Just throwing out some options... A truck with a shell still seperates the cargo from the people, great for smelly or nasty stuff. A shell is easy to remove, so the truck can still be used for oversized cargo when needed. Most cargo vans these days don't come with 4WD.
Just throwing out some options... A truck with a shell still seperates the cargo from the people, great for smelly or nasty stuff. A shell is easy to remove, so the truck can still be used for oversized cargo when needed. Most cargo vans these days don't come with 4WD.
I had a cap on my S-10 at 24 years of age because it kept my tools dry and somewhat secure though not very secure. Caps also rule for hauling camping gear.
I had one on my next truck as well. An 88 Dakota.
The 99 Dakota I bought in 98 has an ARE clam shell lid which kept the truck looks and gave me more secure storage.
My next truck... If it is a RAM 1500 will have the factory Ram Box and I'll leave the bed open. If it is an F-150, it will have a metal roll top clam shell... The ARE on my Dakota is nice, but for hauling taller stuff, it gets in the way.
I don't think they are for old guys... It comes down to practicality and what you use your truck for.
I had one on my next truck as well. An 88 Dakota.
The 99 Dakota I bought in 98 has an ARE clam shell lid which kept the truck looks and gave me more secure storage.
My next truck... If it is a RAM 1500 will have the factory Ram Box and I'll leave the bed open. If it is an F-150, it will have a metal roll top clam shell... The ARE on my Dakota is nice, but for hauling taller stuff, it gets in the way.
I don't think they are for old guys... It comes down to practicality and what you use your truck for.
JulesMaximus
No Lifer
- Jul 3, 2003
- 74,592
- 988
- 126
I know but 99% of the time there not going to take the shell off anyway because most people with trucks don't use them as trucks. I know a guy that had a truck. The douchebag wouldn't even put a couch in it because it might hurt his baby.
I love my truck being open but even with a regular tool box and top mount side boxes I need more dry space for tools and parts. So my next trucks going to be a utility body(the kind with the cap). I'm still going to keep the F250 for those loads of dirt and gravel.
IronWing
No Lifer
- Jul 20, 2001
- 73,435
- 35,055
- 136
New ones are quite expensive and young guys would rather spend the money on stereos and giant tires. Old guys buy toppers and heated steering wheels.
Also, there was a fad among the young guys a few years ago of taking the gates off their trucks. Never could figure that one out and I was a young guy.
They want the utility of a minivan without looking gay. That and trucks often have much better powertrains. The rear end differential on a Ford F150 is huge compared to something you would see on an AWD minivan.
They're old so they don't care what the gas mileage is. They'll make up for it by driving 1/3 the speed limit and cutting off 18 wheelers as needed.
jlee
Lifer
- Sep 12, 2001
- 48,518
- 223
- 106
alkalinetaupehat
Senior member
- Mar 3, 2008
- 839
- 0
- 0
I know that one reason for toppers over tonneu covers or no cover was to increase your gas mileage. Toppers will allow air to flow smoothly over the truck and then drop off, whereas tonneu's create a vacuum (iirc) behind the cab which deters from the drag coefficient, and a lack of a cover will have air pushing up against the tailgate.
I would guess it was to remove the drag caused by having the tailgate installed, though it isn't legal.
I would guess it was to remove the drag caused by having the tailgate installed, though it isn't legal.
Its called a canopy here. And here in Seattle I don't really get this as a young guy/old guy question, I had one on a previous truck but don't have one on my current one, though I wish I did. When it is constantly drizzling rain the back the the truck can become useless for anything you don't want to get soaking wet.
You get better gas mileage with the tailgate up. Mythbusters did a show on it. With the tailgate down the air just pushes down on the back of the truck. With the tailgate up the air swirls around in the bed causing most of the air to keep going right over it.
spaceman
Lifer
- Dec 4, 2000
- 17,617
- 183
- 106
meh.
ive had them on 3 of my trucks
starting in early 20s-mid 30s
1.u dont buya truck for looks, u r a retard if u do..sorry
2.i load my kayak/terminal tackle/and misc.virtually ALL spring and summer..it stays dry..it NEEDs to..duh duh duh!!! and lol at ppl messing with jhooks and 2 peice rods..ill pull up to the lake..launch in 3 minutes while they dicking with thule racks on their roof and messing around..just slide and go and most of all lol
3.if u go to an xfer station for garbage.these keep animals out..keep smell out of cab..it acts like a mobile dumpster...and youd be none the wiser sitting in the vehicle
4.no worry about elements if i want to keep something back there..secure and dry.
