Aftermarket tailgate cap

[m-l_johnny]

I recently got a topper camper. The hatch and tailgate close and mesh beautifully. When closed or opened together. Because of the air-dam swoop, or whatever that profile is called, the topper hatch won't swing past it while the tailgate is closed, but the tailgate will open without the hatch needing to open. So I'm looking for a flat replacement

I've done some searching on the interwebz, but there doesn't appear to be much, if any aftermarket support for this type of thing. 4 Wheel Parts has listed two brands, Lund, which is a generic cap and looks like it has ribs, which won't work for my application. The other brand is Westin, which is marked as on backorder. Searching on Westin's website didn't really give any information as to availability.

I'm on the verge of making my own.
Anyone have any further info?

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[Mr._Bill]

Move the cap forward a small amount. That should allow it to open and close without opening the tailgate.

 

[m-l_johnny]

Thanks for that idea. The company that made the topper installed it. I’ll have to look to see if that’s possible without getting too far forward of the front bulkhead.
Guess that means putting the tailgate cap back on for a test. It was a pain to remove with all the clips.

 

[Mr._Bill]

If it helps any, this is how my RSI Smartcap sat on my 2020 Overland. You should be able to loosen the clamps and move it forward. It should not need much, maybe an 1/8 or 1/4 of an inch.

 

[Waltzforzizi]

If thats an RSI Smart cap, they used the wrong gasket when then installed your topper. The gasket at least on mine gaps it about maybe 3/8 to a 1/2 inch, which allows the back to open. Forgot to mention that RSI also supplies this square hocky pucks as spacers between the bed rails and the cap to properly space it. Doesn't look like your cap has it.

 

[m-l_johnny]

Mr Bill, thanks for your suggestion to move the topper forward.
I had about 1/2” adjustment play. Unfortunately it made no difference. The rear wall of the topper is very close, to if not vertical, so that 1/2“ didn’t make any difference in the arc swing.

It was worth a try!

 

[Mr._Bill]

Mr Bill, thanks for your suggestion to move the topper forward.
I had about 1/2” adjustment play. Unfortunately it made no difference. The rear wall of the topper is very close, to if not vertical, so that 1/2“ didn’t make any difference in the arc swing.

It was worth a try!

I'm not sure about the design of what you have installed. Another possibility is some foam blocks under the rear corners to raise it up just a bit (or minimize lowering from clamp compression).

 

[m-l_johnny]

I would be concerned about not having a decent seal on either the tailgate, sides or both.
I don’t consider this to be an insurmountable problem. Just need to find the least complex solution

 

[Mr._Bill]

It depends on the design. The Smartcap has a flat bottom with a weather seal around the outer edge. Foam blocks had to be placed in the rear corners, between the inside edge and the outer seal. This minimized compression when the clamps were tightened to keep the rear hatch from being pushed downward into the tailgate.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

I recently got a topper camper. The hatch and tailgate close and mesh beautifully. When closed or opened together. Because of the air-dam swoop, or whatever that profile is called, the topper hatch won't swing past it while the tailgate is closed, but the tailgate will open without the hatch needing to open. So I'm looking for a flat replacement

I've done some searching on the interwebz, but there doesn't appear to be much, if any aftermarket support for this type of thing. 4 Wheel Parts has listed two brands, Lund, which is a generic cap and looks like it has ribs, which won't work for my application. The other brand is Westin, which is marked as on backorder. Searching on Westin's website didn't really give any information as to availability.

I'm on the verge of making my own.
Anyone have any further info?

What topper do you have??

 

[m-l_johnny]

What topper do you have??

It’s a Snap Outfitters Treehouse. First one they’ve made for a Gladiator

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

It’s a Snap Outfitters Treehouse. First one they’ve made for a Gladiator

https://www.snapoutfitters.com/campersandcaps
100% would be going back to them for the fix to this…. Reading their about, they pride themselves on their hand made craftsmanship.


I am fascinated. What drove your decision to go with the treehouse over the GFC???
https://gofastcampers.com/

 

[m-l_johnny]

I am fascinated. What drove your decision to go with the treehouse over the GFC???

Several reasons, not in any particular order and not necessarily conclusive.
I’m not fond of needing to open hatches of the sleeping area to enter or egress. That’s one of the main reasons we’re moving away from the JK with the Ursa Minor. The Ursa has been fantastic for us, but we’re not spring chickens anymore. lol (The JK with the Ursa is still for sale, btw )
They are local, hour and a half drive from us. After doing cost comparisons of several toppers, all of them came in pretty close to the same overall cost with the desired options. With them I didn’t have to take a week off work to drive across the country to get it, or pay several thousands in shipping costs.
Working with them has been great. If there is a feature or option that is wanted but isn’t listed on their option list, they are still very much open to providing that. Perhaps that may be true of some of the other companies, but I wasn’t getting that vibe off the other’s websites. Main example, I made quick release attachments for the 270 awning. Ross readily incorporated those into the brackets he made.
I’ve only had this topper for a few weeks and have yet to camp in it, however, now that I’ve had the chance to really crawl around and look at the build, I’m very pleased. I’m a toolmaker/ machinist by trade/ occupation with many years in manufacturing and aerospace, so I know crappy work when I see it. This topper is well made.

Getting back to the original theme of this thread, last night I buttoned up an idea I’ve had since before taking delivery. That is an inside tailgate latch release. It’s the orange strap with the handle. The red is to aid in closing the tailgate. Now that it works, the tailgate cap issue takes a much lower priority. Time will tell, but I kind of like the idea that the hatch won’t easily open without the tailgate opening, which locks with the cab doors.
I’m going to make another thread with how I did it. Pretty simple, really.

 

[Cascade253]

I picked up a Super Pacific X1 camper, they replaced my tailgate cap with a flat one they made to solve the issue of getting stuck inside of the camper. Not sure if they'd be willing to sell one just on it's own but may be worth an email. I do like the pull handle idea and will likely end up copying you on that.

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