Pickup caps and racks: choosing the right setup

Short answer: Choose a commercial cap if tools must stay dry and locked. Choose a rack if you load long or bulky material from the top. Many trades run both: a cap with a ladder rack on the roof.

Who this is for

Trades who work out of a pickup and need secure storage
Crews carrying ladders, conduit or pipe
Dealers and fleets adding a repeatable work package to stock pickups

How to decide

You need to…	Choose	Why
lock tools and keep them dry	commercial cap	encloses the bed; side doors reach tools without climbing in
carry ladders and keep tools locked	cap + ladder rack	the rack mounts on the cap roof
load material by forklift or from the side	ladder or headache rack	the bed stays open
protect the rear window from shifting loads	headache rack	guards the cab
carry long conduit or pipe	rack	keeps long stock out of the bed

Commercial caps

What makes it a work cap

A commercial cap is built for work, not looks. Side doors are the big difference: you reach tools from the curb instead of climbing into the bed. A.R.E.'s DCU, for example, uses a .035" aluminum skin over a TIG-welded .050" aluminum tube frame on .080" aluminum base rails.

Height

Taller caps hold more and fit bigger tools, but they catch more wind and may not clear a garage or parking structure. Measure your lowest clearance before you choose. The DCU comes in 23", 26", 29" and 36" heights, plus wedge heights.

Side and rear access

Pick the access for each side separately. The DCU offers full-length doors, double doors, radius sliders, doors with windows, windoors or solid sides, and four rear-door styles. A common setup is full-length doors on the curb side for tools you use all day, and a solid or window side for long-term storage.

Racks on the cap

If you carry ladders, plan the rack with the cap. The DCU takes an aluminum ladder rack, a commercial locking ladder rack or a heavy-duty rack. Ordered together, the cap and rack are built for each other and installed in one visit.

Spec	A.R.E. DCU
Heights	23", 26", 29", 36" (wedge heights available)
Skin / frame / base rails	.035" aluminum / .050" T6 aluminum tube, TIG-welded / .080" T6 aluminum
Side options (each side)	full-length door, double doors, radius slider, door with window, windoor, solid
Rear door	four styles
Racks	aluminum ladder rack, commercial locking ladder rack, heavy-duty rack

Source: A.R.E. DCU spec sheet (4are.com). Specs change; we confirm fitment on every quote.

Specs and weights are supplied by the manufacturer and may vary. Confirm details with VSI before ordering.

Fit

Caps are built to order for one truck. Send the year, make, model, cab style and bed length. A cap built for one bed won't fit another, so we confirm all five before we order.

Racks

Ladder racks

Ladder racks carry ladders and long stock over the bed or over the cap. Fixed racks are simple and sturdy. Drop-down racks lower ladders to waist height, which matters on taller trucks. Tell us the longest item you carry and how often you load it.

Headache racks

A headache rack mounts behind the cab to protect the rear window from shifting loads and gives you a place to mount lights. Some also carry ladders or pipe. Our fab shop builds custom racks to your photos and measurements when a stock rack won't do the job.

Ratings

Every rack has a load rating from its maker. Add up what you carry, including ladders, and choose a rack rated above it. Ask us for the rating of any rack we quote.

Height and clearance

A rack or a tall cap with a rack can push the truck past a garage door or drive-through. Measure the overall height you need to clear, and we'll check it against the setup before we order.

Fitment: Send year, make, model, cab and bed length. We'll quote the cap or rack built for that truck and install it at our shop.

Sources: A.R.E. DCU specification sheet, 4are.com.