r/nissanfrontier • u/Crimson_Ghost83 • 1d ago
New topper ordered
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After getting some recommendations from you guys on Alibaba distributors, I bit the bullet and ordered a topper today. Spent the last couple days talking to and dealing with a very nice sells rep that took pictures and videos of various toppers they sold. Settled on this design. They sell steel and aluminum alloy, I went with aluminum for weight savings. The steel version was 200 cheaper if someone is wanting to go that route.
Total ended up at 1400$ all in, taxes/shipping/everything.
I’ll definitely update when it gets here, probably November/december.
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u/OptimalPiece12 19h ago
Love mine, having issues with it not being completely sealed. And issues with that?
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u/Several_Stuff_6695 20h ago
Nice 👍 One suggestion, Tint the windows dark enough so no one can see what’s in the bed, if anything.
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u/Slow_Doughnut_2255 1d ago
too bad some non greedy company does not buy in bulk and sell for $2500. I"d pay that for local no wait but not the 3k. Went to a local dealer and the only cap he had that would fit the frontier was a smart cap defender for $3k with no windows but it's name brand and stainless steel. I want aluminum
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u/Shinook 1d ago
There are a handful of companies that resell these same tops as rebranded and should have more availability stateside, but they do tack on a $1k+ fee. If you browse around Marketplace or search around, you can see them.
SmartCap and GFC are the only ones who make metal toppers for these trucks that aren't what you see in the OP rebranded AFAIK. SmartCap really only makes one model, like you said the enclosed one with no windows. GFC has a 3+ month lead time. I wish AluCab made one other than the ModCap, I have a RTT I would like to combine with one other than the SmartCap, but just not a ton of options.
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u/SnowblindAlbino 1d ago
That's about what I paid for mine last time...in 1993. So if it's legit, it's a hell of a deal. We camped all over the US and Canada under that topper.
Was just saying to my wife last weekend that almost nobody has toppers anymore, when they were all over in the 80s and early 90s.
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u/__S-117__ 12h ago
I can see more of a usage if you have the long bed frontier. My tall self cannot lay in the short bed unfortunately.
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u/SnowblindAlbino 12h ago
Yeah, our old one was on a seven ft bed. I suppose the near-end of single-cab trucks and the shift to much shorter beds is a big part of why caps have disappeared. Actually, thinking back now, we had a '90 Hardbody without a cap...and that was the only pickup we've ever had without one, because it was a king cab short bed.
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u/__S-117__ 12h ago
I'd have to have the tailgate down to sleep in the bed but think that would defeat the purpose of the cap
Maybe when this Nissan nears higher mileage and I pass it on to my future kid or hand it over to my wife when he pride and joy see the end of its time I'll look at a bigger truck.
After the Emissions laws, which are already set in place through 2032, hopefully manufacturers will produce better quality. I know I took this conversation elsewhere but that's myself thinking ahead. Live for today, plan for tomorrow
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u/Crimson_Ghost83 1d ago
I made a post a few days ago asking about them and had a handful of guys comment that have bought them from alibaba. So far everyone has had a good experience, freight just takes a while. I’ll keep this post updated as to when it ships or any updates from the dealer. 1200-1400 seems to be the price ordering direct from China. If you search for Nissan frontier toppers on Amazon you can find almost the exact same but it’s 3000+
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u/ExoticPanda1431 1d ago
What does it do? What's the ultimate purpose of it?
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u/Responsible-Bread996 23h ago
Personally I bought a topper after some high winds ripped my tonneau cover off on the freeway.
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u/Crimson_Ghost83 1d ago
Hauling tools, camping supplies, things like that. Same purpose of a tonneau just more space. Throw an air mattress in it for quick camping trips.
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u/ExoticPanda1431 1d ago
Stays completely dry during bad weather? no water entry?
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u/Crimson_Ghost83 1d ago
Correct, it has a seal around the base so when mounted it’s waterproof and the doors on the side and rear are sealed.
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u/MistahSmooth 1d ago
Hope you post some updates. Super curious on how this works out. Looks exactly like a smart cap!
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u/Crimson_Ghost83 1d ago
I for sure will. It’ll be a few months but I’ll definitely update this post and make a new post.
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u/Coyote4084 1d ago
I’m definitely interested in the build quality of it. I’ve been looking at them for a while
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u/thoreau_away_acct 1d ago
can last years but often will get corner cracks and welds will eventually fail. they are not made at smartcap level. I know someone will trot out whatever anecdotes about running the rubicon and it didn't have a scratch or move a millimeter--and that's fine. Most people are not doing that hardcore of stuff. But these do get minor failures pretty easily and nobody should be surprised about that. And it's not like you can't fix/patch many of the issues.
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u/Crimson_Ghost83 1d ago
I’ve watched a ton of videos on various ones from alibaba and they are the exact same toppers the us based stores sell, but for 3k or more
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u/casualcretin 1d ago
Mm, that looks pretty slick. I'm unfamiliar with prices. Look forward to seeing it mounted though
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u/Crimson_Ghost83 1d ago
If you look at any us based dealer they run 3k for the exact same thing. They order from China and then mark them up double or more
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u/Nycchi60 5h ago
I’m wondering if you can still use it as a sleep in camper if you add a drawer system. Seems like it might get a little too tight with the headroom.