Do you call them Toppers or Canopies or Camper Shells?

[toyotafan]

Depending on what part of the country you live in (or what country you live in). The term for the hard-cover shell that goes over your truck bed can change.

If you live in the Northwest or in California. The term is typically "Canopy". If you live in the north or the northeast, it's usually "Topper". And if you live in the mid-west to the south the term is quite often "Camper Shell".

Has anyone else noticed this? Has the internet changed things at all? Is there just one term now for them or do people still use the local term?

EDIT: I'm adding some pics of Canopies / Camper Shells / Toppers / Caps to this thread. Copyright goes to the photographer.

 

[Musher_Vic]

Here in New York they are simply called "caps"....

 

[toyotafan]

Well, that's a 4th term I guess.

 

[Musher_Vic]

Yeah it kind of like sandwiches -- depending on your location, they can be referred to as heros, wedges, grinders, hoagies etc. I asked for a meatball wedge in Colorado and they looked at me like I was crazy. (Most mushers are a little crazy but they did not understand the term.)

 

[toyotafan]

I grew up in the Northwest, but live in Texas now. My wife's from East Texas, where they talk a bit different. I understand how different things can be. Like asking for a coke. "What type of coke do you want?" -- give me a pepsi.

 

[vortex_insidio]

Every locale and generation creates its own name for things.

__________________
2005 Toyota Tundra Accesorios - Tundra 4x2 06 Catalog by Toyota Motors

 

[kolson88]

I live in WA and the common term I hear useed is a cap. It's not just an east coast term, and personally I think it's the best one.

 

[tundah08]

normal people call them caps and i live in the east

 

[GearHead]

They are most definitely known as camper shells here in California. Didn't know they were called anything else. Kind of bizarre that there is a variation in the terminology based on geographical region. Wonder why this is?

 

[toyotafan]

Always thought this conversation was very interesting.

 

[TDave]

I think if you're over 50, you call them camper shells, under 50, you call them toppers. The naming seemed to change in the mid 80's with better manufacturing made more functional ones.

The first time I saw a truck with a non-flush (not sure what they're exactly called) roof, we kidded that you couldn't tell "if the thing was coming or going" because the front end and back end profiles matched almost exactly.

 

[jazz]

I think if you're over 50, you call them camper shells, under 50, you call them toppers. The naming seemed to change in the mid 80's with better manufacturing made more functional ones.

The first time I saw a truck with a non-flush (not sure what they're exactly called) roof, we kidded that you couldn't tell "if the thing was coming or going" because the front end and back end profiles matched almost exactly.

 

[toyotafan]

? Lol

 

[jazz]

? Lol

Ooooh. A faux pas on my part. I got a factory Nissan high rise topper for $25. Rarely use it but could not resist the bargain. And found a Toyota wench at the Sally ann for a buck. There must be sets of these

 

[jazz]

These toppers are pricey for what they are....$1500.. for a plastic tub, I found this one for my son,,colour matched for $150... when I found it he scooted down to get it right now..It is on his truck permanently. It is filled with his gear,,clothes,tools, etc as he works all over the country so when he gets a call to go to work its usually a 1200 mile jaunt. Looks like he goes to tar sands next month.

 

[TDave]

Is there a market for used toppers? I assume there isn't much, but maybe you could snag one on craigslist once in a while. I've never heard of anybody getting one, and then removing it.

 

[toyotafan]

Is there a market for used toppers? I assume there isn't much, but maybe you could snag one on craigslist once in a while. I've never heard of anybody getting one, and then removing it.

Yeah, but almost always you have to find them on craigslist. We had an old canopy/topper for a 70's Ford truck when I was a kid that my dad bought in the 80's and he didn't want the canopy/topper/camper shell on it so we put a sign on it and hauled it off the side of our house which was near a busy street with a cardboard sign on it that read $100. Ended up selling it in less than an hour from someone driving by.

Now craigslist is the place to go for these items. Here are a few that I found locally to me.

http://dallas.craigslist.org/search/pts?query=camper+shell+toyota

 

[MuddyTacoma]

I've heard all of these names as I travel around a lot, I usually just call them by whatever the region that I'm in will call them, but I prefer to call them a camper shell or a topper.

 

[geezala]

I've always known them as shells, but I think everybody understands all the terminology for them. I prefer the color matching ones myself.

 

[toyotafan]

Still a great topic.

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