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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:50:57 PM EDT
[#1]
I've been considering this myself.
I have to have a truck because I haul shit, so for me a camper shell is my only option, unless I want two separate vehicles which I don't |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:51:27 PM EDT
[#2]
If you need to haul cargo, the truck/shell. If you haul smaller cargo, and a few people, the SUV.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:54:16 PM EDT
[#3]
You can tell what part of the country someone is from based on what they call that item. I say camper shell.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:54:43 PM EDT
[#4]
I carry a ton of stuff in my Denali. If it won't fit inside, I have a trailer hitch.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:56:20 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted: You can tell what part of the country someone is from based on what they call that item. I say camper shell. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:57:19 PM EDT
[#6]
Camper
Of course, I went from an Excursion to this. Wes |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:58:31 PM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We call them toppers here. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
You can tell what part of the country someone is from based on what they call that item. I say camper shell. sounds like something a brit would say. Hey govenor can I get some catsup for my chips or a bag of crisps at least 
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Posted: 11/16/2013 2:58:59 PM EDT
[#8]
I like both. I prefer truck with camper shell, which is what I currently have. I like the fact that I can get the bed dirty, without messing up any carpet or nice interior.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:00:30 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We call them toppers here. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
You can tell what part of the country someone is from based on what they call that item. I say camper shell. IIRC, my current AO calls them "caps" |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:06:33 PM EDT
[#10]
"Camper shell" is so west coast. What makes it a camper? Because its just a fiberglass cap ;)
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:24:59 PM EDT
[#11]
I call them "toppers" as well. I was actually looking at some today. Tough decision, get a topper or Tonneau cover that is easily removable.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:27:57 PM EDT
[#12]
Well, with a camper top and sliding rear windows you can toss the beer cans in the bed to avoid both a littering and an open container charge.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:33:22 PM EDT
[#13]
I currently drive a single cab 4x4 tacoma so if I want to haul anything semi securely I'll have to get one. I've been leaning towards a leer 100r.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:36:02 PM EDT
[#14]
Topper
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:36:50 PM EDT
[#15]
Keep in mind also that if you're hauling something nasty, with a truck and topper you don't have to share the same enclosed space with it while driving.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:38:39 PM EDT
[#16]
I went thru this choice a last year. I bought a 4Runner.
I only have to haul stuff a few times per year. There's a Uhaul center about a mile from me, so I just rent a trailer for $20/day. I've hauled 16ft decking planks in my 4Runner. Just put down the rear seat, open the rear window, and slide them in. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:42:07 PM EDT
[#17]
Suv is a hell of a lot more useful, unless you are usually hauling stuff like ATVs and firewood.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 3:44:16 PM EDT
[#18]
I have a Bronco, so its kind of like I have both. The best and worst of both too.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:35:49 PM EDT
[#19]
Typically, once the shell is installed, it never comes off - The pickup spends the rest of its life as a SUV with really crappy 3rd-row seating accommodations.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:44:17 PM EDT
[#20]
I say SUV all the way.
Are you guys talking about these... 
or these? 
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:49:57 PM EDT
[#21]
With a camper shell you still can have a truck. With a SUV you just have a car that gets shitty mileage.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:49:59 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted:
What say the hive? Yes! I have an ARE camper shell. If you are not going to be using your truck to haul dirt and stuff like that I suggest one. Mine is similar to this. I can still haul stuff like lumber in there and I actually use the door more than the entire hatch. Keeping your stuff in there is way more secure than an open bed for sure! 
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:52:11 PM EDT
[#23]
3/4 ton Yukon XL here. I can haul full sheets of plywood and drywall in the back, and can haul 12' lengths of siding if I run it all the way up to the dashboard. Anything longer, I have it delivered.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:53:28 PM EDT
[#24]
Leer shell owner here, I love it.
I wish I had a tall garage thought so I could get e ceiling mount shell lifting/storage system. Then it would be perfect |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:54:11 PM EDT
[#25]
Ive owned both full size truck 1500 & 2500 with campr shells and SUV's (Suburban & Expeditions)..Problem with a shell is they are pain to remove..SUV is equal in my eyes.. A trailer is for hauling, a truck not so much unless its a few fishing poles, maybe a canoe, or a few square bales of hay..
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:55:43 PM EDT
[#26]
Whether one calls it a camper,cap,or topper it has it's good points on a truck.
I cannot tell you how many nights camping I slept in the back of a single cab Toyota or Isuzu P/U truck camping or deer hunting. Not so easy in a Suv. My current 2009 Frontier has no camper shell but I would buy one in a heartbeat over owning a Suv. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:58:15 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I carry a ton of stuff in my Denali. Durango If it won't fit inside, I have a trailer hitch. Can carry much more on a trailer than a pickup anyway, SUV FTW. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 7:59:23 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
or these? That's a slide-in camper, not a camper shell. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 8:02:27 PM EDT
[#29]
I say get both! I have a Suburban and a 2500HD Duramax with a shell. Both can fit my family of five just fine for now with all three kids in carseats, so it just depends on what I'm hauling behind me.
Another option is a soft sided shell. Basically just a framework and canvas. I had one on my other crew cab back in the day. Made it nice if I needed to keep stuff dry one day and haul a goose neck the next. I no longer have the need to haul such big trailers so I parted with the truck a while back. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 8:45:09 PM EDT
[#30]
Cargo needing protection, occasional overnight shelter, camper shell. People, SUV. It's hell cleaning blood, mud, bark and sap out of an SUV carpeted or not, it only takes a hose and cleaner of choice with a topper. Cots or air matresses smoke folded down seats anyday for sleeping.
