Bed Cap for my 2022 Gladiator Overland

[WambliSka]

I'm thinking A.R.E. CX but open to suggestions. This is my first mod to my 2 month old baby...

This one...

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[onewhippedpuppy]

I went with the ARE and am mostly happy with it. Mine had fingerprints in the paint when it arrived and I was just SOL. Right side window was incorrectly installed and leaked, dealer fixed it but some of the inside screws were stripped afterwards. Front corners leaked, fixed after a go back to dealer. Latches didn’t latch, dealer “fixed” it once and they still could be pulled open by tugging the glass. Just fixed it myself.

Aside from the dealer and ARE QC issues I like the topper, really my only complaint is that I wish the rear window opened higher because I hit my head on the latches and the window struts don’t lift the window, you have to pull it open by hand. I like the streamlined window and latch design more than what I’ve had on previous ARE toppers, but I wish you could get the one piece frameless side windows like the Revo. Despite my complaints I would buy one again, though probably from another dealer.

 

[WambliSka]

That’s a great looking Gladiator. Thanks for the insight!

 

[HooliganActual]

What are you going to be using it for? Are you looking for something just to match the aesthetics of the vehicle or will you be more utilitarian with it such as using it for overlanding, etc. this info could be helpful for making recommendations as various canopies have different roof load ratings…

 

[WambliSka]

What are you going to be using it for? Are you looking for something just to match the aesthetics of the vehicle or will you be more utilitarian with it such as using it for overlanding, etc. this info could be helpful for making recommendations as various canopies have different roof load ratings…

I won’t need a rack on it. Mostly to protect my hunting and/or camping gear while traveling. General hauling of stuff that I don’t want in the open like range gear, ammo boxes etc.

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

For color match (assuming that’s what you’re angling for) I’d go with the ARE CX.

If you don’t care about color match and want something a bit different, you could try RSI SmartCap.

If you were open to even more utilitarian looking than the RSI, there’s Alu-Cab. They now have two models: 1. Standard Explorer, like I’ve got. And 2. “Contour.” The Contour has a few design changes and looks a lot like the RSI.

 

[WambliSka]

For color match (assuming that’s what you’re angling for) I’d go with the ARE CX.

If you don’t care about color match and want something a bit different, you could try RSI SmartCap.

If you were open to even more utilitarian looking than the RSI, there’s Alu-Cab.

Hummmm, hadn’t thought of going that route but I can see the advantages of yiur setup. Will look into those ?

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Hummmm, hadn’t thought of going that route but I can see the advantages of yiur setup. Will look into those ?

Its definitely different, appearance wise. It’s nice to be able to open it up when working in the bed (I did that this weekend). Good luck with your search. ?

 

[HooliganActual]

Its definitely different, appearance wise. It’s nice to be able to open it up when working in the bed (I did that this weekend). Good luck with your search. ?

I have the Alu-Cab Expedition canopy too and love it; but as you’ve stated, it really doesn’t match the aesthetics the same way some of the fiberglass toppers do. I love it’s versatility and @WambliSka you mind appreciate it as well for your use case.

The top of the canopy has rails which make adding load bars a breeze. You may not need that feature right now, but it sure makes future decisions much easier. Another thing that I absolutely love is that there are 3 or 4 cross rails on the interior ceiling that makes it a snap to hang things from the roof inside. So let’s say you want to hang a backpack rather than have it laying down in the bed. Simply slide an M8 bolt into the rail and attach whatever hook, D-ring, etc that you want. I recently hung a Ram Mount X-Grip off the rail closest to the tailgate to hold a Bluetooth speaker: took less than a minute.

Additionally, Alu-Cab has lots of add-ones that can go with it. For example, I got mine with side cupboards.

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

The loading rails are also an option on the ARE, I’m not sure of the load capacity. I got them just in case for the future. I suspect the aluminum cap options probably have more load carrying capability than the fiberglass ARE.

 

[WambliSka]

Wow you guys are very helpful. You’re giving me a lot of food for thought about future requirements I hadn’t even thought about. I intend to hang on to this vehicle for a long time and flexibility is a consideration. As my dad always told me “Buy right, cry once.”.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Century/leer here.
If I could do it over again I would go with a go fast racing camper or an alucab.
Reasons? Weight handling, and material they are made of.

