Truck cap and Line-X

I'm looking at adding a cap to my Dakota. I visited the nearby ARE cap dealer today, he seemed pretty up front. He mentioned that because of the Line-X liner my truck has, that it's "impossible" to ensure a good seal between the cap and the bed rail. He adds some silicon to improve the seal, but indicated it'd still leak "a bit".

How much is "a bit"? Anyone put a cap on a truck with Line-X on the top of the bed rails who can tell me your experience?

Also, if you've got an A.R.E. cap, are you happy with it? I'm considering the MX series. As far as that goes, I'm happy to listen to any comments you may have on adding a cap to your truck - do you regret the decision? Do you wish you'd done it years earlier?

jmc

Reply to
jmc
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I've found a cap to be too limiting with regard to bed use. I prefer some type of tonneau cover. ymmv

Reply to
Roy

Caps are funny, some days I loved mine others I wished it was missing! Mainly on days I needed to put a large item in the bed.

What I did to get around this was simple, I made up a set of spacer bars. They dropped into the pockets and lifted the cap to roof level. Then just tied it down with ratchet straps.

As for the seal issue, even without a liner they can leak. What I do on beds with liner is install the thicker weatherproofing foam you can get at home stores, it squeezes into the nooks and such better and stops the leaks. Install it on the bottom edge of the cap, then CLAMP the cap down. Don't allow the cap to be bolted down, makes it a PIA to remove easily and they don't stay as tight.

Also for easy removal rig up a lift in the garage, under the tree whatever, I used a cheap boat winch with a 4 way cable with a spreader bar (hunk of pipe) to make it easier to use. Just back under, hook up the cables, un-clamp the cap, crank the winch to lift the cap off. In a garage it also works as storage for the cap when not needed.

Reply to
Steve W.

I had a cap on my old 2000 Chevy 2500 with a bed liner (different brand then Line-X) when I sold it. I never had any leakage along the bed rails. I enjoyed my cap it helped to keep my stuff dry and secured. They only thing bad was if I wanted to haul something big, I had to pull one of my utility trailers.

Overall I was stultified more then not.

Sarge

Reply to
Licker

What year Dakota? My '02 doesn't have pockets though my old '88 did. Why did they stop putting them there, I found them to be handy.

Reply to
Tom W. Butts

None on my '99...

Reply to
Joe

None on my 2001 either. Wish it did, they were durned useful on my last truck!

jmc

Reply to
jmc

By "pockets" you mean stake holes? My '95 Dakota has them (4 on the

6.5' bed).
Reply to
E Frank Ball III

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