb' type weather stripping to minimize that leakage along the front of the bed.

 

[Rockcrawlindude]

Wow. I’m going to continue to have faith in my installer and just pretend I didn’t read this thread.

I already decided I wouldn’t let them touch the wiring... wondering now if I should get my $150 installation money back and just pick it up on a pallet.

 

[Danny]

My installer literally used clay to fill the gap for the transition from the side rails to the front and then used a rather large 'bulb' type weather stripping to minimize that leakage along the front of the bed.

Yeah mine did too. It has 4 strips of the foam in the front and the clay/tar stuff. The last time I went in he loaded up the rear with the clay and we readjusted the rear window. Still leaks like crazy. I may buy some garage door rubber weather stripping and try that. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that if I want it to not leak I have to figure it out.