Wanted some opinions on truck caps.  I currently have an aluminum tonneau that locks in the front and rear panels and folds up to the size of one panel on the rear.  It’s served me well and I’ve hauled a lot of oversized items but nothing that wouldn’t fit under a cap.  Reason I am reconsidering is two fold. First, when in Michigan this year one of my buddies opened my tonneau to get some tools out and I assume folded it up onto something they had sitting on top and put a huge crease in the aluminum.  Second, another one of my close fishing friends, got a Leer for a real good price and put it on his GMC Denali and it looks pretty good and he really likes it.  More room, pretty secure and clamps on so it can be removed if he needs to haul anything higher than the cap.  It’s not one of the really high caps, it’s cab roof level.  My problem is going to be matching the tri coat pearl color of my truck without going through the cost of painting it.  I’m just throwing it out there for opinions. 

I love a Truck cap.  my 2006 tacoma has one, my 2023 does not.  a cap is super convenient for me.  road trips for starters.  I can load up for a hunting trip and stack things.  no worries sleeping at some hotel.   I bet Leer can come dang close to matching your truck color.  it is what they do.   I might do a Alu-cab for my 2023.  not sure.  

If I remember correctly @A-Jay has a topper he highly recommends.

When I got my truck I debated cap vs hard tonneau.  I went hard tonneau similar to yours and am happy with my choice.  Over the past 5 years or so times I”ve been extra happy with my choice or would have preferred the other choice:

 

- lawn work and hauling.  I’m cheap and more DIY oriented.  I have a great local place that does bulk mulch, soil, sand, etc.  A couple times per year I go get a load of something for around the house.  Can’t do that with a cap.

 

- oversized stuff.  It’s rare, but I have the ability to get it just by folding up the tonneau.  Mine folds into thirds and then I can tip up the last fold against the glass to have a full bed available.  About once a year it comes in handy.  I wouldn’t take the cap off unless it was really worth it.  

 

- longer trips and packing stuff.  Downside of a tonneau.  When we were going to the beach for 2 weeks we had two coolers, clothes, groceries, lawn games, fishing gear, you name it.  The cooler I had (yeti 110 sized) was just a little too high to fit under the tonneau so I had to adjust the mounts to make it work.  The total space to carry bulky things was limited.  Since we had a truck and no kids, we would end up with things like a case of paper towels and TP which are light but take up volume.  A cap would have allowed us to stack.

 

- A tonneau is good, but not water tight.  Maybe I could redo all of the seals and adjust it better, but I just live with it.  A cap is drier for sure.  

 

- Airflow.  Not sure how a cap would be for you, but I love that I can open my back window and crack the sunroof for a LOT of airflow.  No need to open the windows and get buffeted and loud.  Then if I open the sunroof and back window both it is a TON of air but super gentle.  I don’t think a cap would allow that same.

 

- A cap is darker in the back seat.  I notice this in my dad’s truck.  The cab in total is darker, but the backseat is definitely darker.  If you have backseat passengers often then maybe a thought.

I’ve had an ARE truck cap on my last two F150 pick ups. For my usage, I was doing week and longer fishing trips driving hundreds of miles and hauling a lot of gear, more than would fit under a tonneau cover. There have only been a couple of times in the last 20 years when I wanted to carry something that wouldn’t have fit under the cap. 
As far as color goes, if the truck has a factory paint job, cap companies can match the cap to the original paint. 
 

I currently have a Leer hard tonneau cover on my truck. It folds up into 4 panels so the entire bed is available. It has pistons that hold it straight up. As for water leaks even going through a car wash there’s minimal leakage. My previous truck had a Leer cap and they matched the color perfectly to the truck. I do t think you could go wrong either way. It mainly depends on how much room you need for your gear.

In 2004 i bought a new truck and took it to leer and they matched the paint code and was super happy with it. I used it for hauling all my gold mining supplies and when gold mining for the weekend i slept in it.

3 hours ago, VolFan said:

If I remember correctly @A-Jay has a topper he highly recommends.

Here's the OP

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/232871-are-truck-caps-~-cx-revo-or-z2/

 

Been a fan of the A.R.E. units for many years.

Prefer having the covered bed, especially with several big dogs.

Had a few different models on several different trucks, but on the last three rigs it's been the Z series.  Quality unit with great fit & finish.

On my most recent rig I have the CX Revo as the molded back glass appeals to me.

Initially this same cap went on my previous rig in 2020

where it served me well for 3 years.

When I picked up the 2024 AT4, the dealer moved it onto the new truck.

So I'm coming up on five years with this one.  

Still looks like new. 

 

Happy shopping @TOXIC and good Luck with your choice. 

