Which Topper Should I Get?

Rhino

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id like to add also look on facebook marketplace or craigslist people buy these basic shells and sell them all the time! back when i had my tacoma i bought a shell for about 600 (cant remember the brand?) but it was a nice shell with the honeycomb mesh buuuut with what i did off road it caused stress cracks and eventually had to be repaired so after that i took it off when wheeling fiberglass doesnt hold up to well sometimes to abuse
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id like to add also look on facebook marketplace or craigslist people buy these basic shells and sell them all the time! back when i had my tacoma i bought a shell for about 600 (cant remember the brand?) but it was a nice shell with the honeycomb mesh buuuut with what i did off road it caused stress cracks and eventually had to be repaired so after that i took it off when wheeling fiberglass doesnt hold up to well sometimes to abuse
Yeah, Toyota Tacoma owners have it good in this respect, way more truck canopies purchased in the last 10 years so more available used.

I searched and searched before buying my Snugtop this year. Absolutely zero used Ranger canopies. It speaks to how new the trucks are and how few canopies ordered, sold and resold in the used market.
 

Rhino

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Yeah, Toyota Tacoma owners have it good in this respect, way more truck canopies purchased in the last 10 years so more available used.

I searched and searched before buying my Snugtop this year. Absolutely zero used Ranger canopies. It speaks to how new the trucks are and how few canopies ordered, sold and resold in the used market.
it depends on bed configurations sadly for tacomas it took me 3-4 years before finding one that was color matched and a short bed the majority i saw out here was the long bed and that wont work on a short bed haha

and agreed they are harder to find not only because they are new but not many on the roads tbh you see more Tacoma's and more chevy twins then the rangers and sadly it will most likely get worse since our body styles run time was rather short
 
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ouroboros87

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WHEEEEW this thread went way off the rails. Time to bring it back to my original question!

So @Wes Siler I appreciate the recommendation to go check out the topper in person at Basil’s. Super nice guys and I’m definitely going back to them to help with my dual battery setup.

I got to look at the topper on a Gladiator, and while it was impressive, I wasn’t blown away for the price.
  • The load capacity is really nice but not really a factor for me since I use a ground tent or teardrop, so the interior load bars were more of an annoyance than anything (with how they kinda get in the way of the doors).
  • 360° t-slot around the outside is very legit, but not having slots to insert standard nuts is a big miss, as well as how it limits the ability to use more standard roof accessories without using the proprietary GFC stuff.
  • I like the semi-transparent roof but I think it lends to a limitation on interior customization options.
  • I was surprised at how heavy it is considering it’s aluminum; the weight difference to an RSI is negligible
  • No options for sliding pass through on the cab-facing window is a miss, Ntm charging that much extra just for rear glass.
All that being said, I think I’ve made my decision. I was THIS CLOSE to getting an aluminum contractor cap for the weight savings but without welding skills, it’s going to be too challenging to modify for my needs. As such I’m going to get an RSI.

I like the option to assemble it myself so I can have an intimate working knowledge of all the parts and do some extra weatherproofing to my standards. Interior customization options are almost limitless. Rooftop rails are more normal which gives me more options, and defeats the need for the 360 t slots.

Appreciate all the feedback here and sorry this turned into such a circus of a thread!
 

Wes Siler

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WHEEEEW this thread went way off the rails. Time to bring it back to my original question!

So @Wes Siler I appreciate the recommendation to go check out the topper in person at Basil’s. Super nice guys and I’m definitely going back to them to help with my dual battery setup.

I got to look at the topper on a Gladiator, and while it was impressive, I wasn’t blown away for the price.
  • The load capacity is really nice but not really a factor for me since I use a ground tent or teardrop, so the interior load bars were more of an annoyance than anything (with how they kinda get in the way of the doors).
  • 360° t-slot around the outside is very legit, but not having slots to insert standard nuts is a big miss, as well as how it limits the ability to use more standard roof accessories without using the proprietary GFC stuff.
  • I like the semi-transparent roof but I think it lends to a limitation on interior customization options.
  • I was surprised at how heavy it is considering it’s aluminum; the weight difference to an RSI is negligible
  • No options for sliding pass through on the cab-facing window is a miss, Ntm charging that much extra just for rear glass.
All that being said, I think I’ve made my decision. I was THIS CLOSE to getting an aluminum contractor cap for the weight savings but without welding skills, it’s going to be too challenging to modify for my needs. As such I’m going to get an RSI.

