No Topper Advice

johnr

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This is smokey bear, over. Rachet straps, bungie cords, and gorilla tape, over.
 


Up Y'oars

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Ratchet straps are only covering/protecting so much. You just have to break down and get the 'special deal' by getting the topper earlier. There's snow, dirt/dust, theft, etc. to worry about. If you have a dog? Gotta Gotta.

I have the A.R.E. brand and have the swing up windows on the sides. My F-150 has the pop out step so I can access anything on the sides of the box without crawling inside. I also built a handmade shelf about 20" wide that goes across side-to-side and supported from the box bed below. I keep my smaller flat rubbermaid tubs in there with necessity contents (e.g. one has battery cables, tow strap, binoculars, roadway triangles, first aid kit, etc.). I finished the shelf off with some wood quarter-round so everything stays atop the shelf.
 

LBrandt

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Make sure you get the tip in front window makes it easy to keep clean, I sure like mine that way.
 

Fish whisperer

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I don't use a topper since I pull gooseneck trailers but I'm wondering if you couldn't build a "cheap" plywood box to put in the back end for hunting that would get you thru until you can afford the new topper with all the bells and whistles?
 


Bed Wetter

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Did I catch a 'niner' in there?

I too want a pickup with a topper. It's almost like having a van, and I hear vans are pretty sweet. Maybe you should buy a van.
 

JCNodak

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I actually just priced out an ARE topper for my new Chevy. $2,300. Ouch. I have never had a topper. are Leer's more?
 

guywhofishes

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I actually just priced out an ARE topper for my new Chevy. $2,300. Ouch. I have never had a topper. are Leer's more?

1. pay close attention to the way the back door of any topper mates with the top of today's wide tailgates (the whale's tail)
2. then wonder what the engineers at Leer were thinking (smoking)
3. if you buy a Leer set aside some money for ruined clothes from contacting the wet muddy road-grimed whale's tail every time you access it

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what appears to be the truck's tailgate surface in the bottom pic is an extension of the single-piece fiberglass door that perfectly covers the trucks tailgate surface

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that ARE single locking handle is pretty slick too... two handled topper doors are for chumps ;)
 
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