What do you guys prefer, Toppers or tonneau covers? I'm thinking of getting a Topper or a soft black tonneau cover for my 97 ext. cab short box. Hard tonneau covers seem to be the worst as far as accessibility so i'm not looking at those really. Also, which one increases your MPG more?

If this has been discussed before and you have the link, let me know, I could not find anything surprisingly.

 

Down where I live most people choose a tonneau over a camper shell. I'd say tonneau cover.

 

i put a cap (if that is the same as the topper you're referring to) on mine. reason why i bought it is b/c i thought my dog would like to be able to run around the back of the truck & i wouldnt have to worry about her falling or jumping out. but she hated it back there. so now i have a soft tonneau cover on it again.

 

The gas mileage increase is negligable, and you're going to get conflicting answers from any number of sources.

Going to refer you here. http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/bl...-economy-myth/ Yes, its a Toyota site, but they did go over the numbers that SEMA crunched with regards to drag coefficiencies and have largely stated that the gas saved by a tonneau cover is so small that it wouldnt necessarily be noticed by the common driver.

 

And that said... i have a tonneau because i like the look and i want to keep the inside of my bed dry.

 

I like caps over tonneaus. Caps dont look as good but they offer more function.
Have you considered a soft cap? They are relatively inexpensive and can easily and quickly be removed.
http://www.gobestop.com/index.php?s=53

 

Does anyone know the cost of the color matched dealer installed hard tonneau cover for a 5.5 ft bed?

 

i would search around different classifieds before buying from a dealer. i ended up trading someone my sold tonneau & $50 for the ARE hard cover that i had on my lightning. then i paid $200 to have it painted. you might be able to find someone selling that is already painted to match your truck. the hard tonneau that i had bought off my local craigslist was already painted to match my scab. all i did was go to the guys house & pick it up.

 

Sounds great, but I already purchased one from the dealership. The problem I am having is that I paid for an aftermarket one that had power lift, liner and light. The dealer then turned around and told me that they could no longer get that model and offered me the Ford version, so I want to be sure that I am paying what I am suppose to pay for the OEM accessory. I am having it installed on Tuesday and if I don't like it I am seriously considering one of the new low profile hard color matched tonneau's.

 

i'm going with the hinged soft cover. you can roll it up if hauling something taller than your bed or use the hinged option to gain full access to the whole bed