To select a camper shells for a truck, you must first measure the dimension of the truck bed. A camper shell must match the dimensions of the truck bed so that the camper shell fits corectly. There are three specific dimensions that you must measure to ensure a correct fit, and these dimensions are the bed length, the inner width between the wheel well, and the height from the bed floor to the bed rail.
The bed length determine if the camper shell is long enough for your cargo, and the inner width between the wheel wells determine if your cargo can fit between the wheel wells. The height from the bed floor to the bed rail determines how much headroom you will have inside the camper shell. Different truck model have different bed dimensions, and these different bed dimensions require different camper shells.
How to Choose a Camper Shell for Your Truck
For example, a compact midsize truck may have a shorter bed of approximately five feet, but a full-size truck may have a bed that is six and a half feet or eight feet long. Because a truck bed can be narrow or wide, you must measure the width between the wheel wells to ensure the camper shell is wide enough. If you do not measure the width between the wheel wells, you may buy a camper shell that is to narrow for your equipment.
Additionally, the height of the bed rail will determine which camper shell style you can use, because the camper shell style must accommodate the height of the truck bed. There are several different camper shell styles, and each camper shell style serve a different purpose. A cab high camper shell follows the roofline of the truck cab, and people often use a cab-high camper shell to improve aerodynamics.
A mid-rise camper shell provides more height then a cab-high camper shell, but a mid-rise camper shell may decrease fuel efficiency more than a cab-high camper shell. A walk-in camper shell provide the most headroom, and a walk-in camper shell allows a person to stand upright inside the camper shell. You must choose a camper shell style that matches your need, because choosing the wrong camper shell style may result in insufficient headroom or excessive wind resistance.
The material of the camper shell affect the weight of the camper shell and the cost of the camper shell. Fiberglass is a common material for camper shells, and fiberglass is lightweight and resistant to rust. Aluminum is another material used for camper shells, and aluminum is heavy-duty and resistant to dent.
ABS plastic is a material that people often use to keep the cost of the camper shell low, and ABS plastic is resistant to ultraviolet light. Steel is a material that can carry heavy load, but steel is heavy and steel require coatings to prevent corrosion. Because the weight of the camper shell affects fuel consumption, a lighter camper shell is often better for a daily driver.
A camper shell can include many different features, and these features can make the camper shell more functional. Side windows allow air to enter the camper shell, and rear doors allow you to load item into the truck bed easily. Roof vent help to remove condensation from inside the camper shell, and roof racks allow you to attach item like bikes to the top of the camper shell.
You should check the weight rating of your roof rack, because a roof rack that exceed its weight rating can become unstable. You must install the camper shell securely to the truck, and you must use the correct mounting hardware to secure the camper shell. Clamps is used to secure a camper shell without drilling holes in the truck, and drilling is used to secure a camper shell permanent.
You must use weatherstripping when you install a camper shell, because weatherstripping prevent water from leaking into the truck bed. If water leak into the truck bed, the water can cause the truck bed to rot over time. Finally, you should ensure that the camper shell include a brake light plug so that your vehicle remains legal to operate on the road.
