BEST Cap/Top out there...... RSI SmartCap ?

[Chuck44]

I am really wanting to get one of these, but I am not sure that it will fit in my garage. I have a measured 23.75 inches of clearance from the Bed Rail Caps to the top of my garage door opening. The listed height of the EV1000-MB Cap is 23.03 inches. It is not clear if that is the installed maximum height including the vent on the top and any added height from the rubber gasket installed between the bed rails and the SmartCap....or if it is just the raw height of the panels. Can someone who has one of these installed on a 19-24 DT RAM measure the "installed height" from the bed rail caps to the top of the vent...it would be much appreciated? Thanks

 

[roaminwiththeromes]

I put a board on the smartcap and measured straight up from the bed rails. 23.75 inches though I'd round up to 24. Smart cap is an inch or two taller than the truck

 

[Chuck44]

I put a board on the smartcap and measured straight up from the bed rails. 23.75 inches though I'd round up to 24. Smart cap is an inch or two taller than the truck

Thank You! That is going to be zero clearance for me...even with pretty worn tires. Just to clarify, was the board placed on the vent?

 

[roaminwiththeromes]

yes, it was placed in the vent.

 

[mresseguie]

I've had the SmartCap on my truck since last fall. No complaints with water intrusion so far.
One of the marketing points RSI use is the "positive pressure vent" on the roof which they claim keeps dust out.
I never got a chance to test that until this past week when I had a camping trip out to a dusty part of SE Oregon, with plenty of miles of gravel roads. ( Steens Mountain area )
Well... the bed of the truck got VERY dusty inside and everything in it coated in dust.
However, I am not yet ready to blame the cap. It fits very tightly to the bed with a good seal all around, including on the tail gate. The access doors on the cap also have good seals.
I think the reason is the tail gate itself, there's a significant gap between the tail gate and the side of the bed.
I need to figure out some way to seal that up. I see plenty of products out there for tail gate seal kits. Just wondering if anyone reading this thread has any recommendations for anything that has worked well. Elsewhere on the forum I saw someone mention a brand called ESI.

I'll bet we came damned close to passing each other on/near Steens Mtn. I entered it from the south access road. Ten miles of gravel <in both directions> coated everything in my bed with a thick layer of dust. Of course, I still had the flimsy vinyl cover that was on the bed when I bought my truck last year. My SmartCap Adventure was only installed a month ago. They sealed all the edges except for either side of the tailgate (close to the top - just like your photo). I've been eying the gaps, and figure I can block them with some extra thick weather stripping/gate seal tape.

Did your installer add putty to the two front corners (where the bed meets the cab)? It looks kinda goofy, but the installers said it'll last ten years and guaranteed it will keep the corners sealed. We're heading out for the weekend, but I'll post a photo of it in a couple days.

BTW, our trucks look like twins.

 

[TSL]

I'll bet we came damned close to passing each other on/near Steens Mtn. I entered it from the south access road. Ten miles of gravel <in both directions> coated everything in my bed with a thick layer of dust. Of course, I still had the flimsy vinyl cover that was on the bed when I bought my truck last year. My SmartCap Adventure was only installed a month ago. They sealed all the edges except for either side of the tailgate (close to the top - just like your photo). I've been eying the gaps, and figure I can block them with some extra thick weather stripping/gate seal tape.

Did your installer add putty to the two front corners (where the bed meets the cab)? It looks kinda goofy, but the installers said it'll last ten years and guaranteed it will keep the corners sealed. We're heading out for the weekend, but I'll post a photo of it in a couple days.

BTW, our trucks look like twins.

Sorry, missed replying to this a while ago. No, I didn't see them put anything extra on the front corners beyond the seal that comes with the cap that lays between the cap and the truck. I saw them take a good bit of time getting that seal placed, and so far so good.
Since getting the tail gate seal done I haven't done anything super dusty with the truck to truly test it out.
It was on my mind to try to get back over to Steens in Sept. to do some hiking in the canyons and see the fall colors but I'm not sure I'll make it or not. It's a long haul from the Willamette valley.
Interesting we have very similar trucks and also have the Smartcap and apparently don't live too far apart either based on your location !

 

[MerzkeM]

Can someone with a RSI Smartcap and a cargo camera post a picture of their screen showing the view from the cargo camera?

 

[Jason605]

Can someone with a RSI Smartcap and a cargo camera post a picture of their screen showing the view from the cargo camera?

I would like to see this also. I need a cap for my dogs, does this have enough ventilation for them.

 

[mresseguie]

Can someone with a RSI Smartcap and a cargo camera post a picture of their screen showing the view from the cargo camera?

Hi. I just noticed your request. I'll see if I can snap a photo and post it here. [I recall having trouble posting a photo before.]

 

[mresseguie]

I would like to see this also. I need a cap for my dogs, does this have enough ventilation for them.

Jason,

There is a raised 'bar' on top of the SmartCap whose sole purpose is to allow air into the bed area. My configuration probably isn't ideal for pets because the side doors are solid (no windows/no way to slide a panel slightly open for more air). There is another option for the side panel that allows you to slide a window open. I've had the Smartcap now for about 4 months, and can tell you I'm very happy with it. My son packed it FULL of boxes and gear. Then, drove it darn near 4000 miles in a round about way from Oregon to Atlanta. Zero issues; zero problems. Would be thieves couldn't see inside on the sides thanks to the solid steel locked flip up panels and a moving blanket covered gear in case someone wanted to use a flashlight to see inside through the back panel window.

The only negative my son had to say about either the truck or the Smartcap was how much money he had to spend on gas - though he knew to expect 11 to 14 MPG.

 

[mresseguie]

Can someone with a RSI Smartcap and a cargo camera post a picture of their screen showing the view from the cargo camera?

I'm afraid I don't have a cargo camera, so I cannot help you.