Bulldog10
Well-Known Member
Gladiator Tire Carrier - Bed Rail | WilcoOffroad.com-Pricey but works well and as you can see even with RSIcap!
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Tinyrigco
New Member
- First Name
- Tiny Rig Co
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- Apr 30, 2021
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- Southern California
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- Gladiator
- Occupation
- Adventure Vehicle Outfitters
You should swing by the shop and check out our Canopy Camper.
As an engineer, I think you will appreciate how thoughtful the design is.
As an engineer, I think you will appreciate how thoughtful the design is.
MTNest
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- Marshall
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- Mar 25, 2021
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- Lakewood, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 Gladiator Willys
- Occupation
- University Administrator
Here's my Willys with the Leer 100XQ.
The Leer is a quality product with lots going for it - and a few things to think about. For starters, the fact that it's fiberglass doesn't bother me at all - so is the top of the Jeep. It's plenty strong enough to hold my RTT. It follows the body lines of the Jeep well, though as some will note, the leading edge of the cap has an odd curve at the bottom that doesn't follow the line of the back edge of the Jeep top. The textured black finish is supposed to mimic the Jeep top, but the cap is a bit more shiny and the texture is not quite the same. These weren't deal breakers for me. The slope at the back of the cap is not as dramatic as the ARE, which was selling point for me as I think the ARE slopes a bit too much. I have found that SOME slope is a good thing, as I sometimes carry bikes on a hitch mounted bike rack, and the slope provides some extra room for handle bars. The interior of the cap is carpeted, which is nice - it reduces noise, provides a bit of insulation, and as a bonus is a great place to put patches. One disadvantage is that while the windows look sleek, they don't flip open - only the back edges and bottoms of the windows pop out - similar to the windows on a minivan (except the Leer has removable screens inside). This provides airflow without allowing rain to enter (at least if you aren't moving and the wind isn't blowing in the wrong direction). For some, this will be a deal breaker as you only have access to cargo through the tailgate/rear window. After a cross-country trip, I've gotten used to climbing inside to get stuff. A small folding step ladder has proven to be a great friend - both for getting into the bed and accessing the top of the Jeep. The window against the back of the truck top has a slide (again - great for airflow when both the cap and Jeep sliding windows are open - or for dogs to stick their heads through) and it is easily removable with just a couple of clips so you have access to both sides of the glass (topper and Jeep) for easy cleaning. All in all, I am very happy with the Leer. It wasn't cheap, but it was a lot less expensive than the RSI SmartCap which was the other cap I seriously considered.
The Leer is a quality product with lots going for it - and a few things to think about. For starters, the fact that it's fiberglass doesn't bother me at all - so is the top of the Jeep. It's plenty strong enough to hold my RTT. It follows the body lines of the Jeep well, though as some will note, the leading edge of the cap has an odd curve at the bottom that doesn't follow the line of the back edge of the Jeep top. The textured black finish is supposed to mimic the Jeep top, but the cap is a bit more shiny and the texture is not quite the same. These weren't deal breakers for me. The slope at the back of the cap is not as dramatic as the ARE, which was selling point for me as I think the ARE slopes a bit too much. I have found that SOME slope is a good thing, as I sometimes carry bikes on a hitch mounted bike rack, and the slope provides some extra room for handle bars. The interior of the cap is carpeted, which is nice - it reduces noise, provides a bit of insulation, and as a bonus is a great place to put patches. One disadvantage is that while the windows look sleek, they don't flip open - only the back edges and bottoms of the windows pop out - similar to the windows on a minivan (except the Leer has removable screens inside). This provides airflow without allowing rain to enter (at least if you aren't moving and the wind isn't blowing in the wrong direction). For some, this will be a deal breaker as you only have access to cargo through the tailgate/rear window. After a cross-country trip, I've gotten used to climbing inside to get stuff. A small folding step ladder has proven to be a great friend - both for getting into the bed and accessing the top of the Jeep. The window against the back of the truck top has a slide (again - great for airflow when both the cap and Jeep sliding windows are open - or for dogs to stick their heads through) and it is easily removable with just a couple of clips so you have access to both sides of the glass (topper and Jeep) for easy cleaning. All in all, I am very happy with the Leer. It wasn't cheap, but it was a lot less expensive than the RSI SmartCap which was the other cap I seriously considered.
MNMojave
New Member
- First Name
- Hank
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- Aug 2, 2021
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- Minneapolis, MN
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- 2021 Mojave
Pics with the bikes?Softopper with bike racks on each side. Can still fold and remove softopper without removing bike racks. Lots of work getting mounting platform to work but it was worth the effort. I hate bikes on the hitch, and wanted to be able to haul bikes without folding or removing softopper.
Bnashvegas
Member
- First Name
- Brian
- Joined
- May 9, 2019
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- 20
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- 33
- Location
- Mount Juliet TN
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Gladiator Overland, 2005 Jeep lj, 2010 Jeep commander limited, 2011 dodge 3500 dually
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Kilroy1941
Well-Known Member
That looks factory, I like it!I have the Leer top. Matches the OEM hard top the best in my opinion
Mash5
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Mark
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- Aug 28, 2020
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- 84
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- 79
- Location
- Eldorado County, California
- Vehicle(s)
- 21 Jeep Diesel SportS Gladiator, VW eGolf, Mazda3
RLD with the top off.
cobound
Member
- First Name
- Brian
- Joined
- May 13, 2019
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- MN
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- www.cobound.com
- Vehicle(s)
- 20 JTR LE; 14 JKUR Hemi, 1 Tons; 14 JK Sahara
- Occupation
- Sales
I got the RLD, waited 5 months for it - while it may look a bit utility, cable guy style, it flat out works, is adaptable to mods, light, metal - and repairable, if you will. More on that later...
