camper shell info, for new hunting truck

baltz526 · 02-15-2007, 03:59 PM

i need a cab height shell, for them 3 or 4 night quick trips for chukar, spring bear, scouting. my demands are pretty simple, no dripping from condensation on bare metal or fiberglass surfaces. anyone know of a place or manufacturer with something like this. any ideas on the perfect drip free shell.

Applegate · 02-15-2007, 05:28 PM

Crack yer' window open.

I don't know how else to keep the condensation away.

adobe wall · 02-15-2007, 06:03 PM

Baltz my old hunting buddy KillerB and I used to head to eastern NC to hunt and trap each December.

One year, we figured we could get twice the stuff in the truck if we made a platform in the bed of the pickup that was level with the sides of the bed. Gear went under it, our sleeping bags on top. My nose was almost touching the top of the camper shell.

We ended up with some very cold weather the first night- in the teens- and there was no condensation at all. Only problem was that we were covered in frost!

I'd recommend you buy any shell you like for you vehicle and if you can't find any insulation, maybe I can point you in the right direction. If you go to a place that installs car stereos there is sound insulation that should work, black foam with adhesive on one side. To really work well against condensation you'll need some kind of cloth liner on top of the insulation.

hth, aw

baltz526 · 02-15-2007, 07:21 PM

i think most trips i'll set a cot up inside the shell with a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet on the floor. at the front will be a permanent shelf with a access to the cab. for my wifes rat dogs to travel with us.

alaskan · 02-16-2007, 07:51 AM

I had a LEER brand shell on my 2001SD. It had the carpet like insulation on the inside and I never had any problems with condensation. As was noted, make sure to crack a window or two to get air moving.

Artwo · 02-16-2007, 09:56 AM

I sleep in the back of my truck a lot hunting and scouting. My shell also has carpet on the inside and does not condensate at all.

JK

earlybird007 · 02-16-2007, 01:21 PM

Washington Hunter · 02-16-2007, 01:28 PM

My canopy is cab height at the front, but slopes up towards the back so it's close to a foot higher in the back. Gives a lot more room if you're in there sleeping on a cot. I got two cots from a company out of Spokane, Washington, that fit side by side in the back of my truck. A regular cot will not work because the wheel well gets in the say of the middle leg. But these cots only have legs on the ends. They worked out great for my brother and I sleeping in the back of my truck on a deer hunting trip. It's nice sometimes to not have to set up any kind of permanent camp. That way you're free to hunt different areas each day, and sleep right where you want to hunt in the morning. Works especially good for scouting before the season.

baltz526 · 02-16-2007, 02:17 PM

are these all leer shells, or is it available in multipal brands

AtItAgain · 02-16-2007, 02:30 PM

I recently bought a SnugTop canopy. More money but also more insulation. It looks like it is part of the truck and it is the same heigth as the cab. It has a third brake light and an interior light. Also, the insulation is all covered in a felt or carpet type material.

Good luck!

dog · 02-16-2007, 04:09 PM

Baltz, go to the leer pickup canopies website or any other name canopy for that matter. You can literally build your own with options/types etc. gazore. You can at least see TOTALLY what is available in a size that will fit your particular model of truck. This is not an endorsement of Leer, only an example as you can do this with other manufacturers too. I'm in the process of researching canopies right now myself which is where i have been doing my research. If interested in a Leer, All American Canopies is the only place around here that carries them. Good luck!!!

baltz526 · 02-16-2007, 05:31 PM

that is my plan, once i get brand feedback.

Old Coot · 02-16-2007, 06:17 PM

I hate to sound like an echo, but I've had Leers for about 12 years, and no problems. The first one was on a Ranger and I currently have one on an F250. I have had dampness inside a couple of times, but I live on the west side (WET side) of the mountains and almost never close the front window of the canopy. I think they are a good value for the money.

OC

baltz526 · 02-16-2007, 06:46 PM

how about durability, i have seen many fiberglass canopies over the years with failure of the rear glass/door area. and can i install a rack on top for tent poles

WaterDog · 02-16-2007, 07:24 PM

Here is one option. Saw them at the Sportsman Show. Looks like a decent unit.

http://www.bestbuiltproducts.com/

baltz526 · 02-16-2007, 07:56 PM

out of my price range, but interesting

alaskan · 02-19-2007, 12:48 PM

Another helpful hint. If the new Ford has the plastic cap on the top of the bedrails like my 01 did, make sure you pull them up and install some kind of sealer under the edges before you put hte cap on. I had a hard time trying to find where the water was coming in on my truck until a friend pointed out having the same problem and how it was fixed

HOGGEMIN · 02-19-2007, 01:09 PM

Try out the Gem top outfitter is has the carpet insulation and is a steel canopy with aluminum frame work. these are very tough.

baltz526 · 02-19-2007, 04:09 PM

i know a guy with a gemtop, i'll see if he will let me check it out.

