I just bought a 2001 Lariat shortbed. I would like to purchase one of those hard covers (with lock) for the bed of the truck.
I understand you can order them the exact color as the truck.


Can anyone give me some advise, what is good or what not to buy.

Also,

I have a two tone,, arizona beige with dark blue trim, has anyone had the hard cover painted the color of the trim instead of the main color? How did that look.. sorry so many questions.

Thanks

 

I was shopping for one myself, they are sooo expensive.. However for about an extra hundred bucks there is a brand "ARE" that makes a real nice one that has the raised detail similar to the ford hood. really looks nice.

 

Several reasons.

1) It fits the best. It fits over the gray bed rail covers, hiding them. It most closely contours the shape of the bed. Lo Rider comes close but not nearly such a good fit.

2) It is low... it is just a fraction of an inch taller than the bed itself, making it easy to see behind when backing. Compare to Leer which is very tall, or those models which sit on the bed rails.

3) It is sleek. Two small locks instead of an ugly handle on top or in the middle of the back. And, you can order without the locks for a very sleek appearance.

4) Comes with clamp on or permanent mount... I opt for the permanent mount because it mounts the lid as low as possible on the bed.

5) Excellent color matching. Snug had quality control problems in their northern plant (took 'em 3 tries to get it right on my 97), but they build exclusively in their Long Beach plant now... color is perfect, quality is excellent.

My $0.02.

 

I have to agree with BeastRider about the snuglid. About color matching it to the trim? I think it would look good and is a good/original idea, But it is one those things that you would have to see on another truck first because after you did it may not look as good or may stand out too much.

 

ARE dealer was closeby. ordered it today.. two weeks..
LOTS OF GREAT INFO in this forum..

thanks to all that posted on this topic.. i used your opionions to weed out a few vendors...

 

I like the looks and features of the ARE LSII, but I am really wondering about their Quality Control. You may have read my post a couple of weeks ago in which I went out shopping for an ARE. I found two that day (diffrent dealers) and both had significant (un-acceptable) fiberglass flaws in them. My truck is black and the black lid shows off anything thats not right. I realize these are fiberglass molded tops and I will not find a perfect one, but these were bad. I currently am waiting on one more "ordered" ARE from the factory to see how it looks.

I have seen several Snug Tops on many different brands of trucks and I'm not crazy about the uneven (wavy) texture on them either. The ARE's are much smoother when right. The lifting mechanism and struts look to be superior on the ARE. Require a fraction of the effort to lift.

My $.01

Reid

 

Reid, I agree you go to keep on top of the Snug folks... but my last lid was flawless... not a wrinkle or wave one. Snug recommends a weaker gas shock than others because, unlike other brands that will lock when you push it closed, Snug must be locked after it is in place. The weaker shocks insure that the lid won't pop up if you forget to lock it.

 

I have a Raider LoRider. I like its looks the best of all the ones I've seen. However, the lift mechanism could be better. I have to exert about 50lb force in the first 6 inchec of lift before the air springs kick in. ARE looks to have the best lift system. Removal is another issue to consider. I don't know how the other brands work but mine couldn't be easier. Unclip the lift springs, raise the lid about a foot and pull back. With help of course. It weighs about 120lb and is ackward. I've never had water leak in.

 

I've had a Snuglid on the Screw since new (April 2000). It was one of the first they made for these shortbeds. No complaints.

 

Does anyone have experience with Jason bed covers? I can save $100 and buy from a friend if I take a Jason vs. an A.R.E. which I've used before and found very acceptable.

 

I got my SuperCrew from the dealer last weekend with a SnugLid already installed, and I love it. Only problem I had at first was that i could only get one of the locks to engage. Took a closer look and realized that someone had put the plate (which has a small dog-leg in it) on upside down. A wrench fixed that and now it's fine.

 

I like the looks of snugtops but ARE has the best mounting system.

Another concern of mine is the lock location. I go hunting several times during the winter and I'm concerned about water getting into the locking system and freezing. ARE has the locks on the back pannel, so... I'd go with ARE.

My .02

 

I had the Raider LoRider installed on my KR SCrew today. Of all the ones I've seen it has to be the best looking. It fits well over the bed rails so it doesn't show the rail color and also looks to have a very good waterproof seal.

The other feature that I like compared to my old truck was that this one has 2 pins at the hinge. You remove the pins and the top can come off. You don't have to unclamp the U-shaped rail system like most other brands.

 

The ARE is a good one--$899 installed on SCrew. On SCabs, the angle near the cab makes it hard to reach things near the front of the bed. No cover/shell is perfect for every need. I'm sure you will like what you have bought.

 

I've had the LSII on my Screw for about a month now, and I'm happy with it...solid, no visible construction flaws, and great mounting system.

The only flaw I found on mine was that there was some overspray in a couple small areas in the front sides of the top. Maybe I can rub it out when I buff and polish it.....we'll see.

But I'm happy with the choice.