Anyone take the plunge and order a Cap yet?

I am one of those that is going to get a cap for road trips. I have read everyone's thoughts both good and bad and don't want a retrax or the basickoncepts covers... (if the awesome black top from the sema truck is available I will take it today).

I am going to start the order process for a cap and wanted to see if anyone has ordered either a Leer or ARE cap yet?

thanks,
Chris

Decided to reply just to get rid of that Goose Egg! Sorry, but I opted for the Retrax. Just put it on last week & love it. (also got the tailgate lock from Basickoncepts to go with it)

I'm definitely interested in getting a cap also. The A.R.E. unit looks good but I'm waiting for the LEER cap to come out before making a decision.

Man suddenly this leap is looking higher and higher ....

thanks Dnick ... for breaking the seal on my responses...

I guess it's just blueridgeman and I. I have read alot of negative posts from previous owners of Leer's caps, maybe I am partial to the ARE cap also since it is our color ...

My first trip down to Florida is probably not going to happen so ... my timeline is most likely pushed back to before April. I am just nervous about ordering something like this sight un seen...

I had a hard top for my 90 amigo that worked well, although it did leak .. but then again so did the soft top. I am going to make some calls and see what I can find out, be patient though, with my 9 week old baby I have limited time "out" in the real world.

good luck and I will keep you posted

JSG - what a cutie! Love the pic of your little one.

I had an ARE fiberglass lid on my last truck, mainly because I didn't want the windows and the loss of visibility if I'd gone w/ a cap that had no windows.

I'm thinking about a cap mainly due to trips, and I have a place to safely and easily store it when not on my Ridge.

-ridgeln

Thanks ridgeln! I think she is very cute too. But she is taking over all my roc time.... just kidding

How was the quality of your ARE cap?

I am not as worried about the visibility between the rear view camera and my turning my head around when I change lanes I think I will be okay when I am using it for trips. I just hope it is going to be dry.

I am in the same boat, I have room to store it and would use it only to store all of my daughter and her mother's stuff.... ( I guess this is why they needed wagon trains...)

It is funny to go to florida a guy needs a couple of t-shirts, bathing suit, shorts and maybe a golf shirt and some dress pants... all fitting into the same size bad my wife uses for shoes alone...

dogs and cats living together...

I have no plans to get a CAP, but I'd love to see how your truck looks when you get yours :)

I am one of those that is going to get a cap for road trips. thanks,
Chris

SigOther got me one on eBay. Nice material. For a one-size-fits-all, it's pretty good, as I have a 7-3/4 head.

LOL! I'm imagining a large fedora perched on top of a Ridgeline :D

My ARE cap was amazing. Best color match I'd ever seen for the Dodge Red. It was well made - locked & unlocked beautifully, and I was able to take it off and on with little trouble.

-ridgeln

I’m interesting to have the cap installed on my RL. I guess we are in this early stage and have to be patient. I had difficult time running errands today with large items on the bed and can’t open the trunk. If I have the cap I don’t even need to use the trunk and be able to use all the space.

I contacted the A.R.E. dealer in my area two weeks ago and they have one RL cap coming in. That will be their first one install on a RL. They have no information to share at this point since it is so new. It will cost $1,800 for the cap.

Today the Leer dealer contacted me to discuss the cap for the RL because he received my on-line request. He too has no installation experience for the RL. And will learn more then get back to me. Leer cap cost around $1,600.

You can go on manufacture’s website (www.leer.com and www.4are.com) to see the cap for RL.

If anyone have more info please let us know. :)

I want one! And as soon as I get one installed, my Access Cover will be up for sale. I like that, too, but the CAP is more of what I need.
Cheers,
George

I definitely need a cap to fulfill the functions I planned for this truck. I have been fighting some issues on my truck in terms of quality and before I plunk down another $2000 for an improvement, I want to have this truck be what I thought I was paying for when I drove it off the dealer's lot. If I cannot resolve the issues to my satisfaction, I will need to think long and hard about keeping the truck and that will be way more important than worrying about what a cap would do to improve it. I hope it works out and I end up buying the cap and keeping the truck because on paper the RL was everything I needed. It may even force me to wait awhile on the cap and let someone else be the virgin at the cap installer shop. I am already tired of being the guy who gets repairs tried out for the first time on my RL at the Honda Dealership.

Yes, Finally Got it after about 8-10 weeks. Looks Good. Quality of product is good. Having it on seems to deaden cabin noise noticably. Does an OK job of preventing the Tailgate from being opened (I'm not able to open tailgate either way with cap on. But no substitute for a real lock). Tailgate will open slightly if attempted to open with Cap on. If you get the CAP you will probably also want a Gasket for the tailgate to prevent snow/water from getting in around the tailgate. Just got it today, so in the A.M. I will be looking closer.....Stay Tuned....

PIC ATTACHED...

CCRIDER.....Cap looks great! Please keep us posted on likes and dislikes. What did you pay? ...including installation.

Do they make a separate cap for RL's with a roof rack?

Your truck color is listed as Redrock Pearl, but your picture is a Silver RL??:confused:

Thanks again. Hope you enjoy your purchase.

I saw a Blue A.R.E cap on a Ridge and much like the photo on their website, the color did not appear to match. Could have been the lighting. Anyone have a blue cap who would care to comment?

CCRIDER,
How is visibility out the back? I like the utility of a cap (got two goldens) and looks of the A.R.E. but wonder if it will be like driving a van.
I have the blue also, and don't expect a perfect match. The blue color is so variable in different light there's bound to be situation where they look mismatched.

1st is leer - not too bad

2nd is ARE

3rd is leer too

undecided on the topper

Cost about $1,800 Delivered/Installed.

