| Feature | SmartCap | Fiberglass topper |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Stainless steel | Molded fiberglass |
| Factory color-match look | Rugged, utilitarian | Excellent |
| Side bed access | Gullwing doors on most models | Varies by model |
| Modular accessories | Extensive | More limited |
| Roof load | 330 lb moving / 770 lb parked (EVO) | Depends heavily on model |
| Removal | Modular sections | One large shell |
| Style | Adventure / work | OEM-like |
Neither is universally better. The right choice depends on how you use your truck.
What is the RSI SmartCap?
The SmartCap is a modular truck cap built from automotive-grade stainless steel, assembled from structural sections and mounted to the bed. It is designed around owners who carry tools, camping and overlanding equipment, hunting and fishing gear, recovery gear, and everyday secure cargo.
On most models, large gullwing doors open the sides of the topper, so you reach gear from beside the truck instead of crawling in from the tailgate. SmartCap puts those openings at roughly 17% taller than typical fiberglass cap doors, and once owners live with side access, it becomes the feature they talk about.
Why we like SmartCap
Three things separate it from a conventional topper.
The construction: stainless steel built more like equipment than bodywork, which suits work trucks, off-road use, and heavy Colorado seasons. SmartCap EVO systems are rated for up to 330 pounds of roof load while driving and 770 pounds parked (within the truck maker’s own limits), which is rooftop-tent capacity with margin.
The access: gullwing doors turn the whole bed into reachable storage, from either side.
The modularity: SmartCap is a storage system that happens to enclose the bed. Full-Bins, storage bins, camp kitchen components, roof racks, and interior organization bolt into the same structure, so a contractor, a camper, and a hunter can configure the same cap three different ways.
SmartCap for camping and overlanding
Colorado is nearly tailor-made for this system. Mountain camping, ski trips, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, and overlanding all want protected storage below and rated carrying capacity above. For anyone considering a rooftop tent, the 770-pound static rating is the number that matters, checked against the truck’s own load limits.
SmartCap for work trucks
SmartCap earns its keep on work trucks too. Side access reaches tools without climbing, and the EVOc Commercial model uses solid double-wall stainless side doors built for job sites. Pair it with a DECKED Drawer System, racks, bed lighting, and towing equipment and the bed becomes a mobile workspace.
SmartCap plus DECKED: our favorite bed combination
These two products solve different problems, which is why they pair so naturally. DECKED gives you organized, secure drawers under a load floor; SmartCap encloses everything above it with side access and a rated roof. Together they turn the bed into drawers below, enclosed cargo above, and a rated roof on top.
A contractor keeps tools in the drawers and equipment above. An overlander stores recovery gear and cook kits below with coolers and duffels protected up top. A towing customer organizes hitches, straps, chocks, and adapters in one drawer and still hauls. If you are searching for a SmartCap dealer or DECKED dealer in Colorado, we install and configure both so they work together on your specific truck. Our DECKED guide covers the drawer half of the story.
What is a fiberglass truck topper?
Fiberglass toppers (also called truck caps, camper shells, or bed caps) have been around for decades. They are molded to the truck’s shape and usually painted to match, and that is their strength: a quality fiberglass shell looks nearly factory. Options run from windows and roof racks to carpeted interiors and side doors. Our truck bed cap guide covers the category basics and how caps compare to tonneau covers.
Fiberglass wins when appearance is the priority. Paint-matched shells blend into the truck; SmartCap deliberately looks rugged and industrial. Some customers love that, and some want stock. Fiberglass also offers a wider range of styles, roof heights, windows, and finishes after decades on the market.
What about Softopper and fabric toppers?
A Softopper trades permanence for flexibility: enclosed bed space without the weight of a hard cap, and it folds down or comes off when you need the open bed. Choose fabric if you switch between covered and open use often, want lower weight and cost, and can live without hard-shell security and roof load.
What about inflatable toppers?
Inflatable toppers are built around portability: install and inflate when you need enclosed space, deflate and store when you do not. They fit occasional campers and drivers with nowhere to store a hard cap. The trade is capability: no structural strength, physical security, or roof load to speak of.
Which SmartCap model fits you?
The EVO Sport, with glass gullwing doors, is the recreational and daily-driver pick for camping and adventure builds. The EVOc Commercial swaps in double-wall stainless doors for job-site security. The EVOd Defender goes full solid stainless for maximum equipment protection. The Hatchback drops the side doors for a streamlined solid-panel design. What you carry decides.
Common questions
How much does a SmartCap cost, and why is it expensive?
Is a SmartCap worth the money?
Which SmartCap model should I get?
SmartCap and truck topper installation in Arvada, Colorado
Ride N’ Shine Automotive sources and installs RSI SmartCap systems for truck owners across Arvada, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Westminster, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, and the Front Range, along with fabric and inflatable toppers when they fit the use better.
Because we handle the whole truck, we build the rest of the system around the cap: DECKED drawers, CargoGlide, tonneau covers, bed and roof racks, running boards, air bags, B&W and Weigh Safe towing equipment, lift kits, and wheels and tires. One coordinated build instead of accessories chosen in isolation.
Start with how you use the truck. If appearance is everything, go fiberglass. If flexibility rules, go fabric. If you need a topper twice a year, go inflatable. And if you want a strong, modular cap that handles Colorado work and adventure, SmartCap belongs at the top of your list, especially paired with DECKED.
Tell us your truck’s year, make, model, bed length, and how you use it, and we will help you compare the options.