 

A-Jay

Btw, the original Classic Custom fit Bed Rug is awesome and really compliments the whole deal nicely.  https://www.thebedrug.com/

"Each BedRug mat and liner is tailored to the specific contours of your truck bed, ensuring a perfect fit that maximizes protection. The material used is resistant to impact, moisture, and chemicals, offering durability that goes beyond generic protection. Microfibers within the surface are designed to absorb shock, reducing wear over time and providing superior cushioning for sensitive cargo. Unlike traditional liners, BedRug products maintain temperature stability, meaning they won’t become brittle or hot to the touch in extreme weather conditions. This attention to material behavior and surface texture ensures your truck bed stays protected, functional, and visually appealing for years to come."

 

😎

A-Jay

I love the BedRug! I’ve had them in both my trucks.

Both my trucks have had paint-matched Leer full toppers and I'd continue that trend if I got a 'new' truck in the future.

 

Far as the bed - I'm a Rhino-Liner fan-boy.

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

Far as the bed - I'm a Rhino-Liner fan-boy.

X2

With the high Country package, my bed came factory sprayed with bed liner.  To help keep items from sliding around or bouncing on the hard lining, I used 2 stall mats from Tractor Supply that I trimmed to fit.  Downside is that they are around one inch thick and it seems that’s just the space that puts some of my coolers too tall to fit under it.  As for water tight, it’s been great.  No leakage.  Toppers that are paint matched usually have to be bought brand new and I’m toying with another truck in the future.  My 2016 just rolled up on 105k so buying a custom painted topper might not be worth it.  The tri coat pearl is not a very common color so finding one used might be problematic.  I don’t know how toppers affect trade or sale value.  Thanks for the opinions.  

Growing up my Dad had a home-made construction box on his truck (carpenter). Great for hauling and keeping stuff dry.

 

When I got a truck, never had anything covering the bed. Did that for many, many years, never thought twice about it.

 

My brother got a roll up tonneau cover...I resisted. I finally got a roll up tonneau with my 2019 Duramax. I really like!

 

Got dealer to throw in the tonneau cover with purchase...it was the inexpensive GM version. Lasted five years...I then went with an Access Laredo for about $600. Much better.

I thought about a solid tonneau, but for my needs, the roll up version is better.

 

29 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

.  I don’t know how toppers affect trade or sale value.   

My GMC dealer is always more than willing to move my cap onto the next/new truck.

In his experience they sell better without the cap.

Does surprise me a little, especially since mine are always mint

and this is the Snow Belt !

A-Jay

Not a topper like above but I've been extremely pleased with my DiamondBack cover. At the time I bought one they only had the SE and HD model in diamond plate and I bought the SE. Very secure and gives you the option to store stuff ontop of the cover, you go HD you can even transport a ATV on top of it. People put rails and tie downs on top and light kits inside, etc.  

 

Very easy to fold and secure half a panel to transport something tall and takes no more than 10 minutes to completely remove the top if needed. Its a one person job and all you need is one wrench or ratchet. 

 

Should transfer to another truck with similar bed size. 

27 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

My GMC dealer is always more than willing to move my cap onto the next/new truck.

In his experience they sell better without the cap.

Does surprise me a little, especially since mine are always mint

and this is the Snow Belt !

A-Jay

That’s great since you get a carbon copy of your old truck to your new truck. 😄 I on the other hand, have had a black 3/4 ton and a pearl white 1/2 ton.  Not very interchangeable 😝 My 3/4 ton had one of the original Undercover hard plastic one piece with lifts on it.  It stayed with the truck when I traded it in.  That truck had no bedliner (I actually waxed the bed) and the same stall mats I transferred over to my new truck.  I do know the dealer told me they remove all the add ons from trade in trucks like brush guards, light bars, etc., because it lowers the value.  

3 hours ago, TOXIC said:

That’s great since you get a carbon copy of your old truck to your new truck. 😄 I on the other hand, have had a black 3/4 ton and a pearl white 1/2 ton.  Not very interchangeable 😝 My 3/4 ton had one of the original Undercover hard plastic one piece with lifts on it.  It stayed with the truck when I traded it in.  That truck had no bedliner (I actually waxed the bed) and the same stall mats I transferred over to my new truck.  I do know the dealer told me they remove all the add ons from trade in trucks like brush guards, light bars, etc., because it lowers the value.  

OK, however I was not suggesting that the switcheroo is something for YOU to consider.

I passed it along as a example of something that may come into play during trade in or resale. 

Long Break.

A-Jay

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

OK, however I was not suggesting that the switcheroo is something for YOU to consider.

I passed it along as a example of something that may come into play during trade in or resale. 

Long Break.

A-Jay

I’m always looking for a good financial motivation and being able to make the topper investment last a couple of trucks would be great.  My point was that I can’t trust myself to get the same color truck because I buy the deal not the truck and have never ordered from the factory because the deals have always been much better on existing stock. I wasn’t criticizing your choice.  My 3/4 ton was a special order that the customer backed out of and my 1/2 ton was an on site inventory special.