I'm a contractor, and i got my dodge because i needed a truck for hauling my tools, towing a trailer, camping, and winter. But i'm wondering, what 's the best setup for a contractor? I was thinking either a alum. or fiberglass cap with a slideout bed? Any other opinons?

 

side boxes and ladder racks...... i prefer that so you can still haul stuff thats just my opinion

 

i'm also contractor i've had fiberglass top, tonneau cover now i just have diamond plate toolbox. Brick and stone contractor so that's all i need. The topper was ok good and keeping stuff dry but couldn't load a skid of bricks under it so it had to go. Tonneau cover was ok too, looked good but a huge pain in the *** to take off and on all the time. I love the toolbox but the drop in bed liner allows for stuff to slide around which is not good for me i have to tie everything down. You can get a back rack if you're carrying a ladder or a ladder rack if you carry many but i don't.

 

I've gone two different routes on previous trucks. On one I took off the stock bed and put on contractor box with built in storage compartments in the side. That was the most convenient truck I've ever owned but also paid out the butt for it. The way I went on another truck was an alum. contractor cap with built in storage compartments in the side. There were lift up panels where the windows are on normal caps. Inside were aluminum storage compartments with shelves of various sizes. It was a second best solution to spending big $$ for a new contactor bed.

If you get an alum. contractor cap, make sure to order it with the extra shelf supports. The base level storage compartments won't hold much weight without collapsing. Depending on what you do, you can also order them with ladder/pipe racks or other specialty stuff. My personal opinion is that you get the most bang for the buck with the alum. contractor cap.

For contracting, I'd stay away from the fiberglass caps. Aluminum dents, fiberglass breaks.

 

Yeah, i'm thinking century cap with ladderacks and maybe like a Bed Slide (http://www.bedslide.com/) or somthing like it.

 

See my problem is, i want to get a van at some point later on, and i don't want to get a specality cap because i feel like that limis the use of my truck for other activities. So that's why i think a fiberglass cap with some ladder racks and a bedslide, so i can still use it for other activitys without havign to carry a million tools in a aluminum cap everywhere i go.