Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Truck toppers, canopies or whateverr you call them

Need a topperfor the new pickup- Looking mostly at Leer and ARE- can't see much difference- Have read some reviews, each have a couple of nay sayers, most other rave about whichever one they have.
Opinions?

I just picked up an ARE canopy for my truck and so far it has been great. What's the price difference between the ARE and Leer?

I highly recommend one that's higher than the cab. You wouldn't believe how much that extra space is worth sometimes, whether you sleep in it or not.

Mine is the mx series which is higher than the cab but not full on old dude super wedge.

I did have the canopy place install a small led rope light down the middle of the canopy that runs on the same switch as the dome light. Pretty nice to have light all the way to the front of the canopy. The rope light has velcro that sticks to the canopy carpet. So far so good. Rock Chuck is right about the slightly taller canopy for extra room if you don't mind the look. I have an easily removable OSMB sleeping shelf that rests on the canopy/truck bed rails. Pretty nice to have a warm dry place to sleep if necessary and I can put coolers and stuff underneath the shelf.

I have had both. I have an ARE Fiberglass on my Dodge.

I put the old style aluminum on my F150 work truck.

I would just go with the best price.

Very pleased with my aluminum Lifetime Workmate work shell. Easy access all around.

I've had Leer and Snugtop. I have a Snugtop on the current truck and would give the edge to Snugtop over Leer but only by a bit. They can get spendy when you start adding options.

One thing to consider when choosing a topper is get one that doesn't pour rain inside the bed when you open it or have it open.

Some do ... some don't.

I have an entry level ARE on my truck. I'm happy with it. I never cared for the ones that were taller than the cab...dad and grandfather both had them....always looked funny to me.

We all have our own ideas of what a truck should be. I figure that a truck is a work vehicle. If I want to load more stuff in it, a high shell is invaluable. I really don't care if it looks different. The last one I had was tall enough to load an ATV if I winched it in. I didn't have to take it off during hunting season to take the ATV and pull a camp trailer.

I have the top of the line ARE Z- series on a 2011 duramax. I have had to replace the lock/latch (under warranty) and have small but persistent troubles with water intrusion around the seals of the back glass. I also have a horrendous dust intrusion problem, but that's the fault of the bed design, with large open spaces that lead to the wheel wells. I taped it all up with gorilla tape and installed a tailgate seal and that helped a bunch, but 3 years later the tape needs to be redone. The cap looks great, but the water issue is aggravating.

I have an ARE on my Tacoma. I recommend the opening side window option. It's great when retrieving or placing things deep in the bed.
I was having a horrible dust problem but bought a gasket that does a decent job at sealing around the tailgate. I then went to Lowe's and bought some weatherstripping and placed it on the inside and at the bottom of the camper door which seals dust out there, too. it's not perfect but it's a whole lot better than before.

Find one on Craigslist that fits your truck and you will save a ton of money, even if you decide to get it painted to match. The price of a new camper shell or tonneau is absolutely nuts.

Snugtop has a channel on the rear window to prevent the water from coming in. I also recommend getting the taller than cab version for more room

I have an ARE on my Silverado and when it rains I get a little water inside the tail gate. It also has a bunch of hairline cracks in the fiberglass. The paint on the bottom ledge (aluminum I think) has peeled off in spots too. It has been on for 6 years.

I have been using Unicover for over 15 years with no problems. They are cheaper than Leer and have held up extremely well. I have taken 2 back windows out, backing unto the garage with the topper open, replaced the doors and kept right on going. They also fit correctly and I have never had leaking issues. The left is my 2008 Dodge, the right the 2012, both with the Unicover which I would highly recommend...

I'm unhappy with my Leer. The rear door flashing is held on with double sided foam tape and it falls off. I replaced it with pipe insulation. The Leer was 1/3 again the price of the ARE, and it looks the same quality. As for the extra height ,I would have gone with the higher one for my Tacoma, but they usually don't fit thru a garage door height wise. Fine if you keep your truck outside. I don't.

I have a century which is the cheap leer line.

get both side windows that open an double lock handles on the back.
it seems to be standing up, but keep the locks lubed...

ps. add a hard tined rake too. its handy for pulling and pushing stuff in the front.

when I built my garage, I used an 8' high door exactly for that sort of thing.

7 foot doors should be outlawed......

Yeah, it just won't clear my small forklift, either.

