Fiberglass Camper Shell - Squat Correction Needed?

[djjohnr]

For anyone that has installed a shell - has the weight necessitated doing anything with the rear spring rate? I'd likely be going with the Ford branded Leer Cabhigh.

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[starsman53]

I have a Leer camper shell on my 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat and it seems to have not affected the level of the truck. I know the Raptor suspension is different but I wouldn't think the weight of the camper shell would affect the level of your truck.

 

[djjohnr]

I have a Leer camper shell on my 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat and it seems to have not affected the level of the truck. I know the Raptor suspension is different but I wouldn't think the weight of the camper shell would affect the level of your truck.

Thanks! How well sealed have you found the bed to be? Any issues with dust ingress?

 

[starsman53]

I put in an ESI "ultimate tailgate seal" shortly before I had the camper shell installed. Since then, I've made one trip to West Texas for about 10 days. I spent a fair amount of time on dusty gravel roads; I didn't notice any dust infiltration.

 

[pablo94sc]

Thanks! How well sealed have you found the bed to be? Any issues with dust ingress?

If I may, you'll have to spend a bunch of time sealing the bed if you want dust and water intrusion to be minimal. There ar 5-6 holes to tape along the front bulkhead, plus the two huge gaps in the front upper corners. I stuffed cut up pool noodles in mine, but that's just a temp measure. Tailgate can be sealed pretty well with off the shelf weatherstripping from Lowe's, etc (I used the W looking stuff), but I'm going to replace this once a good kit becomes available stateside.

Hardest thing to seal is going to be the bed rails. That's going to require taking the caps off, and based on my experience, you're likely going to fight them to remove and break some tabs in the process. You can get away with some tape over the holes under the stake pocket tabs, but it's only so-so keeping water out. So you need to ask yourself If a little water is worth potentially having to replace the bed rail caps.

 

[borfoo3]

For anyone that has installed a shell - has the weight necessitated doing anything with the rear spring rate? I'd likely be going with the Ford branded Leer Cabhigh.

The Ranger Raptor (coil spring rear) will sag more than the normal ranger due to its soft rear spring.

I'd say try it out first before deciding on a rear coil swap

 

[Mike9816]

Several hundred pounds in the bed plus the shell. Rides great.

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