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

Wow you guys are very helpful. You’re giving me a lot of food for thought about future requirements I hadn’t even thought about. I intend to hang on to this vehicle for a long time and flexibility is a consideration. As my dad always told me “Buy right, cry once.”.

Thats why I paid extra for the rails. My odds of getting a RTT are pretty slim, but this gives me the future option to haul long stuff like lumber if needed.

All of these have optional features too, not free but you may find more stuff that you “need”.

 

[Barnaby’sdad]

Thats why I paid extra for the rails. My odds of getting a RTT are pretty slim, but this gives me the future option to haul long stuff like lumber if needed.

All of these have optional features too, not free but you may find more stuff that you “need”.

Yup. I removed my rails, as I don’t need them at the moment (I went back and forth on going ahead and buying them). If I decide to get a kayak or something, I’ve got them setup and ready to roll.

I had to wait months for my camper shell. Who knows what availability will be like 6+ months from now. If there’s something you might want with it at some point, I’d go ahead and order it now.

 

[HooliganActual]

I figured I'd post some more info since I'm actually at a computer today (I was just on my phone previously). @WambliSka I absolutely subscribe to the "Buy Once, Cry Once" philosophy. Over the course of many Jeeps in the last 40 years, I certainly try to learn from previous "I wish I would have..." scenarios and have certainly tried to be more conscious of doing it right the first time.

I'm not an Alu-Cab rep but more a "fanboy" so I'll share some of the things that really swayed me towards Alu-Cab. The one that probably swayed me the most (because of my use case) is that Alu-Cab has the perfect test environment for their product and, hands down, their stuff is super reliable and well thought out. I'm not saying that other canopy/cap/topper manufacturers don't know what they are doing, but Alu-Cab's test market is all of the South African safari and expedition rental vehicles. So they have a huge source of feedback for what works and doesn't work for an offroading vehicle in a high risk use scenario (rentals). Again, not sleighting other topper manufacturers, but their first priority is making aesthetically pleasing covers to protect your stuff.

Next, I don't know what the load capacities are for all of the other topper out there; but the Alu-Cab Gladiator Double Cab Canopy (which is on my Gladiator) and the new Contour Canopy are rated at 350lbs Dynamic and 800lbs Static. Anecdotally, it's hard to find the load capacities on other canopies because it's really not what most were designed for; but, typically the fiberglass ones run around 400lbs Static; so probably half that for a dynamic load. This means that as soon as you put an RTT on those canopies (mine weighs 130lbs plus the weight of the load bars, attachment hardware, prolly 150lbs) you are starting to push their limits when you are traveling down a bumpy trail.

Here is some Alu-Cab Canopy p0rn:
As I said previous, load bars are easily attached to the roof rails (by an 8mm bolt) and that makes adding things (future expansion) that much easier. Note the Rigid scene lighting hanging from the end of the load bars; again just takes an 8mm bolt.

There is an internal rail at the base of the canopy that allows the clamping of the canopy to the Mopar Trail Rail System. See the silver clamping setup in the foreground near the sprayer nozzle. I've heard many people complain about other toppers coming loose constantly and mine has been rock solid for two years and 20,000 rugged miles:

I love the cupboard option for these canopies; in this one, I riveted in a soft Molle panel and store recovery gear so that it is at the ready when needed. (EDIT: Side note, for those who look at those big heavy shackles and cringe at the high centered weight, it's an old picture and there are now a set of soft shackles hanging there):

And one of my favorite standard features of the Alu-Cab is the internal roof rails as I mentioned in my previous post. I have my axe, shovel and RTT ladder hanging from them.

As well as the previously mentioned Bluetooth speaker for when I'm cooking or working on the tailgate:

And just a close-up of the internal rail. If you look at the next rail back (or I guess that is technically forward) you can see the widened "hole" in the rail that allows the placement of the 8mm bolts:

If I were to do it all again, I would definitely go with an Alu-Cab. Their service has been great and their main US dealer, OK4WD, have been amazing. Also, if I were to do it again, I would seriously consider the Contour Canopy; although I believe it is a little smaller, they added a couple new features, the best of which I think, is the vent in the forward center part of the canopy that allows the canopy to pressurize when driving to minimize dust ingress.

Cheers and Happy Hunting!

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