truck camper shells/ topppers

[goodoleboy]

I have a 4x4 pickup truck Ive had for a while now w/ a fiberglass shell. (simialr to one below) I plan on keeping the shell on year round to keep tools in. But I would like to take it off on occasion for hauling the lawn mower and other large items. I dont think I have enough room to get the mower in with the ramps and clear the shell. Do you think the riding mower will clear the shell? Havent tried it yet .

Any ideas of an easy simple way to remove/and replace a topper? I dont have any trees that can handle the camper shell . Ive seen some dock style contraptions made. I doint have a high ceiling in the garage either,.I can probaly get the shell of with 2-3 people but i dont think that would be realistic (hassle). What about some stilts or something like that anyone tried that?

thanks

 

[Egon]

I remove/replace the shell on my truck by myself.

Place several 2 x 4 across the box for the shell to slide on. Then move the shell back till it gets to a balance point where it will tilt. Then get underneath the shell, lift it and walk it back off the truck.

Having an extra hand helps too.

Egon

 

[JDgreen227]

The last two F150 pickups I owned had a fiberglass shell and both of them measured about 36 inches from bed floor to the top of the liftgate opening.

For storage...well, I had this old 4X8 utility trailer that wasn't roadworthy so I built a wood frame on it that was the same height as the truck topper. If I wanted to remove the shell I would hitch up the little trailer to the truck and just slide the topper onto the frame, then clamp it on and remove the trailer.

Another way you could do it is buy four of those metal bracket kits that are used to make sawhorses and custom size the height and width to suit your needs. As the sawhorses would stack atop each other, they would not require much room to store.

Just my nickle's worth.

 

[fishman]

You could rig something up to take off your camper shell, or you could go the easy route . . . buy a trailer /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've never taken my fiberglass topper off, and don't see any reason to. Like you I investigated some of the options and didn't like any of them. When I had an aluminum topper, it was fairly easy to take off. But the fiberglass ones, yikes. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Egon, you must be pretty stout if you take off a full size fiberglass topper by yourself. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

In all seriousness again, consider a trailer. It sounds like a small 4x8 single axle would do all you need, and those can be found at places like TSC for less than $500. It's just safer and easier than loading stuff in your truck bed.

 

[bczoom]

I used to take mine off in the garage.
Here's what I did.

For initial setup.
Back the truck in the garage as far as I could.

Put 4 eye-bolts in the garage roof, approx. 6" wider on each side than the box of the truck and in about 1' from either end (front to back of the box).

Get 4 lengths of light chain (what you would use on a swingset). Cut to length where they would go from the eye-hooks in the ceiling and down about 6" lower than where the cap (topper) mounts to the truck.
Put a hook on 1 end of each chain. This hook will attach to the eyebolts in the ceiling.

Get 2 8' 2x4's. Drill a 1" hole on either end where the chains come down (these are going to go side to side under the cap). The 2x4 is laying flat (the 3 1/2" is horizontal).

Get (4), 4 or 5" long 5/16" bolts.

OK, now to take the cap off.

Hang the chains from the hooks in the ceiling.
Back the truck in, between these chains.
Unbolt cap from truck box.
While standing in the box, lift the rear of the cap and slide 1 of the 2x4's between the box and the truck rail (again, these 2x4's go left to right, not front to back). Move to the front and slide the other across the front.

OK, get out of the box. Slide the chain in each of the holes of the 2x4's.
Lift 1 corner up a couple inches and slide one of the bolts through a chain link just below the 2x4. (now this corner and the 2x4 is elevated above the truck). Repeat this process going around to all 4 corners. Repeat this process again until it's fully clear of the truck and then pull the truck out.
Only do a couple inches at a time so you don't stress the cap nor let it slide an any direction.

Now, repeat this lifting process of a couple inches at a time until it's lifted high enough where you can pull your truck in forward.

To put the cap back on, just reverse the process.

I think it took about 5-10 minutes using this to take it off or put back on.

Brian