I am going to purchase a cap for my screw and am interested in the compression boot option (between the cap and the cab). A couple of the dealers in my area have advised against them. I like the idea of the boot and am looking for opinions from people with caps..... I appreciate any feedback.

 

I don't have one, but that's just me. The concerns I've heard is the potential and probable paint abrasion from the differential movement of the cap and cab which causes the boot to rub against both surfaces.

Personally, I've never seen anyone that had this.

 

I bought my last F150 used and it had one of those donuts between the cap and cab. The paint had worn off where it came in contact through the constant movement of the box. I wouldn't use one myself. Just my opinion.

 

For traveling long distances with dogs in the back, I have an inflatable ring that is only the size of the sliding window. That way it never touches the paint and is removable for when I don't need it. It is nice because when it rains on trips I don't have to get rid of all the airflow back there. I don't even remember where I got it. You might check with the cap companies though. They would probably know more about it.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I think I'll stick with the traditional front sliding window on the cap. I've had caps in the past and there was always some dirt or snow getting between the cap and the cab that cut down on the visibility. The boot sounded like a solution....but I'd rather not damage my truck's paint. If I could only get my wife to clean the windows.....

 

I've had both the air bladder and the compression boot. The boot worked great but it will rub the paint off if it touches the paint. That wasn't a big deal to me because I never take the toppers off once they are on the truck. Right now I'm using a seal I made out of those hotwater pipe insulators that the home improvment places sell. I cut four pieces to fit the slider opening and connected the corners with pvc elbows and short sections of pvc pipe to hold the shape. It fits great but was a bear to put into place the first time because of the close fit. I have a drop down slider in the topper now, so it's so much easier to place and I can clean the windows better also. The seal lines up with the black window frame so it kinda blends right in. It allows me to keep the sliders open for the dogs without getting too much wind and road noise inside.