I'm considering purchasing a bed cap for my 2010 XLT, but I want something I can easily remove as I don't plan on having it installed full time.

The Snugtop Super Sport looks to be the best bet, but does anyone have any suggestions?

 

Ive had great luck with the ARE brand. High quality, my Factory key fob even locks and in locks it. Had a couple high end Leers that were junk.

 

this isn't from personal experience, but from my father while i was working for him.

it's the exact opposite of Rob D's post though. My dad loved his mid grade leer caps, and just recently went with a comparable ARE one and already has hardware falling off of it.

Personally have never had one, so take this with a grain of salt.

 

I had an ARE on my 93 truck, great cap, paint lasted much better than the truck paint did. The only complaint was the rear lock failing after the first year due to road salt getting into it. A simple fix was to put a rubber cover on it and it worked great for the next 8 years. I would buy another ARE.

 

Curious. My Leer 100R has been doing just fine; it still looks as good as the day I put it on back in May or June of '09. I changed the locks on the tool box doors on the sides to barrel type locks right after I got it to make it harder for someone to break in. Other than that and replacing the dome light bulb once, I haven't had to do a thing to it.

 

I had the Leer Browing Edition with the lockable gun cabinet built into the interior of the cap. They could never get the rear door to close properly. One side would lock and not the other. If you slammed the door shut it would catch both locks. Not exceptable for such a pricey cap.

I have an ARE on my personal truck as well as my work truck. My boss has an ARE and 3 buddies I can think of. No issues that I know of. Not sure if the others offer the lock option with the Ford keyfob but it's a nice feature.

 

I switched from an ADVANCE cover that leaked like a sieve to an ARE rigid cover to keep our suitcases dry on trips from Canada to Florida. ARE is bone dry inside and wife hasn't complained once so I figger it is well worth the investment and must be working...she has been quiet for 12 months now, so success! Good luck! :-)
LSII Series Tonneau Covers : A.R.E. Truck Caps and Tonneau Covers

 

I agree, that's not acceptable. I would have demanded it either be fixed or refund my money. In my case, everything works just fine. The right tool box door was a bit tricky to lock when I got it (not enough to be a problem or even more than slightly annoying) but it has worn in nicely since then.

Many of the Leers have the same option. My 100R didn't. it would have been nice to have the feature but the tool boxes were far more important to me.

 

Below is a link for current coupons/rebate for ARE products.



A.R.E. - 4are.com

 

While I can't tell you about a recommended cap, I can tell you about my experience with Leer. I had a Leer cap on my '99 extended cab, and it leaked around the top corner of one of the side windows from the day I had the cap installed. Through the distributor I had the cap sent back to Leer to be re-fiberglassed, and even after the 'repair' it still leaked.

I made the 100-mile round trip to the distributor to buy the cap, another to have it installed, another to return the cap, another to pick it up after the 'repair', and a last one to have the distributor look at it and tell me there was nothing more he could do. I spoke with the Leer regional representative, explained my situation, and he seemed incredulous that I would be demanding an actual fix to the leak.

While it looked nice, it was not made or repaired properly, and Leer would simply not stand behind their $1200 product...

 

I too advise you to stay away from Leer Caps. I have had 3 of the 100XQs replaced under warranty on my 2006 F350. They look great on the truck, but usually start cracking across the back of the roof within a year. On the other hand, getting a brand new canopy every few years isn't too bad either, but it's still a hassle to go without one for the month it takes to get it replaced.

 

Maybe it's because it's a commercial cap but my Leer 100RCC has been setting on the back of my Screw since around June of '09 and looks as good as the day I bought it. No cracks, no malfunctions, no leaks.

 

I didn't go with a topper due to the restricted view out the back window. I didn't get a bed cap because they limit the use of the bed of the truck. Many things I haul are taller than the bed. These caps are also HEAVY for one person to remove unless you're using a hoist.

The ultimate solution for me was a Rollbak G2 aluminum roll up cover. When pulled closed, keeps my gear out of the weather and secure. When extra room is needed, it simply rolls open.

Cost was about $950.




With the cover rolled open:



Note that there's still room under the cannister that holds the cover when rolled open.

Cover closed:



Stuff stored under the cannister:



I have no affiliation with any company. Just like the product. My BIL had one on his truck, and thought it a better option that the topper I had on my previous truck.

 

Not sure where you live but try using the Rollbak cover after a snow storm. They are useless when full of ice and snow.

 

What you are calling a cap is actually a tonneau cover. A cap is cab high or higher.

The cap I have on my truck restricts the view to the rear even more than most because of the tool boxes on the sides yet I don't have any trouble. A good truck driver can easily compensate by using the side mirrors (and if this old broad can do it, anyone can learn). I once had a disreputable '63 F300 crewcab that didn't have a review mirror. I had no trouble driving and backing it using the side mirrors only. When backing my present truck into a parking space, most of the time I can't see the vehicle in the space behind me even through the rear view mirror because the bed of the truck is so much higher than the vehicle behind me. I just have to look before backing in to see where my bumper needs to be when I finish (parking lot lines, the car in the adjacent space, etc. give me the visual clues I need). It does take a bit of practice to learn how but it's not as difficult as many people make it out to be.

My next cap will probably have a solid panel in the back instead of glass to make anything in the back less tempting for thieves and harder for them to break into. Of course, I'm going to cheat by having a rearview camera on the truck but that's mostly to make it easier to back up to a trailer hitch.