If you want to cover up the open flatbed of your truck, you need to invest in a truck cap or what used to be referred to as a camper shell. Here are three tricks that will help you choose the right truck cap for your vehicle.

#1 Durability

The first thing you want to consider is how durable you want your truck cap to be. You are going to want to look at the thickness of the sides of all the truck caps that you are interested in. A really durable truck cap will have thicker sides that are reinforced.

Be sure to ask about what the truck cap is made out of and what it is reinforced with. Fiberglass tends to be a really strong base material. Ideally, your truck cap should have a resin-coated honeycomb reinforcement on the inside or a thick fiberglass reinforcement. You don't want to purchase a truck cap that has cardboard reinforcement; this is not that strong.

#2 Mounting

The second thing that you need to take into consideration is how the truck cap will mount to your vehicle. You want the truck cap to be securely mounted and to not rattle or squeak when you are driving down the road; all that extra noise can be irritating and it can also mean that your truck cap is not as secure as you think it is.

The most basic mounting system uses foam tape to seal the truck cap to the bed of your truck; although this should keep the water out, it is not the strongest steal. The best seal is a two-bolt seal; with a two bolt seal, there will be additional weather stripping on your vehicle which will create a tight seal. This will stop your pickup truck from rubbing against the bed of your truck and creating unnecessary sounds.

#3 Hardware

Finally, you want to examine how the hardware is constructed on any truck cap that you purchase. Ideally, the hinges should be contained underneath the lid. When the hinges are contained under the hood, they will not be exposed to the elements and will not rust or corroded. You want hardware that is actually placed inside of the fiberglass and laminated onto it. You don't want hardware that is just riveted or screwed to the outside of the fiberglass. The more integrating the hardware is to the unit the more stable it will be. 

Talk to a dealer, like J & C Campers, for more help.