There are quite a few options for the Tacoma owners when it comes to getting camper shells. The leading players are LEER, ARE, and SnugTop.
But if you’re after a camper shell to stay in, then the list goes on. Here we will look at how each one attaches and its features and provide you facts about each shell to help you make an informed decision.
Tacoma Habitat Shell Camper by AT Overland
The Tacoma Habitat Shell (pictured above) is a high-tech easy to operate camper shell. It’s a perfect fit for Toyota Tocomas. It’s the middle ground between a rooftop tent and a slide-in camper. Its robust design folds down tightly, with the outer shell providing strength to the overall structure. The roof can even be walked on when folded down. The design uses hydraulic struts that load the leveraged fold-out bed’s weight back onto the truck. This means the overhang doesn’t require any additional support. This design has a handful of features.
Features
- charging with USB ports
carpeted - Can stand up fully when extended
- All Aluminium rust-free
Go Fast Campers (GFC)
This Camper by GFC mounts seamlessly with your truck. It is a sleek, elegant design that doesn’t have to come off once it’s installed. The back pops up, opening up your little room, the windows all have fly screens and waterproofing, each side has two windows than the main entrance zipper as well. Then packed down, it is only 6 inches thick. In terms of mounting, there is plenty of options available. It has t-slots that allow you to bold this onto roof racks or install it on the back of the Tacoma.
Scout Yoho 6.0
This Washington-based Adventurer Manufacturing, the Scout Yoho 6.0 incorporates a number of industry-first add-ons to save on weight. This looks like a hotel on wheels; what do you think? Let’s start with the features, and I’ll let you make up your mind.
- Wifi
- Fridge/freezer
- dining table
- 6 ft bed
- aluminum build
Below is a floorplan of this design. The portable toilet sold me, and it’s something I hadn’t seen before. There is also a handful of extra options available, depending on your preference.
SnugTop
SnugTop is more prominent on the West Coast and generally has received a higher amount of praise from owners about the quality of their caps. With Leer and ARE about even. The 4th option is getting a soft camper online from Amazon or another vendor. There are even truck tents for Tacomas if you just need something for the occasional adventure.
Expect to pay between 1000 and 2500 for a hard shell camper from any of the big 3. They take a good amount of molding to be made into these shapes, and the quality of these items are pretty steadily tied to price.
If you want to save some money on one of these, you can try the second-hand market.
Snugtop Caps are available in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorada, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and finally Washington. That’s at the time of this write-up, they seem to be on the path to success so in the future there may be a closer location to you.
We recommend them based on user reviews of quality and overall happiness if you have a bigger budget. They do take the time to specifically make models for the Tacoma. They make these for a wide range of trucks, but if you’re looking for your Tacoma you can see their page here
Just like any of the big 3, expect to spend a bit to get the option you want. The user in the video below spent 3500 for his.
Leer Truck Caps
Leer is a much more established brand than Snugtop, and they have dealers in all 50 States(also Canada). They specialize in fiberglass truck caps and tonneaus, with prices generally about 15% less compared to Snug.
If your truck cap is installed by an authorized Leer dealer, you are granted a limited lifetime warranty. If you’d like to read about the warranty, it’s currently in an upside-down pdf on their website here. Below we have a review on the Toyota Tundra using a Leer camper. We couldn’t find a non-biased review featuring the Tacoma.
ARE Truck Caps
ARE is the last of the big players in the truck cap market, and they have 7 different styles to choose from. If you have a short bed, or want something with more volume, they have you covered. They’re available in all 50 states and Canada.
The review below features a decked-out Tacoma featuring the ARE camper. He has all the bells and whistles and is very happy with the snug fit of their fiberglass design.
Bestop 76301-35 Black Diamond Supertop for Truck Bed Cover for 2004-2017 Toyota Tacoma, 6.0' bed
If you’re not looking to get a hardshell, there is a soft top cap on the market for Tacoma owners.
The Bestop shell features a mesh design, and it’s about a 1/3rd of the price as most hard shell options.
Be sure this is actually what you want before purchasing it. There are limitations of a soft shell.
There is no way mesh is going to compete with fiberglass in terms of being aerodynamic or even the cover you might want for sleeping outside. Fabric will always have tiny holes for the elements to seep through, while fiberglass does not.
Overall we like this design and understand it’s limitations. It can be found on Amazon. If you’re looking for a permanent addition to your truck, we recommend the three options above.
