QuattroDave

I have a 1994 2WD Pickup, extended cab, standard bed.

I "suddenly" developed a need for a camper shell, but the cost of new ones is unconscionable.

I see quite a few used ones in the classified - they might say that they were one a 1996 Tacoma or something like that.

Question #1: How universal might a given camper shell be? I'd guess that there's not just one fitment for the 1994, but rather a shell that will fit a range of years. Any ideas what range it would be? Would a '95 or not much newer Tacoma shell fit?

Question #2: How do these things attach? I have a bed liner, plastic, by Toyota, that lops over the bed rails on the side and front. Do I need to cut off those "lips"? Do I drill holes in the bed rails to attach a camper shell?

Question #3: I'm given to preferring a fiberglass shell, on account of them being more rugged and quiet, but I am ready to go with metal, if there's a compelling reason. Is there one?

Question #4: How do you keep them from leaking? Is there some sort of weatherstripping that goes in between the camper shell and the bed rails?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Quattrodave

Flamedx4

1- Lots of different fitments. the old days are gone when "shortbed import" was all you needed to know. Even an '85 shortbed is different than a '85 Xtracab shortbed (in a fiberglass or plastic unit that hugs the cab...) The only way to be sure is measure your bed and ask them to measure the canopy. Within about an inch (1/2" either way) should be fine. 89-95 xtracab unit will fit for sure but others might too, gotta measure or ck with a dealer selling canopies.

2- Either drill through the bed rails and bolt them down or use canopy clamps. Either way you have to get access. Some people cut smallish 'wrench access' holes in the bedliner. Or take out the bedliner.

3- Fiberglass or molded plastic is great, looks good and lasts long time. Plastic is much lighter than 'glass. (I had a very nice Brahma made of molded plastic - pretty and indestructible and only 80lbs.) Steel is just plain stupid - noisy, not stylish and will rust. Aluminum isn't pretty either, but is VERY lightweight. Very lightweight, I had one that might have weighed 30 pounds. A nice fiberglass one will weigh 150 lbs.

4- Foam weatherstripping applied to the bottom edge of the canopy. Called "camper tape."

Good luck!

jimbo74

its probably never going to completely have a watertight seal.... im sure you can get close, but watertight is almost impossible with a shell.....

Fahrenheit 451

Flamed pretty well nailed it. The only thing I would add is that finding that one that really fits will likely be a huge PITA unless you happen to live in a large market with lots of selection. The tops of the bed rails don't supply much purchase/fitment so getting one is actually designed for it helps a ton.
Here is a copy of post I replied to on Pirate about the same topic:

>>I'd say buy used, but be ready to try on a bunch. When we wanted to put a different shell on my wife's '91 Toyota pickup, finding one that fit was a real biatch! I tried a bunch that sellers said would fit that would either be too short or too wide.
After having both fiberglass with fiberglass lids, metal frames with what looked like the crap they put on motorhomes for the topper material, and fiberglass with metal lids, I would suggest a fiberglass one with a metal lid with piano hinges if you can find one like that that fits.
The Glasstite I had on my '83 Toyota pickup was really solid, but that heavy fiberglass lid started fracturing the the topper at the hinges pretty badly. The crappy metal frame and motorhome style sheetmetal one leaked like a sieve and had stress fractures all over the metal framework from moving around from dirt road driving. The last one we had was a fairly abused (by previous owners) fiberglass and metal door type and it worked the best for us. Just to add to making it impossible to find category, try and get one with two handles on the lid, not just the one in the middle. No matter how much you dick with those it seems like they always pop open and/or seal really poorly and let the bed of the truck fill up with dirt from the road.
Long reply, and not much help. I'll shut up now...<<

ianshoots

Dave, you are in a pretty good area for finding one used. Check the classifieds here, at TTORA.co and customtacos.com. Also craigslist is a great place to watch. If you sudden need isn't too great, a little patience will save you a lot of dough Suffering with acap that I didn't like much, but that only cost me $100, until I found the one I havennow (six months), saved me probably $1000.