I like the option to assemble it myself so I can have an intimate working knowledge of all the parts and do some extra weatherproofing to my standards. Interior customization options are almost limitless. Rooftop rails are more normal which gives me more options, and defeats the need for the 360 t slots.

Appreciate all the feedback here and sorry this turned into such a circus of a thread!
Sounds like you made an informed decision and ended up with the right product for your needs.

Since you're in San Diego, lemme know if you ever need me to point you in the right direction down in Baja.
 


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ouroboros87

ouroboros87

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Will do! My partner and I have a big trip planned to visit national parks and monuments in the Western US for 2023, but I’m dying to do Baja and will 100% take you up on that.
 

DukeCanBuildit

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Rhino

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Sounds like you made an informed decision and ended up with the right product for your needs.

Since you're in San Diego, lemme know if you ever need me to point you in the right direction down in Baja.
question did you swap your leaf springs to something else when you got your gfc?
 

Wes Siler

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question did you swap your leaf springs to something else when you got your gfc?
With the camper alone it's not necessary, but if you're loading up with gear too, or doing further mods, then you'll need them. My full build is here:
https://decked.com/blogs/decked/build-of-the-month-wes-silers-danger-ranger

Definitely recommend going with OME. The Ranger is the best selling vehicle in Australia, and they just have the whole setup dialed. DM/email me if you're coming out to Bozeman for the gfc. Some friends here in town are using my recs to build customer trucks, and we don't have sales tax here.
 

Rhino

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With the camper alone it's not necessary, but if you're loading up with gear too, or doing further mods, then you'll need them. My full build is here:
https://decked.com/blogs/decked/build-of-the-month-wes-silers-danger-ranger

Definitely recommend going with OME. The Ranger is the best selling vehicle in Australia, and they just have the whole setup dialed. DM/email me if you're coming out to Bozeman for the gfc. Some friends here in town are using my recs to build customer trucks, and we don't have sales tax here.
gotcha tbh i dont plan on much in the rear of my truck no need for a decked system and dont want a rear bumper so just a gfc and a grill and a cooler tbh. i might still upgrade the rear leafs since i plan to have my dual sport with me a lot also. the closest install place for me is denver. thanks for the info!

ive ran old man emu leafs on my tacoma and they did good this go around ive been looking at deaver the old man emu when flexed out like to bind awkwardly
 
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Wes Siler

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gotcha tbh i dont plan on much in the rear of my truck no need for a decked system and dont want a rear bumper so just a gfc and a grill and a cooler tbh. i might still upgrade the rear leafs since i plan to have my dual sport with me a lot also. the closest install place for me is denver. thanks for the info!

ive ran old man emu leafs on my tacoma and they did good this go around ive been looking at deaver the old man emu when flexed out like to bind awkwardly
Deaver makes a good product and it sounds like their progressive leaf pack might be right for you moving up and down in weight.
 

Rhino

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Deaver makes a good product and it sounds like their progressive leaf pack might be right for you moving up and down in weight.
yup plus unlike ome it wont lift the vehicle it keeps it factory height
 

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gotcha tbh i dont plan on much in the rear of my truck no need for a decked system and dont want a rear bumper so just a gfc and a grill and a cooler tbh. i might still upgrade the rear leafs since i plan to have my dual sport with me a lot also. the closest install place for me is denver. thanks for the info!

ive ran old man emu leafs on my tacoma and they did good this go around ive been looking at deaver the old man emu when flexed out like to bind awkwardly
TRU Automotive does the installs for GFC in Denver. Just had mine installed last week there. Very professional and knowledgeable guys. Topper made no difference in my ride height, but I have the Tremor which has the upgraded leafs in the back.

Just to add my $0.02, I went with the GFC over the RSI after a lot of research. The GFC will just work better for my needs and the customizations I’m planning on doing.
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