So you’ve decided you want to buy a topper, but you’re not sure you want to deal with the wait times and prices of a newly-ordered unit. What do you need to consider when searching for a used topper?
Size Matters
This first point should be very obvious to truck owners. If you have a six-and-a-half foot bed, a topper made for an eight-foot bed or a five-and-a-half foot bed will not work. It’s important to know your truck bed length prior to shopping for a topper, used OR new.
All Truck Beds are NOT Created Equal
Building off the first point, all six-and-a-half (or eight, or five-and-a-half) foot beds are not actually equal. For example, consider the lengths for a 2021 Ford F-150 and the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500.
- “Five-and-a-Half Foot” Beds: Ford – 67.1 inches; Chevy – 69.9 inches
- “Six-and-a-Half Foot” Beds: Ford – 78.9 inches; Chevy – 79.4 inches
- “Eight Foot” Beds: Ford – 97.6 inches; Chevy – 98.2 inches
These dimension discrepancies exist between almost all truck brands (besides certain years of Chevy and GMC), so it’s important to shop for a topper intended for the specific make of your truck. Additionally, half-ton trucks will usually have different box dimensions than three-quarter-tons and one-tons, even within the same make. These discrepancies occur for both length AND width of the box.
Generational Divide
Another important thing to take into account is the year of your truck. Even within a single make (such as Chevy), bed dimensions change with each generation of the truck. Consider the lengths for a 2018 Chevy 1500 vs. a 2021 Chevy 1500.
- “Five-and-a-Half Foot” Beds: 2018 – 69.3 inches; 2021 – 69.9 inches
- “Six-and-a-Half Foot” Beds: 2018 – 78.9 inches; 2021 – 79.4 inches
- “Eight Foot” Beds: 2018 – 97.8 inches; 2021 – 98.2 inches
As you can see, the previous generation 2018 has different dimensions than the new-gen 2021. Where it gets tricky is in some years where certain makes have multiple generations going at the same time. For example, in 2019 a Chevy Silverado 1500 could be either the previous generation or the new generation. Likewise, Ram has continued making their previous generation for years since the new generation truck came out, which is why it’s important to distinguish between “classic” or “new” body with these trucks.
So, there’s more to consider when searching for a used topper than you may think. At Toppers & More, we make sure to gather all this information before selling you a topper, and we will NEVER sell you a topper that doesn’t fit the truck you’re putting it on. To check out our wide selection of used toppers, give us a call at 651-451-1808 or stop in at our showroom in South St. Paul!
