Put A Lid On It

Adding an A.R.E. Shell to Our Raptor

- Jason Gonderman

If you’ve spent any time around pickup enthusiasts, you’ll know there’s a heated debate between those that love truck shells (also known as bed caps) and those that hate them. And there seems to be no middle ground. Regardless of which side you’re on it’s hard to deny the functionality that a shell brings with it. They keep the bed clean and dry, protecting the contents from the elements. Shells also bring a level of added security, keeping bedstored items out of view and away from sticky fingers. People use them for business and for pleasure, some even camp in them. Of course, the detractors would say it limits the size of items that can be hauled in the truck’s bed, and they wouldn’t be wrong.

Very early in our Ford F-150 Raptor build we decided that it would need a shell. Our plans included mounting two spare 37-inch BFGoodrich tires in the bed along with our spare parts, tools, and a Dometic fridge/ freezer. Since we love the look of Raptors with shells and wanted to protect everything from both the elements and prying eyes we turned to the shell experts at A.R.E.