Camper Shell

Like a tortoise I now have a house where ever I go. Ever since getting my new truck I have been looking for a camper shell. I say looking for one, because I want to find a used one. A new camper shell of this type cost anywhere from $1200 to $2100 new, and I didn't feel like paying such a premium, when the last shell I bought cost me $40. Since my truck is newer and a mid size, a used shell was not easy to find. I also wanted to find one that was made specifically for my truck rather than a generic, or for another truck with similar dimensions. My search lead me into the heart of Sacramento to pick up a white Leer shell.

Other than being made for my truck I had very little requirements. Beggars can't be choosers right. Sure I would have liked one that was the right color, or that it was slightly taller than the cab for more living space, but the only real requirement I had was that the back glass have a slider and no rubber boot to mate to the truck. Rubber boots usually rub against the cab of the truck and wear the paint off. Without a boot, a piece of glass is usually put in place to keep the shell weather tight. I wanted a slider, in this glass, so that I could access the bed space from the cab. From the picture on the left you can see that the cab and the shell do not touch. You can also see the perfect fit of the shell as it curves to match the lines of the truck body.

I was not sure exactly how I was going to be securing the shell to the bed, so when I went down to pick up the shell I brought a handful of various clamps to hold it down. Clamping the thing down in this fashion was more than secure enough for highway cruising. Off road however would have been a different story. A permanent solution for holding the shell in place was still needed. In the past I have drilled holes and bolted the shell to the truck's bed rails. But I also had a bed liner that I would replace when not running a shell to cover up any unsightly holes. I do not have an over the rail bed linear for this truck, and thus that was not an option. I know that they also made camper shell clamps that might work. What I found instead was a clamping system called the Leer "J" hook. In fact they are not "J" hooks at all, but act very similar to one. A section of an extruded material slides into the utility track. The shell has four protrusions which stick out further than the rails. The extruded slug has a tapped hole which a bolt runs through. Real slick! I was able to get these from my local camper shell shop in Reno for $10.

The last step to a compelete working shell was a quick visit to the lock smith. For $20 I had a new set of keys made to replace the ones that previous owner misplaced.

Total cost for my new shell:

$280- shell it self (this is a steal, I would have paid double, maybe even triple)

$25- in gas for the pick up

$10- clamps

$20- keys

=$335