Thoughts?

[Uncle Gump]

Ya'll should be saving this stuff for the Throwdown...

 

[PetroleumJunkie412]

I think 91stranger broke down on the way there.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Personally I like the old aluminum caps. I can easily lift it off and on by myself. The fiberglass I have to set up staging or some type of lift to get them on/off by myself.
When it comes to pretty much anything in life; Blang before Bling.

 

[Ranger850]

Living in Cali, I could see an advantage to the Canvas Toppers. Light weight, Little humidity, warm weather. The only thing I would worry about with a canvas topper, is wear and tear and UV damage.

 

[Ranger850]

whatever the F&$k that thing on the back of 91strangers truck is!!

That is a F*cking classic as far as Toppers go, like a vintage Austin Healy or something ...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Personally I like the old aluminum caps. I can easily lift it off and on by myself. The fiberglass I have to set up staging or some type of lift to get them on/off by myself.
When it comes to pretty much anything in life; Blang before Bling.

Kind of a 6 of one half a dozen of the other thing.

Aluminum is lighter and easier to remove. Fiberglass has no joints to leak and can look a little more sleek. There is no real perfect answer

My fiberglass one was $40 on CL.

 

[Josh B]

Another consideration is will you wish to add a lumber rack.

Around 98/2000 I had a Chevy LUV with an old aluminum topper and lived in an almost pristine wilderness area 15 minutes from the TN state capitol building downtown Nashville, in an old fallin down shack for little of nothin, but part of the deal with the landowner was I would fix it up along the way.
I worked on large construction projects as a carpenter, one was a third floor addition and total remodel of a Dillard's there, when I got in on it they had 6 or 8 large dumpsters out back, and could not get the company to haul them away fast enough. We were working a straight 7 days a week, 10 hour days except on Sunday we'd work a "short" 8 hour day.
Haha just remembered this, WSM AM radio there had a bluegrass music segment every morning @ 5:45AM to 6AM, we started at 6 and I'd pull into the parking area with good ol bluegrass music blarin away
I went by an Ace Hardware after work one day and picked up some 1/8 x 1" angles and some corners and stuff, went home and built a rack onto the topper, drilled and bolted straight onto the frame.
Over the next 6 months or so I filled up the old barn at home with plywood, carpet, trim, etc etc, hek they even gave me about a dozen large unopened bundles of insulation, a load of 2x10s and 2x12s that could have flipped the thing if I had tried to corner too fast.
When that one job was over, I got a lay off and started working about 70 hours a week on the house. I lived there about 7 years and even though it was still an old shack it looked pretty decent and was definitely Not falling down.

Around 2003 I bought an old ragged out 73 Chevy fleetside and put a nice looking LEER on it for $200.
Somewhere in there I tried to find a way to add a rack to it, but it just didn't have the framework the Aluminum had

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I made a roof rack for my fiberglass topper. Used 2"x1/8" flatstock on the inside, and outside same welded in a T. The tail of the T points up and a 1.5" fence tube is welded on. 2 bolts pinch the fiberglass. I've had some major loads on that setup for years and never a problem.
I also have a front receiver that I've made an insert for longer loads. I have carried my 24' aluminum planks on that with no problem.

 

[racsan]

I have both a fiberglass and aluminum cap, both were free, to buy new the ‘glass is alot more expensive. I use the aluminum cap on the ranger trailer as its off more than it is on. The truck has the glass cap and on the rare occasion I need to have it off I just park beside the ranger trailer and transfer it over. Its pretty darn heavy.

 

[sgtsandman]

One thing you’ll have to worry about with a soft shell that hasn’t already been mentioned is the same problem that people with convertibles have. If a potential thief sees something they like, its easy to slash and grab.

Not to say that a hard shell window can’t be busted to do the same thing but there is a bit more security with them.

In the end, it’s going to be a personal preference on what you go with. Each has it’s benefits and negatives. I obviously prefer fiberglass. Sleeker looking and not as noisy to sleep in. The compromise would be the aluminum cap. Lighter and cheaper than fiberglass and more secure and can support a rack for oversized items.

 

[scotts90ranger]

My Ranger came with a WOOD framed canopy when I got it, when I was in good shape in high school it took myself and my brother to lift that dang thing... I have an aluminum canopy for mine that I haven't had on in a few years but it can't weigh 100 pounds... I haven't ever looked at new cost but last time I looked the canvas canopies were super expensive.

With anything said, I'm not one to buy much of anything new, but then again I don't miss not having a canopy on either my Ranger or F350, might consider putting the canopy on the '97 Ranger though... at least the canopy is red on a red Ranger instead of a white Ranger...