are pickup truck camper caps brand specific?

randy41 · May 7, 2014

i've got a 99 f-150 standard cab 8' bed 4wd pickup that i need to get a cap for. when i'm looking on cl for a used one do i need to get one that 'fits' my pickup? or are all 8' caps the same size?

AaronS · May 7, 2014

They are not all exactly the same. While they may be 8 ft long, different models of trucks vary in width. Some are wider in front than rear, etc. Most larger cap companies make model specific caps. If you find a good deal on CL though, set it on the truck and check it out. It may be close enough that you're happy and you save big money.

smstonypoint · May 7, 2014

randy41 said:
i've got a 99 f-150 standard cab 8' bed 4wd pickup that i need to get a cap for. when i'm looking on cl for a used one do i need to get one that 'fits' my pickup? or are all 8' caps the same size?

I'm no expert, but I think caps may be brand//model specific. I'm thinking about replacing my 2005 Tundra with a new Tundra. I have been happy with the ARE cap on the 2005 model and so I checked the ARE website to look at their current cap models: A.R.E. : Manufacturer of Truck Caps, Truck Canopies, Truck Toppers, Camper Shells, Hard Tonneau Covers, Work Caps, Fiberglass Tops, and Truck Accessories.. Some of the cap models are not available for Tundras.

Steve

k0ua · May 7, 2014

AaronS said:
They are not all exactly the same. While they may be 8 ft long, different models of trucks vary in width. Some are wider in front than rear, etc. Most larger cap companies make model specific caps. If you find a good deal on CL though, set it on the truck and check it out. It may be close enough that you're happy and you save big money.

What he said. Even same make and model but different year may or may not be different.. Either get the exact thing, or check it out yourself by try fitting.

motownbrowne · May 7, 2014

smstonypoint said:
I'm no expert, but I think caps may be brand//model specific. I'm thinking about replacing my 2005 Tundra with a new Tundra. I have been happy with the ARE cap on the 2005 model and so I checked the ARE website to look at their current cap models: A.R.E. : Manufacturer of Truck Caps, Truck Canopies, Truck Toppers, Camper Shells, Hard Tonneau Covers, Work Caps, Fiberglass Tops, and Truck Accessories.. Some of the cap models are not available for Tundras.

Steve

Some are definitely brand/model specific. Those of us with older trucks and 8' beds get lucky sometimes, though. I got my leer for $150. Took it off a dodge, put it on my Ford. Guy I got it from bought it from a Chevy owner.

My wife used to have a Tacoma. Not as lucky with that one. Had to search a while to find a used one.

To the op: just depends how you want it to look. If I recall, that era Ford had a weird little cut out under the rear glass in the cab. They make canopies to fit that, but you could probably get away with a different one. Good luck.

deepNdirt · May 8, 2014

I've had camper caps on almost every truck I've owned, in the early 70's to mid 90's they were somewhat interchangeable, being the widths were the same, The length of course is what had to be correct, when I bought my '99 f-250 I mistakenly bought a used camper cap from an earlier model f-150 which had the same length bed, Paying no attention to the width I realized when transferring it over the camper was stepped in by 2" each side at the front rail of the bed, and at the rear it hung past by more than 1" each side, What I learned was the new f-250 design had a tapered bed ( wider at the cab and narrow at the rear ) Not only this but the cab height is higher over the camper cap by 2 1/2 inches. To bad for me because this was a very nice elite camper cap for a good price,
I latter found one that fit perfectly but was Black and did not match my white truck

although I went ahead and bought it with intention of painting it later, however it never happen before I sold it, a few years later I found another perfect fit and was white, although had a broken side glass, scored it for 50.00

Same- ol-thing ... any time I needed to haul something the camper is on,so I wound up removing it, it lays around for 6 months gets dirty and weathered so I sell it,

I think the answer to you question is ( YES ) on most if not all of the later year model trucks a camper has to be spacific to the truck, and this is why I think has run the cost of them up so high, anywhere from 1000-to-2500 bucks for a camper cap.... Not for me..

I look for used ones,:thumbsup: