Trucks like the Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma are among the best 4x4s for off-road adventures—and for good reason. They offer plenty of space to haul your overland gear with ease and provide the capability to explore just about anywhere!
However, leaving all of your cargo in an uncovered truck bed can be a recipe for disaster. Gear left in an uncovered truck bed will inevitably get damaged from the elements and is left vulnerable to thieves. Thats where a truck bed cap/topper comes in, providing the ultimate solution to keep your gear secure and protected from the elements.
Protect Your Cargo From The Elements
An open truck bed leaves all of your precious cargo exposed to the elements, leaving it vulnerable to dirt, dust, mud, rain, harsh UV rays and much more. Sealing your bed off from these harsh conditions with a bed cap keeps your gear dry, clean, and easily accessible. A truck bed cap with windows can even let you transport your dogs and keep them safe and sound in the truck bed while keeping your interior free of muddy paw prints.
As a bonus, a truck bed topper can be used as a sleeping area for all of your camping adventures. Even if you have a 5 foot bed, sleeping diagonally will still give most people enough room to sleep. When overlanding in my Gladiator, there have been more than a few nights at camp where the rain and wind were too much for my ground tent to handle and a bed cap would have been the perfect solution for a sturdy shelter for the night!
Secure Your Gear From Theft!
Carrying expensive cargo and camping gear in the back of your truck bed uncovered can be risky, especially if you're away from your truck while its parked. Whether you're parking your truck in a grocercy store parking lot or on a hiking trailhead, a bed topper gives you the confidence knowing your gear is locked up and out of sight!
Your truck bed should not be an open invitation to thieves, secure your cargo with a bed cap!
Enhanced Storage Space & Customization
Anyone who's ever packed for a camping trip knows it can be tricky to pack and organize all of your camping gear and tools. A bed cap gives you a taller, enclosed cargo space to stack and organize all of your gear in your truck bed. The ability to easily stack gear in your truck bed greatly increases your cargo capacity, allowing you to bring more gear on your adventures. Without a bed topper, securing gear in an open bed is time-consuming, requiring multiple tie-downs to keep everything in place and protected from shifting during rough terrain.
In addition to extra storage capacity, a bed cap gives you the ability to completely customize your truck bed. From bed slides, drawer systems or even a powered fridge, you have the space to build out your truck bed to perfectly suite your needs!
Mount a Roof Top Tent or Extra Gear
Most hard-shell truck bed caps come equipped with mounting bars, allowing you to secure extra gear with a roof rack or even a rooftop tent. Many also offer mounting options for accessories like awnings, traction boards, and more. A truck bed cap is the ultimate upgrade if you're looking to transform your ordinary truck into an overlanding beast!
Better Gas Mileage?
One hidden benefit a truck bed cap can provide is an increase gas mileage. By closing off the open truck bed you eliminate the drag and wind resistance it generated, especially on the highway. This added aerodynamics can actually help increase MPG. Tonneau covers also help by closing off the bed which eliminates wind resistance from the open truck bed.
Hard Shell Vs Soft Shell Topper
Truck bed caps can be had in either hard shell or soft shell construction. Each style has its pros and cons when compared to each other. Both are excellent options, its up to you to decide which option fits your needs better!
- + Durable, heavier construction
- + Protection from the elements
- + Provides lockable storage
- + Mountable roof top storage
- - Harder to install & remove solo
- - Adds extra weight to the truck bed
- + Lightweight construction
- + Protection from the elements
- + Can be easily folded down or removed to load oversized cargo
- + Easy to install
- - Less secure to theft
- - While durable, fabric can be damaged off-road
What Truck Bed Cap is right for you? Click Here to View our Entire Selection!