5.disadvantages..height/rear visibility.
6.
ive had them on 3 of my trucks
starting in early 20s-mid 30s
1.u dont buya truck for looks, u r a retard if u do..sorry
2.i load my kayak/terminal tackle/and misc.virtually ALL spring and summer..it stays dry..it NEEDs to..duh duh duh!!! and lol at ppl messing with jhooks and 2 peice rods..ill pull up to the lake..launch in 3 minutes while they dicking with thule racks on their roof and messing around..just slide and go and most of all lol
3.if u go to an xfer station for garbage.these keep animals out..keep smell out of cab..it acts like a mobile dumpster...and youd be none the wiser sitting in the vehicle
4.no worry about elements if i want to keep something back there..secure and dry.
5.disadvantages..height/rear visibility.
6.
Last edited:
hanoverphist
Diamond Member
- Dec 7, 2006
- 9,867
- 23
- 76
the first week i had my truck i scratched the hell out of the bed top moving a bunch of stuff. they felt bad since i only had the truck for a week, but thats what it was for... my ex wife? went and bought a new 2007 chevy silverado, and has yet to actually fill the bed with anything. she freaked out when some bed liners she helped me move scuffed the top of the bed, to the point i ended up taking it to my friends shop and buffing the paint for her. i have no idea why girls think they should have trucks when they have no intention of using them like trucks should be used.
jlee
Lifer
- Sep 12, 2001
- 48,518
- 223
- 106
hanoverphist
Diamond Member
- Dec 7, 2006
- 9,867
- 23
- 76
ya, i always wanted to get it sprayed, or at least get the liner caps for it. still havent done it, and ive had the truck over 4 years now. it still looks ok, and it is a work truck so its all good.
Gas mileage at highway speeds is determined by laminar flow versus turbulent flow. Regular flat drop back toppers actually create more turbulent flow unless you found one with a kammback (think Prius, Citroen CX, Aston DB6) because of the higher top to bottom drop off at the trailing edge of the vehicle, creating negative pressure vorticies.
Pickups are designed so that airflow is routed from the top of the cab to the top of the tailgate, at best a topper probably gives you no effect on fuel mileage, same with tonneu covers. Dropping your tailgate disrupts the aerodynamics because it turns the entire bed of your truck into a single huge low pressure vortex generator and breaks the laminar flow designed with it up. It's pretty much guaranteed to hurt highway mileage.
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
Because most young guys with a pickup need to be able to fuck chicks in the back too or simply can't afford a topper.
They tested this on mythbusters, and what you said is exactly true. Tailgate up gets better gas mileage than tailgate down. They called some truck manufacturer, I think it was GM, and that company confirmed that tailgate up got better gas mileage in the company tests as well.
The trick to aerodynamics is that it's not the front that matters so much, but the back. To have sharp right angles at the back would generate a huge vacuum. Truck canopies tend to have a straight back end with no ducktail, so it creates a huge vacuum and messes up your gas mileage. The fuel economy of a truck could be significantly improved by putting a ducktail on it, but it would look so gay that nobody would want it.
Good air flow looks silly. Can you imagine a pickup truck having a gradual sloaping back like that? It would basically look like a minivan.
Most trucks have it as an available option. Even cars have that as an option. If I really wanted, I could pay an extra $100 or whatever and have a hard plastic lining in the trunk of my corolla. Serious.
-RWD instead of wrong wheel drive
-usually higher up and better in snow than a minivan
-stock all season truck or SUV tires with deep treads work really good in winter whereas all season minivan tires are total shit
-a fifth wheel camping trailer can be connected to a truck
-you can park in deep snow without getting stuck and calling your boyfriend to help you out
-some trucks come with 120V AC plugs built in so you can use a curling iron while driving to work
For trucks, the option is sort of like a spray on epoxy. It permanently sticks to the bed of the truck.
http://www.rhinolinings.com/
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