Chama Grande
Well-known member
I had a hard top in 2016 and sold it for a soft top. Here's why:
In late 2015, I bought a nice Snugtop that I had assumed I would have forever. Spent like 2K on it too, felt like an investment at the time but I just ended up hating it. In early 2016, I bought a piece of furniture that wouldn't fit in the truck, so I ended up having to rent a different truck to get the piece home. It really irritated me that I spend all this extra money on gas and tires etc and still had to rent a vehicle to move something big. I lived alone, so I decided to get a friend over to help me take the topper off, and I would use the topper only when I needed it. I misjudged the strength of the friend, and he dropped his corner of the topper and wrecked it a bit. I sold it not long after but don't get me wrong - that snugtop was a great topper. No leaks, side windows, lights, everything. Just really cumbersome and not what I needed.
Later in 2016 I bought a softopper from a guy on the tacomaworld forum for about $300 and it was exactly what I needed. It takes 15 minutes to take on and by myself. It stores small enough that it hangs on a wall in my garage instead of taking up an entire car bay. And I can use my truck as a truck when I want - I can have gravel dumped in when I need it, and have it ready to go camping 20 minutes later. 99% leak free. It might get a drip every now and again, but I've never had to chase leaks in it. Sometimes a really heavy rain will have a wet edge near where it clamps on. That's about it.
The drawbacks and annoyances -
First - In the winter it gets tent cold since there's no real insulation besides a wind break. High winds don't bother me sleeping neither, since I sleep through anything, but maybe it can be bad for others. In the summer, at least out west, it's too hot to sleep in. Just get a tent. Second - Every time I take it on and off, some of the buttons/rivets will break. I always have to replace at least some of them literally every time. Third - There's no real security on it. I bypassed this problem with a plywood drawer that I built for it. It comes all the way up to the tailgate, and I have a lock installed on the gate. I sleep on top of the box (coffin) and keep gear inside the drawer. Haven't had a problem yet.
I've been happy with the softopper but I see why some wouldn't be. Everyone has a different context and I just thought I'd offer mine. Good luck OP
In late 2015, I bought a nice Snugtop that I had assumed I would have forever. Spent like 2K on it too, felt like an investment at the time but I just ended up hating it. In early 2016, I bought a piece of furniture that wouldn't fit in the truck, so I ended up having to rent a different truck to get the piece home. It really irritated me that I spend all this extra money on gas and tires etc and still had to rent a vehicle to move something big. I lived alone, so I decided to get a friend over to help me take the topper off, and I would use the topper only when I needed it. I misjudged the strength of the friend, and he dropped his corner of the topper and wrecked it a bit. I sold it not long after but don't get me wrong - that snugtop was a great topper. No leaks, side windows, lights, everything. Just really cumbersome and not what I needed.
Later in 2016 I bought a softopper from a guy on the tacomaworld forum for about $300 and it was exactly what I needed. It takes 15 minutes to take on and by myself. It stores small enough that it hangs on a wall in my garage instead of taking up an entire car bay. And I can use my truck as a truck when I want - I can have gravel dumped in when I need it, and have it ready to go camping 20 minutes later. 99% leak free. It might get a drip every now and again, but I've never had to chase leaks in it. Sometimes a really heavy rain will have a wet edge near where it clamps on. That's about it.
The drawbacks and annoyances -
First - In the winter it gets tent cold since there's no real insulation besides a wind break. High winds don't bother me sleeping neither, since I sleep through anything, but maybe it can be bad for others. In the summer, at least out west, it's too hot to sleep in. Just get a tent. Second - Every time I take it on and off, some of the buttons/rivets will break. I always have to replace at least some of them literally every time. Third - There's no real security on it. I bypassed this problem with a plywood drawer that I built for it. It comes all the way up to the tailgate, and I have a lock installed on the gate. I sleep on top of the box (coffin) and keep gear inside the drawer. Haven't had a problem yet.
I've been happy with the softopper but I see why some wouldn't be. Everyone has a different context and I just thought I'd offer mine. Good luck OP
