Truck topper question , who has a Tall topper

[stonewall]

Last year I went full out trying to keep the dust out . Adhesive foam rubber around the tail gate and expanding foam in the sides of the bed .
It seemed to help but it was fourth rifle and the roads were covered in snow .
I put a diesel heater in it , cheap $100 , and with the windows open it was still too warm on the lowest setting.

Can you link the products you used?
You talking Home Depot spray can foam?
Thx

 

[il_cop]

Re: fuel economy. I never drove my truck without the topper so can't compare before and after and I don't drive in a town/city but I get 19 -20 mpg in my '22 ram 3500 with an ARE MX unloaded.

I plan to drive this truck to its end, but if I don't I'll always have a tall topper, for all the reasons mentioned before.

 

[insanelupus]

I prefer the taller toppers. Far more options/uses and allow me to get more use of them, including for camping. Sure, they may not look as svelte, but then I've not been that svelte myself for decades!

 

[CRJR45]

Can you link the products you used?
You talking Home Depot spray can foam?
Thx

Yes , for the interior side of the bed where all the cutouts were I took cheap foam sponges to stuff in and around each hole to frame it , then used the large gap great stuff to seal it up .
Still there after a year .
This is the heater I used , it was chintzy looking but worked great .
I did substitute a marine gas tank instead of what they supplied but theirs would’ve worked fine.
I had a hole were a fifth wheel hitch was in the center of my bed so I mounted it there and covered it with the sleeping platform .
Ran the exhaust out the bottom one way and the intake the other .

The control is the square thing and the round thing is where the heat comes out .
The heater is under the bed .

https://a.co/d/05H5GCSc

 

[CRJR45]

I made the frame so I could take it apart when I wasn’t camping , it’s stands up next to my freezer .
The green ratchet strap goes around the frame and “clamps” it to the side wall .
The plywood just lifts out for storage or to be stored.
The air mattress is cheap from Wallyworld but works great . Comes with a 12 v pump
JUST MAKE SURE TO DEFLATE IT WHEN YOU ATTAIN ALTITUDE , ask me how I know ,

 

[Weldor]

Excellent thread, I just sold my topper and put a quad hard tonneau on my truck. Went back to a 9x12 tent and cot, 6'4" so getting in and out of my 3/4 ton was a pain. Ram bed height is crazy, you need a small ladder to get in without tearing up your shin's. The topper is great for hauling a ton of gear, but at 65 I'm down sizing all the gear I used to carry. If I need a bigger camp to go out of state I still have my 16" enclosed trailer.

 

[7mm-08]

Here are a few videos from YouTube that I suggest OP watch before he wades into the truck bed sealing effort - trust me, its a rabbit hole. I also highly suggest a mechanism to provide positive pressure to the canopy when driving on dusty roads. Even opening the front window of the canopy between the canopy and bed is a great idea.

 

[CRJR45]

I used the butyl also .
But it seems like a carpet kit would seal all that up .
I did watch those videos and more .
I got most of my ideas from this site

Take The Truck | Truck Camping & Overland Travel

How we fixed up an old pickup, and set out on a life of truck camping and overlanding adventures. And how you can too!

www.takethetruck.com

 

[CRJR45]

Excellent thread, I just sold my topper and put a quad hard tonneau on my truck. Went back to a 9x12 tent and cot, 6'4" so getting in and out of my 3/4 ton was a pain. Ram bed height is crazy, you need a small ladder to get in without tearing up your shin's. The topper is great for hauling a ton of gear, but at 65 I'm down sizing all the gear I used to carry. If I need a bigger camp to go out of state I still have my 16" enclosed trailer.

I thought about a trailer but it would have to stored 10.5 months out of the year .
And my 3/4 is awkward to get in and out also .