Truck bed toppers (also known as camper shells or “truck caps”) are popular because they allow truck owners to haul tools, gear, and even dogs in the truck bed while keeping them dry. At first glance, toppers seem like a really smart accessory. Why wouldn’t you want to turn your pickup bed into a really big cargo area? The answer is that toppers need to be removed sometimes in order to haul tall or bulky “stuff,” and that removal can be a real pain…so a lot of truck owners don’t like them.
ARE (among others) makes dozens of varieties of truck toppers for personal and commercial use.
The primary style of topper is a full-on cab extension that meets or exceeds the height of the truck’s roof and is made of fiberglass , composite material, or aluminum. Depending on the material and features, toppers can be range from cheap ($300-$500 buys a cheap and ugly work-truck topper) to expensive ($2500 can buy a painted-t0-match topper with a door that replaces the tailgate). Most toppers come with a rudimentary lock and are installed using good old C-clamps, only some are high-tech affairs with comprehensive security features and bolt-on attachment.
The typical topper is too heavy for one person to remove safely, and unless you’ve got some sort of nifty topper storage system in your garage, toppers are a pain to store when not in use. Obviously, someone has come up with a solution that is easy to remove and easy to store…
SofTopper's folding truck bed topper.
SofTopper provides many of the benefits of a hard shell topper, but it is also easy to remove. SofTopper truck caps are very similar to a convertible top. They employ a plastic and aluminum frame latticework that serves as the frame, and then this frame is covered in a waterproof canvas material. Rising up as tall as a full-size cap when fully deployed, SofToppers fold up into an easy-to-carry shape that weighs between 25 and 45 lbs and can sit in the corner of your garage without any trouble.
In addition to being light-weight, SofTopper claims the entire cap can be retracted down to its “resting” position in just 60 seconds…meaning you can add or remove your topper quickly and easily. This is the primary advantage to this accessory. The potential offered by this type of cap is significant for anyone who finds themselves either a) constantly installing and removing a topper or b) skipping the topper option altogether because it’s just too much of a pain.
The SofTopper is a truck bed topper that folds up and stores easily.
Pros:
- Flexible use – put the topper up when you need a big dry cargo area, put the topper down when you need room to haul taller items or to make loading and unloading easier.
- Lightweight – one person can easily remove the topper all together, and unlike fiberglass toppers that can weigh 200 lbs +, the SofTopper is 25 to 45 lbs max so it doesn’t impact day-to-day fuel economy near as much.
- Easy storage – When not in use it’s small enough to put out of the way
Cons:
- Security sucks – there’s no way you’re going to be able to secure your truck bed with this accessory. While it’s true that NO topper is completely secure, this topper is easy to defeat with nothing more than a knife.
- Cold weather stiffens this thing up, making it difficult to use in ice and snow.
- Price – $600 (buy it at Lakeland gear) seems like a lot of money considering a cheap aluminum topper can be had for a little less.
- Did we mention security sucks? One of the main reasons to have a topper is to put your gear in your truck bed without fear of being ripped off. This thing keeps your stuff dry, but it’s not going to keep your stuff secure.
Bottom Line: The SofTopper is a compromise. If you need the features of a topper but don’t feel like un-clamping, lifting, and then storing a solid topper every time you want to haul something big, the SofTopper is an option. Considering what the SofTopper does and doesn’t do, a truck tarp seems like an option as well.
We give this thing a ‘D’ – It’s probably great for some purposes, but it’s a bit expensive compared to the old-fashioned truck tarp and bungee cord system (about $25 at your local Wally World). We’d either like to see a folding hard shell topper (something like a larger version of Extang’s Solid Fold tonneau cover we reviewed last year) or a much lower price for this add-on.
Related posts:
The primary style of topper is a full-on cab extension that meets or exceeds the height of the truck’s roof and is made of fiberglass , composite material, or aluminum. Depending on the material and features, toppers can be range from cheap ($300-$500 buys a cheap and ugly work-truck topper) to expensive ($2500 can buy a painted-t0-match topper with a door that replaces the tailgate). Most toppers come with a rudimentary lock and are installed using good old C-clamps, only some are high-tech affairs with comprehensive security features and bolt-on attachment.
The typical topper is too heavy for one person to remove safely, and unless you’ve got some sort of nifty topper storage system in your garage, toppers are a pain to store when not in use. Obviously, someone has come up with a solution that is easy to remove and easy to store…
SofTopper provides many of the benefits of a hard shell topper, but it is also easy to remove. SofTopper truck caps are very similar to a convertible top. They employ a plastic and aluminum frame latticework that serves as the frame, and then this frame is covered in a waterproof canvas material. Rising up as tall as a full-size cap when fully deployed, SofToppers fold up into an easy-to-carry shape that weighs between 25 and 45 lbs and can sit in the corner of your garage without any trouble.
In addition to being light-weight, SofTopper claims the entire cap can be retracted down to its “resting” position in just 60 seconds…meaning you can add or remove your topper quickly and easily. This is the primary advantage to this accessory. The potential offered by this type of cap is significant for anyone who finds themselves either a) constantly installing and removing a topper or b) skipping the topper option altogether because it’s just too much of a pain.
Pros:
* Flexible use – put the topper up when you need a big dry cargo area, put the topper down when you need room to haul taller items or to make loading and unloading easier.
* Lightweight – one person can easily remove the topper all together, and unlike fiberglass toppers that can weigh 200 lbs +, the SofTopper is 25 to 45 lbs max so it doesn’t impact day-to-day fuel economy near as much.
* Easy storage – When not in use it’s small enough to put out of the way
Cons:
* Security sucks – there’s no way you’re going to be able to secure your truck bed with this accessory. While it’s true that NO topper is compeletly secure, this topper is easy to defeat with nothing more than a knife.
* Cold weather stiffens this thing up, making it difficult to use in ice and snow.
* Price – $600 seems like a lot of money considering a cheap aluminum topper can be had for a little less.
* Did we mention security sucks? One of the main reasons to have a topper is to put your gear in your truck bed without fear of being ripped off. This thing keeps your stuff dry, but it’s not going to keep your stuff secure.
Bottom Line: The SofTopper is a compromise. If you need the features of a topper but don’t feel like un-clamping, lifting, and then storing a solid topper every time you want to haul something big, the SofTopper is an option. Of course, so is a truck tarp.
We give this thing a solid ‘C’ – it’s a smart way to keep your gear dry, but it’s a bit expensive compared to the old-fashioned truck tarp and bungee cord system (about $25 at your local Wally World). We’d either like to see a folding hard shell topper (something like a larger version of Extang’s Solid Fold tonneau cover we reviewed last year) or a much lower price.
Related posts:
* Tundra bedliner options
* Tundra tonneau cover reviews
* Tonneau cover fuel economy MYTH
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Agree 100%, too pricey for no security and looks are compromised. If anything, it would invite robbers to come take a look at it and see what is underneath easy enough. I can get a lakeland topper locally even fiberglass for a few hundred bucks more darn near the quality of a leer or ARE.