Camper shell or Bed cover??

[Gunnyart]

I ended up with a cheap knock off “backflip” type. I prefer the ability to quickly get it out of the way or even completely off without help. Quality shells are dang heavy and bulky. A two man job for sure then you have to put it somewhere.
I hate how bad my cheap cover sucks in dirt. I don’t know if it’s strictly the cover’s fault or the lack of seal around the tailgate but low pressure sucks dust in, covering everything.

[Lungbustr]

Bothing better than a camper shell with the windows that open down the sides.

Gives the dog kennel a nice area out of the weather and plenty of room for hunting gear. Its insane what all fits back there on a trip with an 8 foot bed.

[MLank]

If I had more money, I'd have gone with a camper and have this set up in my garage for one man on-off capabilities. But I don't, so I went with a $190 soft cover that rolls up off amazon.

[Mike D]

Camper shell or Bed cover??

I’ve had both and each has pros and cons.

The pro to a shell is more available space to store tall items and you can build a decked system where you can have roll out storage below and a place to throw an air mattress on top for boondock camping.

The downside is more cost, harder to remove and to some degree less visibility; although with all of the cameras on the new trucks that should never be an issue.

The pro to a bed cover is lower profile, arguably less appealing to thieves to break into and if you buy the correct one that folds out of the way you can use the full bed.

I bought the Fold a Cover G4 Elite with the integrated tool storage box. I chose it over the Bakflip because it folds completely flat rather than blocking the rear window when folded.


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[Jmh05]

The bed cover is ok, just remember you can only stack stuff as deep as your bed depth. I started with a bed cover that I can remove and I use it for trips. What I've learned is that I want a camper shell. It allows you to put so much more back there and keep it protected.

Neither of these, I want on my truck full time. I basically just want it for road trips. My next truck, I will get a shell.

[WyoBull]

I have had both shells and tonneau covers over the years. I like shells the best right up until I want to throw my 4 wheeler in the back and can’t.
I really liked my Roll-n-Lock but they take up space at the front of the bed.
If I did another one based on my experiences, a shell would be the way I would go and just throw my 4 wheeler on my utility trailer. They are handy for a lot of things but regardless which way you go, you have to use weather seal around the tailgate to prevent dust getting sucked into the bed. Nothing worse than having your gear all nice and clean only to arrive at camp with a 1/4 inch of dust all over everything.


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[LWC]

I love my camper shell. Bought it a couple years ago for a hunt in Wyoming. Figured I would leave it off most of the time. I took it off once to pull a gooseneck and put it right back on. Handy as a pocket on a shirt.

[ELKAHOLIC]

A shell. They come off and on pretty easy with the help of a buddy.

[Jmh05]

Anybody have pics of their truck/shell combo?

[SaltwaterSlick]

Had both, liked both, but my last 4 trucks have had ARE tonneau covers on them. With the higher sides of the bed on an F-150 and the little bit of extra room provided by the ARE cover, I can get everything I need in it, and that's a LOT! I had a back-flip style and hated it. half of my coolers would not fit and let the cover sit right on the bed. No problem with the ARE. Camper shells are nice, but not necessarily secure. The ones with windows allow potential thieves to case your gear and make up their mind if they want to chance a break-in if they see hunting/fishing equipment, nice tools, etc. Plus, once they decide to break not your shell, they can take their time and break into the truck through the back glass and clean it out too... Had a hunting buddy get his truck cleaned out at a motel when he stopped overnight on his way to a hunt out West. Came out the next morning and truck was cleaned out completely! took his clothes, everything out of the bed and inside the cab of the truck...

[powderburner]

This is what I have and love it. It rolls up and can lock it in place. heavy duty

https://retrax.com/retraxpro-aluminum-series

[S-3 Ranch]

I will likely go with a camper shell and DECKED storage system for my next truck. Current truck has a bed cover and, as others have said, the height limits me fairly often.

I am thinking about same setup
I have a cross bed tool box and am getting fed up with climbing up in truck to search for tools, parts, ect
Plus I can add some work lighting and electrical inverters

[VanX]

Bed cover gets my vote

I've had several covers on 3 trucks over the years. Leer camper shell, Xtang soft tonneau and Diamondback HD aluminum cover.

Xtang was a good quality vinyl cover that rolled up easily allowing access to the bed. Had it several years and performed well and looked good and was mostly weather resistant. I wanted an upgrade and thought camper shell would be a better solution for full weather-proof storage.

Leer shell offered great protection from the elements but not as secure as I'd planned. Windows allowed thieves to see inside so I still worried about valuables while road-tripping. Ultimately, got a 4 wheeler which needed to be transported in the bed so I took off the shell and it stayed off for years. I also envisioned solo camping trips sleeping in the back but that only happened a few times over the 7 years it was on.

The Diamondback HD has proved to be the ultimate bed coverage option for me. It is expensive, but offers maximum protection with gear in the bed out of sight and would take thieves alot of effort to get it open. Best option is that the 4 wheeler rides on top allowing storage underneath for gear. It also doubles as a great stable platform when I'm filling feeders! Bought it used. Watched Craigslist for a while and paid about 1/3 of what it cost new. Came with two nice toolboxes and 12' folding ramps for the ATV.

It comes off in 3 pieces when I need to load taller items the full length of bed. Also, I have simply opened the back cover and folded it over onto itself and secured with bungee strap when loading taller items into the back of the bed.

[Casey]

Retractable bed cover...Retrax to be more specific.