I started this thread off thinking I'd be choosing between a wedge and a rectangular box and ended up discovering there was another option: the radius front that
@Canadian Joe is running (even though he said he'd rather have a wedge!) After a lot of discussions with dealers all over the country (and ruling out the idea of building a cap from scratch myself), I finally put down a deposit on a DCU a couple weeks ago through
Suburban Caps just outside of NYC (where I'm still living for another month or two). I went with them not only because of the geographic convenience, but also because they came highly recommended by Chris at
Suburban Toppers out in Colorado, which is the nation's largest ARE dealer. Even though I told him up front that I was on the east coast, Chris was a big help, recommending several options I wouldn't have known about otherwise. I told him I wanted this truck to be able to handle some light /moderate off-roading, and he assured me that he's successfully worked on a number of orders for search and rescue teams, surveyors, and other folks who expect their trucks to handle fairly rugged conditions.
There's also a family connection between the two shops, but Scott has been in the business in NY for four decades and he really knows his stuff too. While I'd often prefer to give my business to a smaller outfit, bigger dealers have a number of advantages, including more experience with custom orders, and much quicker turnaround times. I was quoted anywhere from 14 to 20 weeks by most dealers I spoke with, but the largest ones had estimates of 5-7 weeks. My cap should be ready by the end of this month. Here's what I ordered:
- 36" high DCU with straight (vertical) side walls and radius (rounded) front
- Double full back doors with windows
- Vented Windoors on both sides
- Radius three panel sliding front window
- 4 extra side wall gussets
- Roof tracks (to mount a Yakima rack)
- Backup camera with wiring harness
TOTAL (before tax): $4375
The cap is going on a 4WD 2016 regular cab long bed that I expect to be living out of for most of the year. As a reminder, I'm a little over 6'2", so the 36" height was important for me to be able to comfortably sit upright after factoring in room for flooring and insulation. While I originally had my sights set on a wedge to make the cap more aerodynamic,
when I learned about the option for a radius front, I decided it was better for my purposes because a) it'll have almost a full 8' of flat roof length available for the rack, solar, and vent fan, b) the vertical side walls will make building out the interior easier and give me a little more room (at the cost of a little more drag), and c) I was told the whole structure will be a little sturdier than a wedge would be. I'm also planning to install a set of
Total Chaos Bed Stiffeners to protect the rear doors and the cap more broadly from the twist and flex of the bed on uneven terrain.
In addition to Suburban Toppers (Colorado) and Suburban Caps (New York), I also got knowledgeable, helpful guidance from Dallas at
Louisville Toppers (Kentucky), who knows Chris too. Thanks to those of you here who shared your insights in recent months. I'll be sure to update ya'll once the cap gets installed. I'd like to get a thread going where those of us running aluminum commercial truck caps can share build ideas. May either start a new one or try to revive
Anyone out there running an Aluminum Contractor Topper?
but they appear to still available,