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By Perry Mack
I’m always intrigued when a ‘new’ old product comes out that’s labeled as ‘off-road’. Is it just cosmetic or did the manufacturer put some effort into the design and construction? This is exactly what I thought when A.R.E. Truck Caps announced that their new Overland Series Caps were designed for the off-road market and now available for all major pick-up truck brands.
We ordered one in for our 2004 Dodge Ram project truck. Like all A.R.E. caps, your cap can be ordered in the colour to match your truck and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Each A.R.E. cap has a serial number, which will identify all the components used to build your cap. Ten years down the road if you need a replacement part, A.R.E. will know exactly which parts went into building your cap – nice.
In addition, the Overland comes with standard features including a spray on protective coating to increase strength, heavy-duty rear door and half-slide windows. We went for a couple of extra options that we felt many people would appreciate including a Yakima rack.
I’ve abused Yakima racks for years; they’re tough, durable and have accessories available for every sport imaginable. You can also configure the rack to hold cargo baskets, spare tires, and ladders etc. - an easily justifiable expense. Using 8 bolts per rail, A.R.E. firmly and evenly distributes the mounting points along the length of the rail. The cap itself is rated for 260 lbs of distributed weight, which exceeds the advertised rating of the Yakima rack by about 100 lbs.
We also opted for the sliding front window so we can reach into the cap more easily and the dog can peer into the truck cab; dark tint side windows to obscure the contents and the fabric headliner – because it looks nice.
We stayed with the single T-lock Rear Door. Although the dual lock feels more secure, anyone who tows regularly will tell you what a pain in the ass it is to reach across from one side to the other to unlock/open the rear door. Actually, that’s not true. It’s usually a sharp pain in the shin.
The quality is in the details because most fiberglass caps look alike. A.R.E. Integrates aluminum blocks into shell strengthening the corner of the cap and giving you something immune to dry rot to set the cap on for storage. Each sliding side window is mounted with 36 screws compared to less expensive units that use 24. The integrated brake light uses red LEDs instead of a red plastic lens – which often turns pink over time. And there’s an internal handle so the kids don’t get trapped inside which is also handy if you plan to camp in the back using one of their AirBedz mattresses.
Using spray-on coating to strengthen the cap was a stroke of genius. Spray on coating is tough, durable and reduces vibration, which results in a strengthening of the overall cap and provides a rugged off-road look. We give the Overland two thumbs and salute A.R.E. for building a cap worthy of its name.