Hawk · 02-19-2007, 04:42 PM

I got an A.R.E. from the place next to SW in Portland. Very nice caps. Mine has the full lift up rear gate, with the tinted walk through rear door. It is cab high at the front, then steps up about 6", so the inside is very roomy. I like it alot. The only thing I don't like, which is going to be true of any cap, is that rain will run down into the bed area when the rear window/gate is raised.

cwh · 02-22-2007, 09:30 PM

Baltz, I ended up picking up a canopy for the drive up to AK. I found one for $300 used on craigslist. It's in perfect shape, but doesn't have the liner. The one I borrowed before did have the liner, and it was nice. I think they are both Leers. I have slept in the back of the truck with the liner in the canopy, and it worked fine, although I did crack the window. When I haul the dogs in the back of the unlined one, the condensation does build up unless I leave the windows open.

hunt2much · 02-25-2007, 10:11 AM

Another vote for A.R.E. at canopy corner across from Spts Whrs. I love mine. Much better than a sleeping on the ground in a tent, especially this year in the driving rain of washingtons archery elk season.

SlamminKokes · 02-25-2007, 01:00 PM

Richard, head to the Sportsmans Show this weekend and im sure youll get lots of ideas there! They have all sorts of canopies to look at!

pksgundogs · 02-25-2007, 08:11 PM

For quick trips or where I cant take the Lance camper, I have a CanBak offroad canvas top for my SD. It has a stainless steel framework that bolts together, and a Sunbrella marine canvas top with the ability to roll up the sides and back. I have had it for 5 years and it hasnt leaked. I use a military cot, foam pad, sleeping bag, and GoreTex bivy sack and am never cold. I like this set up since I can put it on or off by myself. If I was going to have a permanent canopy on my truck, it would definitely be a commercial grade, steel GemTop.

Hunt'nFish · 02-26-2007, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AtItAgain

I recently bought a SnugTop canopy. More money but also more insulation. It looks like it is part of the truck and it is the same heigth as the cab. It has a third brake light and an interior light. Also, the insulation is all covered in a felt or carpet type material.
Good luck!

I also have a Snug Top on the toyota and the carpet inside keeps kills the condesation issue. I think any fiberglass shell with carpet would do you fine. Personally I like the extra height on mine.

Can't comment on the Alum Gem Tops w/ foam sprayed inside.
Hunt'nFish

baltz526 · 05-25-2007, 08:21 PM

i now have the truck, so i'm deciding. are there dealers with units in stock in the eugene to salem area. i'm all for instant gratification. i also need to be in the lebanon area soon

Hookset · 05-25-2007, 10:18 PM

Generaly speaking, if you want a canopy to match your paint, it's always a custom order and a 6 - 8 week wait. Of course you may get lucky but you'll need to start calling and willing to travel.

I put a steel Gem top cab high with carpet insulation on my old truck and that worked well. My current Dodge full size has an Astro fibergalsss that slopes up about 4 inches and with the carpeted liner. I really like the extra room the taller canopy has over the cab high model, it helps when sleeping in the back with a cot where I used to have to keep my head ducked down and now I can almost sit completly upright. The carpeted liner is a must to keep the inside from sweating when sleeping in the back.

As for brands, these all seem well made; A.R.E., Leer and Glasstight.

have fun shopping,

Gregg

RoscoeP · 05-25-2007, 10:41 PM

I would also vote for the Gem Top. I had one on my Toyota for 6 years with no problems at all. Carpeted on the inside. Gem Top matched my paint perfectly too.

baltz526 · 05-26-2007, 06:16 AM

my neighbor has a glasstite for sale $350 with carpet and rear door on rails. it came off a 95 f250 lb. but finding fit charts is imposible. it's green

SandyRiverFisher · 05-26-2007, 07:36 AM

6-8 weeks?

I just got done shopping for a canopy. All brands i looked at were 2-3 weeks out for whatever you wanted in custom matched paint. I got a leer with frameless glass windows, carpet headliner, removable front window, interior dome light, and matched paint. It was on my truck in less than three weeks.

Hey baltz, many canopy dealers will loan you an aluminum canopy while yours is being ordered. No reason to settle for less than you want or need, and you can still get something on your truck to use while you wait.

baltz526 · 05-26-2007, 05:25 PM

before i order a new one, i'll try to find a used one that fits, what have people paid for new ones. i might have a leed on a good one, but it's maroon in color $750

Hookset · 05-26-2007, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SandyRiverFisher

6-8 weeks?

All brands i looked at were 2-3 weeks out for whatever you wanted in custom matched paint.

My dad recently purchased a new canopy for a new truck and he waited almost 7 weeks. When I purchased my canopy it took 6 weeks. More the likely this had to do with the brand since Astro was hard to find in Oregon.

So if you can get one in 2 -3 weeks, good for you.