just a bit of an informative picture thread of the BestTop soft topper for the ford ranger regular bed. ive been getting a few emails on this so heres my opinions of it...

from top to bottom its been a really decent addition to the truck, but it has had a few initial tweaks. once the frames are assembled and you begin to mount it to the truck bed, i quickly realized the clamps provided with the kit were far from ideal, any little bang or movement from under the truck shuffled the topper. bolting it was quickly the only option.

another weak spot from the kit was the provided 3rd brake light kit. very poorly made, it also had a very weak mounting method and any vibration would rattle the LED's right out of the soldered board. quickly ended up in the garbage..

the frames are fairly thin tube steel, which dont come off as a very strong material but they do work for their purpose. if the job of aligning it and mounting it is initially done properly, it makes for a very nice, tight and easy to function top for the truck.

the vinal material is very well made. double and triple stitched in some places and uses heavy duty zippers, snaps, and locking rail fasteners for holding in the windows and mounting the vinal to the frames. ive been known to take the truck through mechanical carwashes without having it ripped off or damaged in any way. it can hold a significant amount of weight and holds up to snow and ice easily without sagging.

with the windows removed, the topper folds up in minutes. when folded it gives you 100% of the original space back in the bed for carrying capacity.

for care and maintenance i will use a mild soap and water to clean the exterior, and with the windows removed i will lightly spray it with an armoral original vinal protectant and rub it into the top to regain its original look. any vinal safe window cleaner works for the windows but dont use anything abrasive to de-ice in the winter because it will mark the vinal.

this topper has been on the ranger for the last 2 years. ive had no issues with it operation in the time ive had it. i have also had no major defects or problems with its materials or workmanship. i understand BestTop does have a good customer support and will help with any quality issues with these tops. these tops are not reccomended for any offroad abuse, especially with the stock clamp fasteners and optional 3rd brake light installed. bolted down, they do hold up to alot of abuse and are guaranteed not to move around down the road.

 

fasteners.

 

Nice write up! A couple questions... is it loud at all at highway speeds? How much of the bed is available when it's folded while still on the truck, or can you do that?

 

no not loud at all, no noises i can detect what so ever. but i did feel alot more confident with it bolted down then when it was clamped in place. when folded back and tied down i get 100% of the space i had without it mounted and when its up as in the pics i can still fit a load up to just under 3ft tall.

 

awesome man, thanks for the pics!

 

Great write up and after seeing it at the meet I'd really like to get one. Where did you get your from, or did you order it online and what did it run you if you don't mind me asking.

 

van and truck world in london, they run for about $1000 shipped to the store.