Product Reviews : A.R.E. Truck Caps and Tonneau Covers

Call me simple, but I've dreamed of a truck/topper combo for a long time and was finally able to make it happen. I did a TON of research and was down to A.R.E. and Leer. (It is worth noting that some topper brands are not available in the eastern US.) I read a gazillion reviews, and while each of them was heavily subjective, the consistency of quality in A.R.E. came out ahead. Working in an industry years ago that touted its ISO certifications, this aspect in A.R.E. further sold me because of the idea that the company was so mindful of its quality that it sought to certify and standardize the quality control system. This spoke volumes to me. I chose a CX because I wanted skirted sides and double windoors, and also because the X is not yet available on a Tacoma. I've had it for a month now and absolutely love it. I have not had it in a heavy rain, so I can't speak yet to its water tightness. Thus far, I only have a couple very, very minor issues with it: one is that one of the bottom corners was a little messed up, which I'm guessing happened between it being made and installed on my truck; second is that I ordered the LED rope light in addition to the small 3-light unit, and there was a malfunction in it that I had to take it back to the dealer to fix (it was only the power supply cord being plugged in the wrong place, and I realize that it could have happened at the dealer), but the very minor issue is that you can't operate them independently -- you have to have both lights on or none at all. Having the awesome rope light is worth this very minor sacrifice. There are only a couple of downsides to the topper, in my humble opinion: the cost (A.R.E.s and Leers are very close in price yet nearly prohibitively expensive, hence it taking so long for me to get one), and A.R.E. not having a heavy-duty topper that is stylish and can carry a load heavier than ~150lbs without voiding the warranty. Leer almost sold me on its 100RCC model for this only reason, but I chose in the end to go with A.R.E. I'm very happy that I did and will just have to keep a lighter load. For these last two reasons, I would give a rating of less than 5 stars but more than 4 1/2, so I went with the higher because of its overall quality and features.