Softoppers - for a myriad of reasons, security, wear, rack use...long list, just not for me.
Anyway, considered RSI, didn't like the potential for any leaks in putting it together - maybe a non issue, but I wheel it, flex it, and just didn't want the hassle of putting it together. Do think they are one of the best looking, sleek, and wouldn't turn one down.
Leer and ARE - don't like the material. ARE just had soooo many bad reviews, quality concerns, didn't even look further. Leer, I like it, if I were just a road pounding driver, or had a black top, I'd consider this one...but again, load capacity and material, both were out of the question.
Alucab and ATOverland - dream tops, maybe someday. Hard to attain, expensive, Jeep ownership is a process to some degree.
RLD - know a guy in the industry, we talked long about it, knowing what we do w/ our junk - and what kind of durability this had over others, I went this route. No side windows, they look hokey, and I don't have the need for ventilation, so I went w/ mounting surface and security (even tho I do have a rear window).
All that said, back to being repairable - after waiting 5 months for mine, I got it in late April, installed it, drove it for just short of 1.5 months and...in a blink of an eye - got rear ended
While my frame was tweaked, bed jacked...the cap took some slight bending in the base, notably up front along the window base...but I've since installed on another JT and it seals up, squares out, and only has some slight door rubs along the top when opening the sides. If that were any other material it would have shredded the front frame base and sides...I know it. That said, insurance was not going to fully cover it, so I kept it and super happy I did...it'll live for more adventures!!!
All that aside, to each his own - do what is in your budget, fits your needs, and be happy with it...cuz the ONLY one that needs to be happy is YOU!
And remember, they aren't permanent - they can be sold, replaced, improved upon, etc...you're not stuck with it. Lastly, I have a Harken Hoister for all my other hardtops (we own several Jeeps) and that baby works perfect for pulling the cap off in a heartbeat if I want to remove it.
Good luck to you all - get out there!
My LE before it was totaled - now I'm patiently waiting on a Rubicon Diesel that this will sit on :D
As it sits on my buddy's Mojave...he's tinkering w/ what cap to get, or a rack system...so I let him roll w/ it while I wait for mine - and a bit of selfishness, I get to see what it looks like in Snazz, the color I ordered - hhahahaaaahahaaa!!!
I like it!
Softoppers - for a myriad of reasons, security, wear, rack use...long list, just not for me.
Anyway, considered RSI, didn't like the potential for any leaks in putting it together - maybe a non issue, but I wheel it, flex it, and just didn't want the hassle of putting it together. Do think they are one of the best looking, sleek, and wouldn't turn one down.
Leer and ARE - don't like the material. ARE just had soooo many bad reviews, quality concerns, didn't even look further. Leer, I like it, if I were just a road pounding driver, or had a black top, I'd consider this one...but again, load capacity and material, both were out of the question.
Alucab and ATOverland - dream tops, maybe someday. Hard to attain, expensive, Jeep ownership is a process to some degree.
RLD - know a guy in the industry, we talked long about it, knowing what we do w/ our junk - and what kind of durability this had over others, I went this route. No side windows, they look hokey, and I don't have the need for ventilation, so I went w/ mounting surface and security (even tho I do have a rear window).
All that said, back to being repairable - after waiting 5 months for mine, I got it in late April, installed it, drove it for just short of 1.5 months and...in a blink of an eye - got rear ended
While my frame was tweaked, bed jacked...the cap took some slight bending in the base, notably up front along the window base...but I've since installed on another JT and it seals up, squares out, and only has some slight door rubs along the top when opening the sides. If that were any other material it would have shredded the front frame base and sides...I know it. That said, insurance was not going to fully cover it, so I kept it and super happy I did...it'll live for more adventures!!!
All that aside, to each his own - do what is in your budget, fits your needs, and be happy with it...cuz the ONLY one that needs to be happy is YOU!
And remember, they aren't permanent - they can be sold, replaced, improved upon, etc...you're not stuck with it. Lastly, I have a Harken Hoister for all my other hardtops (we own several Jeeps) and that baby works perfect for pulling the cap off in a heartbeat if I want to remove it.
Good luck to you all - get out there!
My LE before it was totaled - now I'm patiently waiting on a Rubicon Diesel that this will sit on :D
As it sits on my buddy's Mojave...he's tinkering w/ what cap to get, or a rack system...so I let him roll w/ it while I wait for mine - and a bit of selfishness, I get to see what it looks like in Snazz, the color I ordered - hhahahaaaahahaaa!!!
I like it!
SquirrelNuts
Well-Known Member
I just got a quote for a Leer topper with the roof rails (cross bars NOT included) and it was just over $4000. Ouch!
Have prices shot up that much in the last few months?
Have prices shot up that much in the last few months?
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SquirrelNuts
Well-Known Member
That's more where I was expecting it to fall; around $3500 USD.
Just got a quote for an ARE, matte black, carpet, slider front window, slider side windows, and roof rails for $3000 USD. I hear some recent quality concerns around ARE... but dang... thats a big price difference.
I'm really thinking about just getting a Bestop/Soft Topper for the time being and wait for production issues to settle down.
Bulldog10
Well-Known Member
I Got My Smart Cap last Year and Love It-Cost 3600.
SquirrelNuts
Well-Known Member
Yeah, those look really nice and their pricing is still the same. Just can't find them anywhere right now with no good idea of when they will be back in stock.I Got My Smart Cap last Year and Love It-Cost 3600.
ColoradoKH
Active Member
That looks really good. I ordered one in Dec, still waiting. I’m thinking about painting it to match. How did you get the RSI smartcap sticker off the back door?I Got My Smart Cap last Year and Love It-Cost 3600.