Flamedx4

Buddy of mine suggested calling the Autotrader ads that show a canopy you like on a rig for sale by a car lot. Offer to buy the shell off it. Not a bad idea.

EnolaGaia

Couple of points not yet mentioned....

* Try to find one from an XtraCab, since that's what you have. Some brands (even a decade ago) angled the front 'face' of their canopies to match the Toyota cab rear surface. XtraCab cab rears slant forward, regular cabs don't. A canopy with a straight-up-vertical front will probably fit your XtraCab with a substantial gap (depending on brand, model, etc.).

* One additional place to search - RV and other retail stores that sell canopies. They usually have a few used ones around, and if you're lucky you might find a serviceable 'second' (manufacturing flaw; minor transport damage) they'll let you have cheap.

* I've always used fiberglass caps, because they're physically stronger and heavier (I like the extra 150 lbs + / - over the rear wheels). The aluminum ones are lighter and every bit as usable - but as mentioned they look cheesy.

EnolaGaia

RE: Bed Size / Fitment

I'm pretty sure your '94 XtraCab could use any shell from an '89 - '95 (preTaco) with the short / standard bed.

FWIW: There was a recent claim over at CustomTacos that Tacoma bed dimensions are the same as for the last preTaco generation ('89 - '95). I'm still not sure I totally believe that, but someone does...

aviator

I'm pretty sure from just looking at them that the bed on the first gen taco is the same dimensionally as the 89-95 hilux just the sides are different but I'll check with my mechanic and get back to you or better yet if there's a taco operater here with an xtra cab short box maybe he/she could measure it and post the dimensions here for all to see. :-) hope this hepls aviator

Gangus2006

My dad had a 94 P/U 4x4, and he had a soft tonneau on it. He wrecked it, and got a 97 Taco 4x4, and the same soft tonneau swapped right onto the 97 from the 94...

EnolaGaia

Thanx for the 'empirical evidence', Gangus! I always prefer specific evidence to general claims...

ianshoots

I have no idea if this will help, but the cap I started out with was from a 93 extra cab-it didn't look good, as far as the lines (or the condition), but it fit well. I have one that matches the lines of my taco now (it came off a 99), looks way better, but size wize I think they were the same (the other one is gone so I can't say for sure).

Frankly, if its only a short ride to one of the ones in the classifieds, just ask 'em if you can come over and try it on. I did that with the cap from the 93-told the guy if it fit, I'd buy, and he was cool with that.

Good luck.

EDIT
If you can find one, get a wedge/high rise cap-unless you are 4 feet tall, you'll find yourself smacking your head a lot when you go to take stuff out of a cab high model (the first cap was cab high too-disliked the head smacking far than the look).

CoedNaked

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the Tacoma Xtracab (96-04) and Pickup Xtracab bed configurations in terms of length/width are pretty damn near the same. I know that in terms of length they're pretty much exactly the same (Tacoma - 74.5" long, Pickup - 75" long - acceptable to say they're the same in my books). I'm not exactly sure about width however I would imagine they're damn close too. Either way you would be wise to "try it on" your truck before you buy it right? So you're not going to get screwed that way at least. Take the canopy into a good canopy dealer and you can get them to change the foam/rubbery tape between the bed rail and the canopy. This should help seal it a little better if suspect this might be an issue.

mt_goat

Any updates on this? I'm looking at a A.R.E brand Tonneau cover that fits a 96-04 Tacoma ext cab. Wanting to know if i will it fit my 93 ext cab? The measurements seem to be very close, just not sure how much it should over hang.

irab88

iTrader: (4)

i have a 93 pick-up with an early taco bed cap. it fits perfectly (except for the cab slope, but you don't have that problem). after months of measuring bed sizes, the tacoma bed and pick-up bed are the exact same dimensions. that is, for the same cab and bed size (i.e.- extended cab, regular bed). your cover should be about 76" by 60" (6.5' x 5'), outside dimensions. it shouldn't over-hang

mt_goat

Thanks Ian!