Here's the scoop on my experience withe the ARE Cap after 24 Hours of Driving:

Pros:
1. No added Wind Noise as some have been concerned about.
2. Reduction in overall CAB Noise level (Enven noticable by wife and Kids).
3. Color match is pretty good. Slightly lighter than original color.

Cons:
1. Significantly Reduces overall vison out of the back and sides of Ridgeline. Must make conscientious effort (Thorough) to view all sides before lane changes.
2. I ran my Ridgeline through a carwash today an did get leaks from Front of CAP (Closest to Sliding window). Called Installer and have Appointment for them to Remove and investigate source of leak. THIS COULD BE AN INSTALLATION ISSUE. DON'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS YET!
3. Is not the tightest seal between the CAP and Tailgate. GAPS noticed that, in my opinion, should and could be filled by ARE paying more attention to detail. Able to move the GATE an inch or so when CAP window is down and locked. (SEE ATTACHED PICS)

VERDICT: Veridict is still out on this. Once I have the installer find the root cause of the leak I will update you all. If they can't stop this leak, the CAP is going back! I suspect it has to do with the ridges on the top of the roof and how it meets up with the gasket material on the CAP. The car wash I went through was an Automated car wash that really tested the integrity of the Fit.


I do like it though....Have a Golden doodle that requires a CAP.

I happily found this website today as I was researching this very canopy.

My wife and I are debating between buying a Pilot or a Ridgeline. I like the RL because of its added versatility, but a main reason for a new vehicle was our new Golden Retriever. Without a cap, the back makes it hard to safely load her kennel for long drives.

My local retailer told me that it attaches using the existing bolt holes in the bed. Also, he said that it wires into your keyless entry system and works with the factory bob. Can you verify this?

I actually like the Leer look better, but need the sliding windows for the dog.

BTW, Canadian MSRP is $2200 and one hours labour for installation, so $2250 plus taxes. If it works well, that is a small price to pay to add such utility to the vehicle.

Please keep us updated!

Shawn

Yes, the Ridgeline has a window on both sides that opens. I do have to say that the Leer looks appealing. I'm not sure of how it meets at the tailgate section and how Leer andles that interface.

Yes, it does attach using existing bolts/bolt holes.

Man, I sure would love to see more of the LEER cap. I am not a fan of either, never owning a cap before, so I don't care. I have heard bad things about BOTH, (ARE too $$$, Leer's quality is bad). I just want to get the BEST LOOKING and most functional of the two.

And right now, it looks like the ARE cap is losing ground (huge gap in the rear...where all the water comes in as it trickles off the roof and up from the ground as you drive down the road). Not good!

I wonder if the LEER cap is cheaper.

Anyone know about it?

Thanks,
George

I couldn't wait for the Leer cap any longer since I needed a cap by the end of March. I ordered my A.R.E. cap on Feb.1 and it was installed on Mar. 16 - about a 6 week wait. The cap color is a little darker blue than my blue Ridgeline so it's not a perfect color match but it looks ok. I don't know how they could get a perfect match (based on my previous experiences with having cars repainted) and I wasn't expecting it. Quality is very good. I've driven in several rains without any leakage but I do have one small leak at the front of the cap when I go through a car wash. It's not worth getting excited about at this time. I think the Leer will have similar problems because the Ridgeline's bed is not separate from the cab. Incidentally, there's a significant amount of water infiltration around the tailgate when going through a carwash. I'm thinking of getting a gasket kit to seal around the rear gate.
I'm happy with the security that the cap provides. I also had the remote lock installed and that's tied into the key fob. Security is not perfect. If someone wants to break in - they certainly won't have a tough time doing it.
Visibility is very similar to driving a full size van. You have to rely on the side mirrors so you have to adjust them carefully. I back up very carefully because you can't see squat directly behind the tailgate. I have the backup sensors so that helps.
I'd post pictures but they wouldn't be any different that what's been posted already.
The last thing I want to say is that I'm extremely happy with the Ridgeline.

Had the ARE cap installed last week. LOVE IT. No leaks, GREAT color match (Amazon Green) and a real eye-catcher. Easy to get things in and out. With all the tinted glass, makes the rear view mirror obsolete.

Have the Honda Roof Rack so had to wait 6 weeks for the customized cap. The cap makes my Ridgeline a 110% camping vehicle.

I saw the Leer cap on a RL @ Joliet Honda on Saturday while getting an oil change, and the VTM-4 fluid changed. The cap was on a black RTS demo, and looked ok. Not something I will put on my RL, but it looked ok. Aprox cost $1600.

I guess we all have our own opinions. I was quoted $1600 for the A.R.E. cap (installed) from my local guy. He does not sell LEER, as he says they are a "cheaper" brand and do not stand behind their product. He told me that when people have problems with their (Leer) cap/top, that it is "your" problem, not theirs.

I do not do business this way, and I can't believe they (Leer) can get away with it. But it might be the same with the Honda RL stories - ONE bad one can spoil them all - kind of thing.

At any rate, I told him I liked the LOOKS of the Leer better, but he said the A.R.E. is a much better and more quality cap.

I guess I will see who sells the Leer cap, just to compare prices.

George

You guys are all crazy, these things look like ass?? Is it just me?? What is even the point of buying this truck if your going to put a cap on it? It looks just like a Toyota SUV?? Should have just bought the Pilot/Toyota in my opinion...

rvancil,
Everyone buys a vehicle for their own purposes. I happen to like the cap because I drive cross country and I carry stuff that won't fit under a tonneau cover. This provides more security. Another advantage of a truck is you can carry all kinds of things without intruding into the cab space, even with the cap. For instance - I've loaded the Ridgeline with several loads of wood chips which have made that job much easier than with my old minivan and 4 trash cans. Don't rain on my parade.
blueridgeman