I hate a topper on a truck most times, but they can be extremely useful, need a hoist setup for easy removal to maintain the utility of the vehicle. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 8:47:16 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Can carry much more on a trailer than a pickup anyway, SUV FTW. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I carry a ton of stuff in my Denali. Durango If it won't fit inside, I have a trailer hitch. Can carry much more on a trailer than a pickup anyway, SUV FTW. Trailers are a serious P.I.T.A. off-road, and scream stuff worth stealing at every stop. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 8:47:43 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That's a slide-in camper, not a camper shell. Quote HistoryQuoted:
That's a slide-in camper, not a camper shell. Got it, thanks. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 8:51:23 PM EDT
[#33]
Canopy is most common here. I bought my truck with a canopy a few years ago and promptly took it off. I've used it like 3 times. Great for road trips/camping, otherwise I hate them.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:05:11 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Canopy is most common here. I bought my truck with a canopy a few years ago and promptly took it off. I've used it like 3 times. Great for road trips/camping, otherwise I hate them. Yeh, I hated mine, too - Blind spots-o-plenty, and retrieving anything that wasn't near the tailgate required crawling inside the shell. Ended up getting rid of it. A lockable bed cover is the way to go, IMO - Gives you some secure storage, but still leaves the bed free for hauling bulky stuff. Mine is a Retrax Pro retractable cover. Looks sort of like this one: 
It's pricy, but very solid - The slats are powder-coated aluminum extrusions, and ride on roller bearings. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:06:30 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: We call them toppers here. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: You can tell what part of the country someone is from based on what they call that item. I say camper shell. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:08:23 PM EDT
[#36]
It's called a topper and you talk funny.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:12:26 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yeh, I hated mine, too - Blind spots-o-plenty, and retrieving anything that wasn't near the tailgate required crawling inside the shell. Ended up getting rid of it. A lockable bed cover is the way to go, IMO - Gives you some secure storage, but still leaves the bed free for hauling bulky stuff. Mine is a Retrax Pro retractable cover. Looks sort of like this one: http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/3893/rghs.jpg It's pricy, but very solid - The slats are powder-coated aluminum extrusions, and ride on roller bearings. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Canopy is most common here. I bought my truck with a canopy a few years ago and promptly took it off. I've used it like 3 times. Great for road trips/camping, otherwise I hate them. Yeh, I hated mine, too - Blind spots-o-plenty, and retrieving anything that wasn't near the tailgate required crawling inside the shell. Ended up getting rid of it. A lockable bed cover is the way to go, IMO - Gives you some secure storage, but still leaves the bed free for hauling bulky stuff. Mine is a Retrax Pro retractable cover. Looks sort of like this one: http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/3893/rghs.jpg It's pricy, but very solid - The slats are powder-coated aluminum extrusions, and ride on roller bearings. Mine is a contractor style with the side opening windows, so getting stuff near the front isn't so bad. I remember going to bed once while camping totally shitfaced, a few minute later I sat up, opened the side window and puked all over, it was awesome
I also hate how they make the cab dark. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:14:10 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
around here they're known as a canopy. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
You can tell what part of the country someone is from based on what they call that item. I say camper shell. Yeah, no kiddin. I didn't know WTF a camper shell was. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:17:38 PM EDT
[#39]
I have both. A truck with a shell, and one without.
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:19:12 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Cargo needing protection, occasional overnight shelter, camper shell. People, SUV. It's hell cleaning blood, mud, bark and sap out of an SUV carpeted or not, it only takes a hose and cleaner of choice with a topper. Cots or air matresses smoke folded down seats anyday for sleeping. I hate a topper on a truck most times, but they can be extremely useful, need a hoist setup for easy removal to maintain the utility of the vehicle. This, if you need an open bed very often. SUV can carry more people because more seats. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:20:55 PM EDT
[#41]
I had a shell on my Tundra for many years and sold it last year. It's a pain to remove and replace if you need to haul stuff often and you also need a safe place to leave it so it doesn't get scratched and dinged.
The funny thing was, after I sold it, people told me it made my truck look like an "old man truck".
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:39:04 PM EDT
[#42]
My favorite toppers are the cheap aluminum ones. Easy on and easy off.
They are light enough for two people to easily remove and they don't weigh down the truck with unnecessary weight. They are cheap on Craigslist. Like $50 cheap. |
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Posted: 11/16/2013 9:40:22 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Mine is a contractor style with the side opening windows, so getting stuff near the front isn't so bad. I remember going to bed once while camping totally shitfaced, a few minute later I sat up, opened the side window and puked all over, it was awesome I gotta admit - That's a hell of a selling point!
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Posted: 11/17/2013 3:27:13 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My favorite toppers are the cheap aluminum ones. Easy on and easy off. They are light enough for two people to easily remove and they don't weigh down the truck with unnecessary weight. They are cheap on Craigslist. Like $50 cheap. Yep, with full length side windows. Something like this. |
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Posted: 11/17/2013 6:37:41 PM EDT
[#45]
I have a camper... err topper cap.
The big benefit is being able hose it out. The advantage of an SUV is passenger capacity. Which is more important to you? |
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