| 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 (every model) | 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 says its gullwing door openings are about 17% taller than most fiberglass caps.
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. Every SmartCap model is 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, where both fit
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 looking for a Colorado shop that installs SmartCap and DECKED, 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 owners want that look, and some want stock. Fiberglass also offers a wider range of styles, roof heights, windows, and finishes after decades on the market.
Soft toppers trade security for an open bed
A soft topper trades permanence for flexibility: enclosed bed space without the weight of a hard cap. The OVS Explorer Soft Shell is canvas on an aluminum frame, and the Agri-Cover OUTLANDER is vinyl-coated canvas that folds forward without coming off when you need the open bed. Choose one if you switch between covered and open use often, want lower weight and cost, and can live without hard-shell security and roof load.
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 EVOa Adventure has double-walled stainless gullwing doors with MOLLE panels inside them for mounting gear. 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?
Where these numbers come from
Sources
Specifications and prices are SmartCap North America’s. Checked 3 October 2026.
- SmartCap, EVO Sport: 330 lb moving and 770 lb parked, the truck-bed caveat, gullwing openings about 17% taller than most fiberglass caps, the positive-pressure vent
- SmartCap, FAQs: five automotive-grade stainless panels, welded then bolted; roof rails rated 770 lb static and 330 lb dynamic
- SmartCap, model comparison: the five models and their doors and windows
- SmartCap, Hatchback and Ford F-150: prices from $2,995 (Hatchback, Tacoma) to $4,995 (EVO Sport Edge Edition, full-size trucks)
- SmartCap, warranty: three-year limited warranty against manufacturer’s defects, when purchased from an Authorized Reseller
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 WanderFox aluminum toppers and the OVS, Westin and Agri-Cover lines. We don’t carry a fiberglass cap line right now. Every cap we install is on our truck toppers page.
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 soft. 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.