thinking of getting a camper shell soon so i can throw my canoe on top. I've been searching for a few months now to find the right grey so it matches my truck. the problem is I've only found 2-3 that were the right paint code, but they were all asking way to much.
has anyone painted their shell themselves? i was thinking of just bedlining it if worse comes to worse.
Does anyone know the price of getting a shell painted if i gave a shop (like Maaco) the right paint code? not wanting to spend too much because I'm also going to try to get a split rear window. any help would be awesome guys!

 

In southern Calif you could probably find a deal from an independent body shop.

My guess would be $800-$900, if you just dropped it off.

If you remove all the windows first and sand it with 600-800grit to take off clear coat and scuff up the paint, so it isn't shiny it can be much less.
Prep labor takes the longest, the painting part doesn't take that long.
The paint itself needs to flexible so isn't a cheap mix, and it needs to have the clear coat again

Fiberglass can be a PITA, especially if it is thin which some canopys are.

 

I am having my shell repainted with base and clear coat. I took everything apart but did no sanding. I was quoted $750. I think that is a good price because I know he does top quality work.

I was charged $800 when I had it painted in 02 for the same work. It looked great for about 9 years until the clear coat started to peel.

 

make sure you install heavy duty leaf springs

my shell flattened my factory 3 leaf spring setup in no time

 

I installed air helper springs to level the rear. With that set up I can adjust the ride height no mater how much I have on the rear. I tow a lot and the air assist springs work great for that.

On my previous Ranger I installed add-a leaf springs to level the rear with the shell. I worked well as long as I didn't add more weight or tow. I ended up also installing the air assist springs and that gave me the adjustability I needed.

The rubber air bags do need to be replaced periodically but their life is at least 5 years and they are not that expensive. I always keep a spare too, in case of a blowout. I have blown one out when hitting a very big pot hole with a heavy load while towing.

 

$750?! jeez i can't spend that much. camper shell plus paint would run me over $1000 i bet.

 

camper shells are not cheap anymore , neither is painting them

unless it is rattle can gloss black , that you can do your self

 

Labor is now expensive, parts are cheap, well for the most part, lol.

So if you do the grunt work of removing glass and sanding it won't be that bad

 

i might do that. sanding and taking out the glass i can do over time in my back yard. but i really don't want to rattle can it if i get one lol

 

You should be able to get a better price a Maaco too.

 

Good luck. I've been searching for a used shell for mine and haven't seen anything compatible for less than $800 (again, that's used...)!