Any new opinions on ARE vs LEER? Looking to put a top on my new Silverado. Pretty close to the same money around here.

I have a Leer that I got off Craigslist for around $500. The ARE's are much the same in my opinion. I'd just get whichever is cheaper and more convenient. I've been really pleased with it. It gives me a place to get out of the weather when it gets nasty and keeps gear secure. I've found a stall mat in the bed is an excellent liner.

From a trip this Spring:

dealer had both i saw no difference other than the rear door on the lear has two handle latch and the ARE has a single center latch. i ended up with the cheapest leer.

I just ordered a leer for my '14 Ram. I tried the toneau cover. I've had it for a year now and I hate it. I guess I'll try to list on craigslist or something.

Leer ran a State Fair special. It comes with a carpeted roof and front removable slider to reach beer.

I have an entry level ARE that I bought for $300 off craigslist. I'm not crazy about the way a truck with a topper looks but it's hard to beat the versatility and on the rare occasion I need to put something in the bed that is tall or interferes with the topper it's easy enough for 2 guys to lift it off.

I have a LEER on my Dodge 1500. It has the rear window that opens and locks with a single latch. Had it for 2 years now, not a single problem with it so far.
If you hunt or travel with a dog, especially in wet weather, it is a near must, IMO.

I bought a Raider for 300 bucks on Craigslist. I hate campers, but they do serve a purpose. I leave mine off until I need it...the color doesnt match, but for my purposes, who cares.

I bought this new just a few days after buying the truck new in 2007. The brand is Stellar. Dealer said it was made by Leer, but was their budget line sold under another name. No bells or whistles, but it has been solid for 8 years now. It was a few hundred dollars less than one with Leer on the tag.

It hasn't been off the truck since it was put on. I loosen the clamps and slide it back about twice a year to clean between the cab and front of the cap, but that is it.

I have had three trucks with tonneau covers on, now on my second truck with an ARE shell on. I haven't needed to take the shell off except when moving from one truck to the new truck after re painting. The front window tilts to allow cleaning of the back truck window and the shell window. I have slept in it many times when needed and wouldn't have a truck with out one.

I think either brand you mentioned will make you happy. There are a lot of features to consider like sliding windows vs. flip-up, slider vs. solid window on the cab end, height, etc. I've had Leers on my last 2 trucks. You will save a lot of money if you're patient and look for a good used one. I looked for about 2 months to find what I wanted in the right color. Craigslist was where I found most of the used ones.

Did anyone get the removable front window for cleaning? It is a $125 option. I think I will get the driver side window that opens for side access to the bed.

I have the front swing in window option on the ARE. It doesn't leak or anything, but I have only used it a few times in the past 4 years. I guess I just don't climb in there and wash the back glass that much.

Yes. It was part of the deal on the "state fair special" the dealer was running.

Is it helpful or a waste?

This^^^^^^^^ can be a bit of a pain in the ---. Depends on what your uses for it are.

I'll second the craigslist idea, find one for your truck and save $$$. You might even get lucky like I did and find one that matches your truck color exactly. I'm not an "appearances" tpye of guy but it does look nice, very similar to the green Tundra pics (mine's a Tacoma, same color). I was thinking I was gonna find a red one that would clash, but Rustoleum would fix that (except for Shrapnel, who it would appear really likes red truck/camper combos )

Those pics with the rear window up give a good idea of the way water could pour into the camper shell when wet.

Someone mentioned a rake for getting stuff out. I found a 6 ft boat hook on the road near a boat ramp and it sits perfectly right on the "shelf" formed by the bed rail. Handiest thing I've ever found maybe. Pulls the truck box I keep in there right to me. Straw bales, etc too.

Good luck with your search.

Geno

I've never cleaned it. I wouldn't pay extra for it. But it was part of the deal done didn't argue.

uhh, OK....I dunno if it saved $$$ or not, but it cost $200.

picked up a leer this weekend.

Got the topper put on today

Nice looking rig, Duckster.

Thanks.

I put a Bedrug bedmat in the back and am anxious to try that out. Has more padding than I thought so we have a quick hunting trip this weekend and I think I will just sleep in the back rather than tenting.

Bedrug and topper work great for sleeping in the bed. With these shorter beds, you do have to sleep diagonally, so really only room for 1 guy unless you are about 5'9" or less

Ordered the tailgate seal kit from Cabela's to help minimize road dust, works pretty well and not too expensive