I am starting the shopping process for a topper. Do you guys have any suggestions of brands to stay away from? I am hoping to be able to also mount a roof rail system on top. Are there any manufacturers that do that? Or is that a separate aftermarket purchase?
TIA
FDR
If you are south metro I highly recommend Toppers and More in South St Paul. They have treated me well many times and sell quality pruducts. My last two have been ARE. 2013 2019 and they both still look like new.
This was 15 years ago, but I bought a LEER topper and it was junky. Leaked through the windows when it rained and the lock failed after a few winters. I would steer clear of that brand.
I’ve had 2 ARE toppers. One in 2004 and the other in 2015 from Toppers and More in South St. Paul. They were great to work with!! Both toppers work well and look great.
My A.R.E has been good. I like the carpet and the win doors.
I don’t intend on buying one now but previously I had done a lot of research. A.R.E. has the best reviews by far. They seem to consistently have better quality.
As far as installing a roof rack on top most manufacturers do that. That can be something you add to the order. If you’re buying new have the manufacturer do that. If you do it yourself will probably void the warranty.
Lastly, if ordering new I would expect a few months for delivery
Been quite satisfied with my ARE also.
Agree, can’t go wrong with an ARE from Toppers and More. 
-J.
ARE here. 2019 Silverado 6’7″ bed, all windows can open for access. Paid ~ $2100. 6 week wait on the build. I am very pleased with the result.
Thanks for the heads up on the wait time when ordering!
FDR
I bought a Leer used. I forget the model, but it’s the lowest they make and isn’t in the catalogs. Anyhow, I’m very happy with it. I mounted an old roof rack off a minivan someone left when I bought my house and it honestly looks decent. Works great for hauling kayaks, etc. I take the center bars off when I don’t need them and you never would know the brackets are there. I built a basket to go up there and just use U bolts from menards to secure it.
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FDR, I purchased an ARE from the place on French Island and I’m very pleased with the topper and the installation, communication, etc.
I have an ARE on my 2015 2500HD and I’ve been happy with it. It has the roof rack on it w/Thule hardware.
I’m certain my experience is in the minority, but I had a horrendous experience with ARE customer service; the frameless rear door wasn’t aligned at the factory & chewed into the fiberglass. Dealer worked with ARE to ship it back; 6 week turnaround time. 2.5 months later the topper showed up back at the dealer with damage to the top of the topper. ARE claimed it wasn’t their issue despite me having pictures of the top of the topper prior to shipment. Dealer worked with ARE for several months before the dealer decided to make it right out of their own pocket.
I was thankful for the dealer (LineX in Fargo), but ARE was far from great to work with.
FDR, I purchased an ARE from the place on French Island and I’m very pleased with the topper and the installation, communication, etc.
Kwikstick, How recent was your purchase and what was the order time?
FDR
Interesting. Lots of votes for ARE here. I always just assumed that ARE and Leer were on par with each other. My current truck had a leer on it when I got it, so it’s what I have. Don’t really have any complaints, but am curious now what guys who have had leers in the past think. What’s the verdict? Guys who have had both and can compare and contrast?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>KwickStick wrote:</div>
FDR, I purchased an ARE from the place on French Island and I’m very pleased with the topper and the installation, communication, etc.Kwikstick, How recent was your purchase and what was the order time?
FDR
I also purchased a topper from them in 2014.By far the fastest and cheapest in a 150 mile radius.ARE MX with the walk-out door.Back then it took only 6-10 days to get it.Only problem with it is moisture in the brake light,but it still works fine.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>KwickStick wrote:</div>
FDR, I purchased an ARE from the place on French Island and I’m very pleased with the topper and the installation, communication, etc.Kwikstick, How recent was your purchase and what was the order time?
FDR
I bought it in early 2019 and like muskycliff I had a 6 week wait.
I bought a used ATC LX with a factory rack on top and have been quite impressed with it. I put it on a Dodge 3500 and this truck is a freaking rattle box with the solid front axle. Anyways, its a very stout top. I’ve owned Leer, Jason, ARE, and a few other odd ball brands. So far, this is the most solid top I’ve owned. Just so impressed with how little it flexes
Hey Guys,
What is the attraction or advantage to having carpet on topper?
FDR
Hey Guys,
What is the attraction or advantage to having carpet on topper?
FDR
Not scraping your head/hair on raw fiberglass when you’re crawling around organizing stuff is nice. Maybe insulates a bit. Prevents condensation from dripping but that’s probably only an issue if you are going to try sleeping back there.
Good question. My first one didn’t have it but then after riding with a friend who had carpet all of mine have had carpet since. It seems quieter, classier, I’m not really sure LOL.
Add me to a happy ARE list. My only recommendation is to pay a bit extra for the single lock/knob in the center. I would find it really annoying to have to unlock/lock two of them every time.
What truck you putting it on?
What truck you putting it on?
Toyota Tacoma
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>carver wrote:</div>
What truck you putting it on?Toyota Tacoma
That’s what I have- 2016. Have a leer on there and It suits me fine. No Bella and whistles and doesn’t have sliding windows, but does have the single center latch, which is nice. Not sure on model off too of my head.
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Sorry for resurrecting and old thread, but wondering if anyone has ordered a topper recently? Put in an ARE build on a Z a few weeks ago and said not to expect it until January/February. Just hoping it doesn’t extend further than that and was just wondering if anyone has had any recent experiences? Thanks
Ordered my ARE in beginning of June and got it mid Oct. A little over 16 weeks.
Thanks,
RVRDUX
Yeah, we talked about this a few months ago on another thread, but pre-COVID supply issues, toppers took at least a couple of months to arrive. So I can’t imagine what it’s like now. Just think about how many trucks have been sold this year. Even if less people seem to be putting toppers on their trucks, that’s still a ton of trucks to make toppers for. And who knows if there are any shortages of the materials that go into making them.
Fiber glass resins are hard to get
Yeah, we talked about this a few months ago on another thread, but pre-COVID supply issues, toppers took at least a couple of months to arrive. So I can’t imagine what it’s like now. Just think about how many trucks have been sold this year. Even if less people seem to be putting toppers on their trucks, that’s still a ton of trucks to make toppers for. And who knows if there are any shortages of the materials that go into making them.
I’ve dug through other threads and heard the same thing on the Cummins forum. Supply is all wack across the board – guy just mentioned that we are getting close to the end of the year and they usually try to get one big push in on the end of the year orders. I’m not holding my breath and prepared for the long wait, but was just was curious if there was anybody that has actually put a deposit down lately or is waiting on one. Thanks for the replies guys
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