_Flea_

The guy I talked to at the Leer dealer said the fiberglass on the 700 is thicker than the 550. Also, because of the 700 being heavier than the 550, the 700 has a better hinge system. He said the 700 has a better locking system than 550 as well. Are all these these things true? The dealer only had a 700 on display, so I couldn't see a 550 in person. Just curious if what I was told is true. The price difference between the 700 and the 550, after I added the option of a liner to the 550, was less than $100.

tdm156

I have the 700 on mine and agree that its a much heavier product and the locks on it seem to be very secure. It was on the truck when I purchased it but I am very happy with this cover. If you want a fiberglass cover this is a good choice. Personally I will probably go with an undercover on my next truck. The locks are not as secure but its much easier to remove when hauling bigger items. The 700 you need at least 2 or 3 people to remove and saw horses to place it on. Good luck with your choice.

Buck183

I think I can help. I have been a Leer dealer for 12 years now.

To my knowledge I don't believe the 700 to be thicker or heavier than the 550. In my opinion the quality of each product is equal.

In reference to the latching system. I do prefer the latches on the 700 a little better. They seem to be smoother to operate to me. Oddly enough, Leer offers upgraded latching and hinge options for the 550 if requested. This does come with an increase in price.

The reason for the different hinges and latches is to make the 550 more price friendly. If one wants the look of the 550 with the 700 hardware they can order it like that for the extra coin.

The 550 is the same lid as the old 800 series lid from Leer that didn't sell well. The 800 had top of the line everything when it came to hardware. The pricing of the unit scared buyers away. I think we sold two in a four year period. Leer took a look at this product and realized they needed to make a change. Buyers liked the smooth look of the lid, but didn't like the premium price of it. By keeping the same mold and using different hardware they were able to have a more price friendly product that sold better. It was decided that if a customer wanted to step up and pay the extra for the high end hardware it could still be ordered like that. I've never had a customer request it. On the flip side, most don't know it's an option either. Most order it due to it being cheaper than the 700.

We sell the 700 for $100 more than the 500. The 700 comes with carpet as a factory option for this price, the 500 does not. If one adds the carpeted headliner to any unit with us the extra cost is $100. By doing this it essentially makes the price of either unit the same when comparing apples to apples.

Hope this helps....

Buck

_Flea_

Thank you, Buck. That help a lot!