Your Easy Way To Install/Remove a Truck Cap??

[Steve Kane]

I know there is a wealth of ideas and experience on this message board, hopefully some of you have had the need to remove and install your pickup cap several times during the year. I have an '05 Dodge Ram with an 8' bed and a 100 XL Leer cap. Most of the year, I want to have the cap on the pickup bed while towing the Nitro, several times during the year I want to remove the cap to tow our 5th wheel RV. Has anyone designed/created a lift for easy removal & installing a pickup cap, besides employing the assistance of 3 or 4 able bodied friends?? The truck is taller than normal, since it is a 4X4, and does not have clearence backing into the garage.

My thanks in advance for any ideas.

Merry Christmas to all.

 

[Barry Dufour]

Steve: My fiberglass comes off easy with just 2 people. All I have to do is pull the two pins inside at the rear and unhook the two front hinge pistons and then my wife and I just pick it up and remove it. I can't remember what brand the top is, but I like it.

Barry

 

[Troy Winsett]

Mine is an ARE brand and has 4 C-type clamps. It is a pain to take off and remove, but usually my brother-in-law and me and put it on and take it off. The other problem is putting the camper tape back on every time I take it off. Sounds like Barry's is easier to deal with than mine. I've said if I ever buy another truck I'll never put a cap like that on it again.

 

[Barry Dufour]

T-roy: Mine had the "C" clamps but I took those off and bolted the frame to the bed of my truck. All I take off is the cap itself. The frame stays put. After a year the "C" clamps would loosen up and it was a b***h to put back and center and square. I put 4 1/4x20 bolts with lockwashers and nuts and to date the unit is still tight and snug.

Barry

 

[Steve Kane]

Perhaps some clarification might help. I'm looking for specific/unique ideas on how to lift the fiberglass cap off & onto the truck bed. Mine is heavy! "A" frame & pulley system perhaps you have tried successfully. The dealers actually use a small fork lift to lift new caps onto truck beds. A very expensive option!!!

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Most people around here just unbolt em'... a head down the interstate!!!!





Sorry i could not help myself!!!!

 

[C C]

There are electronic hoist systems out there that would do the trick. I use one for my jeep hardtop.



Cass
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...2008251/Ntx-mode+matchallpartial/N-10101/tf-B

 

[Barry Dufour]

Steve:

My older brother had a Jeep with the hard top. He just got some rope with a pulley and attached it to the ceiling joists in his garage. He would attach the ropes or straps to the hard top and just raise it up and tie it off until he wanted to put it back.

Barry

 

[Mike L.]

My Dodge cap comes on and off 5-6 times a year, thats why I now use aluminum caps.



They are nowhere near as pretty as a glass cap, but with all the off and on I have to do its a lot simpler and 6 c-clamps do the trick!

 

[JD Johnson]

Tie a rope to a tree and the othr end to the truck cap and mash the gas, it'll come right off.:lol:

 

[Bruce Freeman]

I use my yonger brother 6'6" 3?? lbs

BF

 

[Dave Muniz]

You can buy a hoist and pully system for canoes that will lift and hold 200 lbs. I know you said you could not back into the garage so maybe make some kind of tripod or frame to mount the hoist to or a couple large tree branches.

 

[Bruce Freeman]

OK on a more serious note. There are several options, depending on what you have or are willing to build taller than your truck. Something as simple as the winch on your boat trailer will do the deed is you have some where for it to hang? You can (depending on how picky you are about looks mount 4 eye bolts through the roof of the cap with some sort of support under them to use to lift it? Or some sort of fram or clamp to lift from the out side. You don't need to raise the cap much, but want to be able to lower it onto some sort of support sytem (saw horses, ect) The big question is not how you are going to lift it off but where are you going to lift it from.

BF

P.S I have a glass cap also and I have been know to get in the truck bed pick it up and move it to the car trailer..