Installing Cap on ST

[Anupam Routh]

Greetings! Few of the members here have Caps over rhe cargo bed. Please post some pictures. I am thinking of installing Cap or cargo bed cover made by ARE. What are the advantage or disadvantage of the Cap over cargo bed cover? With thanks.

 

[Lloyd Curry]

arouth,



My library has a picture of the ARE paint matched bed cover. I'm very pleased with it. It's top quality.

 

[Todd Z]

I had the factory cover. I tried tons of stuff to get it to stop leaking.



I found the ARE dirt cheep and picked it up. I love it, I can get around the looks, because I like the flat back look....



The installation is 2 people unless you make a hoist in your garage or something else..

Slide it on from the back, space it from the cab and bolt it on...



Also if you have the cab wing Like i did you have to modify the cap to fit....



Todd Z



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[Rodger Tellefson]

The advantages and disadvantages, in my opinion, are obvious.



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[Thomas Rogers]

WHAT!



A cap!



If you wanted an Explorer you should have just bought an Explorer!



Jeez!



Q Out!



( just kidding)



The biggest advantage...the ability to easily carry larger things and keep them locked away and secure. Biggest disadvantage...can be a real pain if you have to carry something tall, say like a refrigerator. Makes it harder to haul mulch in bulk.

 

[Mark B]

Invaluable for trips with lots of gear and people. Otherwise, it was a pain.



Killed one of the STs best features: the power rear window

My ARE was so heavily tinted that rear visibility was nil except on the brightest day

Gave the ST a claustrophobic feel owing to points 1 & 2

Took up a fair amount of space in the garage (only installed it when absolutely needed)

Hard to resell when the ST is gone unless you practically give it away (ref. Todd Z)



And if you do get one, install it yourself or keep an eagle eye on the installers (if you're particular about electrical and cosmetic stuff)



If I had it to do again, I would go aftermarket tonneau.



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[Bill Ellis]

I have a soft cover and like it. Here's why: keeps stuff dry and is good for traveling. Can haul many types of big items with cover in place as long as not too tall. Roll up cover for big items and for bulk mulch and dirt. Never have to completely remove it; can always deal with it by myself. Lower cost than hard cover. Only disadvantage that I can tell is that it can't be locked.



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[Rodger Tellefson]

Yes, it is great for making long trips. We do not have a place to store ours, sooooo.....

We got ours because our dog rides in the rear seat (the 60% folded down), so when we travel the stuff we used to put in the back seat now go in the back with hence the need for the cap.



One disadvantage of taking it on & off is having to re-attach the vent visor on the rear window because it does not fit with the cap on. As well as with the rear window down there is more noise from the rear end.



TJR, I used to think the same way you do about the cap, and if we had a place to store it indoors undercover/protected it would not be on except when needed.

 

[Scott Doughtie]

Rodger (& Georgia)...I grin everytime I see the pic of your Trac. I grin because I am more drawn to your dog in a U2 pose for the pic than the Trac. As a dog owner myself, if is fun to incorporate them into the pics. Beautiful pup. What kind?

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Scott-SVT, Our dog in the pic Sydney is a Border Collie mix with some kind of retriever/water dog in her because she has web paws. I want to train her to run agility courses in the near future. Very smart and very fast, except for a greyhound is faster, when she is chasing a ball.

 

[user 62851]

i have the thought of just buying a flat fiberglass cover, but buy some linear actuators, 4 to be exact. 1 at each corner of the bed, connected to the bed cover. with a touch of the button, it raises and would be equal height of the cap, click the button again, and its closed. sounds a little unreal, but it could work. And thats what i plan to do... soon as i get rid of the butterfly oem cover

 

[Jason B 2]

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I had the tonneau cover but we now need the back covered for our rottweiler on long trips

 

[Josh Langel]

I saw a 2007 with a cap today... looked like crap... but the 01-05's look good.

 

[Gerald Pierce]

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Jason "pace" series topper....



800.00 or so, and I can remove it by myself if I have to.

 

[Randy Daniels]

I've got a cap on my Trac. I guess I should say I had one. I took it off and stored it in my garage. It's nice, I guess. It had it's uses, but I really like my Trac without it. Call me a "youngster" but, It reminded me of my grandfathers old truck. You know, "Papa's old truck w/ a topper" kinda feel. 'Course, doesn't help that my wife put that idea in my head!! I'm selling mine if anyone wants it. Pics in my library!

 

[Jake Levin]

Not the best pic but here's mine with an ARE Z series cap on it. Most of the pros and cons have already been hit on. I usually put it on for the winter, that way I can just toss whatever I need right in the back. In the summer when I want to use the rear slide down window I take the cap off and store it in the garage. It does take up a lot of space but I'm going to get one of those overhead pully storage systems that they use for Jeep hardtops to get it up and out of the way





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[Gerald Pierce]

Call me a "youngster" but, It reminded me of my grandfathers old truck. You know, "Papa's old truck w/ a topper" kinda feel.

Hey Now! I guess i resemble that comment since my first grandchild is due in early September, and I'll only be 43.



I bought mine a few years back when I had dog's that we traveled a lot with, and kind of just got used to having the extra storage. Now that I live apart from my family due to my job, it's nice to have a place to lock up my extra "stuff", although I have to take it off quite often to haul a quad around.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Cruz, 43 and with grandkids. Must be a Southern thing.



(I'm 41...my older is not 14 yet and if I am a grandfather before I am 50 we are going to have some SERIOUS issues.)



But hey, it could happen.



TJR