RSI EVO SmartCap Review

This past June I took delivery of a 2022 Ford Ranger with a 6ft. bed. My next move was to add a camper shell to fit it out for camping. I have had a conventional camper shell before but became interested in the RSI SmartCap. It is made in South Africa and is fabricated from stainless steel. As a consequence, it is about $1000 more than a conventional shell.  What you get is better access with sidewing doors/windows much like a commercial shell. I also liked the strength and ability to support a roof top tent. I am choosing my outfit with flexibility in mind. This is part of the reason I chose the Ranger over other mid-sized trucks as it has the highest payload and tow capacity. (I also could not find a truck with as good of performance and gas mileage. I have driven the Ranger about 4k miles and have never found it wanting for power and acceleration and have averaged at least 25mpg (US Gallon) on the highway over all kinds of mountain terrain with the AC on.)

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Some research indicated that delivery of the Smatcap could be 6-8 months and this left me unclear if I would actually order one. There were some other concerns voiced by users and reviewers. The locks could freeze up in the winter, there were concerns about how leaky it is. This included some problem with the small sliding window door seals. RSI did attempt to address these problems. 

So, I went out shopping to Couer d'Alene to look at my options and quickly ended up at the RSI dealer. I looked over the showroom model and looked at a commercial cap they had there as well. As I said, I was already resigned to getting another shell owing to the availability. I enquired how long the wait was and he asked what model and year of truck I had, and he looked on his computer and found 2 in stock in the immediate area. He could have one by Monday. So, I took it. I couldn't believe my luck but suspected that since my Ranger is a SuperCab and not the full four door CrewCab that made the difference. The CrewCab is a much more popular build.

I also asked about installation, and they said it would cost $250 but I had to wait 8 weeks. So, I declined this though I would later wonder about the wisdom of this decision.

Build Quality

I find the quality to be very good. It fits together tightly and though at times it seemed to be poorly made it was in fact precisely made once assembled correctly.  

Assembly and Installation

The shell comes in five panels, four sides and the top, along with all assembly hardware. (There are plenty of video about the assembly and installation on YouTube for those interested.) It is assembled upside down. Assembly is not easy as the gaskets add resistance that keeps the panels from sliding together easily. 

There is some additional prep as the rubber gasket is adhered to the edge of the shell. Once assembled the shell needs to be turned upside down. 

All the steel and glass make the shell very heavy. I managed to get it flipped over by myself, but it was fraught with the possibility of damaging it or personal injury. I recommend getting some help.

The next step is to get it on the top of the truck bed. RSI recommends four people to help with this. We didn't have that option, but it would certainly be much easier. My dad and I opted to use ratchet straps to lift it from the rafters in the shop. We used two 2x4s under the bottom of the shell with a ratchet strap on each end tied to the rafters. The problem with ratchet straps is they can lift only about 8-10 inches before the spool has too much strap on it and cannot ratchet any further. Here we used a fifth strap to relieve one corner while we respooled the corner ratchet strap to hike it up another 8 inches. We proceeded around each corner like this until the desired height was reached. (Patience was the watchword for us.) At which point I backed the truck underneath. We then lowered the top down and after some fiddling got the 2x4s out and the cap settled on the top of the bed. 

Next four steel brackets are mounted inside the bed, and one discovers that they have the wrong size of rubber pads for mounting the cap. This was identified in some of the reviews, so I wasn't completely surprised. I contacted the company and they said they would send some new pads. Fortunately, I managed to adjust the brackets well enough to allow me to drive around with the shell still on. Though I was concerned about compressing the gasket too much this turned out not to be a problem.

Bracket adjustments
(note bottom bolt extends beyond end of bracket)

Use

I have been on a couple of camping trips with the SmartCap and this is probably my biggest area of concern. I would divide it into two areas, access, and habitation. Access is fantastic and I think this is the top's strongest point. I can reach almost everywhere without having to crawl inside by opening the correct door. There are 2 locks per door, but this is not too tedious. I also find the increased headroom is very useful, I am 6' 3" so having more room is important. I find I can sit completely upright with my back against the cab and my head does not touch the roof (even with my headliner installed). In fact, while occupying the bed I don't have any real issue with the roof height. 

With respect to habitation, I think this is where I may deviate from most use cases. I get the sense the majority of users of the Smartcap use it for storing gear and opt for a roof top tent or ground tent for sleeping. While a ground tent is in the cards for me, I fully intended to sleep inside hence the reason I opted for a 6-foot bed. The shell is uninsulated and being steel, it gets extremely hot in the summer sun. The interior as a result gets very hot as well. I think without modification it would be very uncomfortable in most summer conditions. I also worry about cold weather as well for the same reason. This was something I did not give enough consideration to when purchasing the SmartCap.

I eventually fashioned as headliner for it from 1/4" hardboard with 1" Styrofoam insulation. The threaded inserts in the roof helped immensely. Fitting the hardboard was very difficult as there are many compound angles and tapers to consider. It is not beautiful but it is functional and helps immensely. I plan to do the same with the side as well and would like to line the bed sides too. 

I wish RSI had CAD files for these pieces to allow one to get them CNC cut precisely and neatly. 

Finally, there are no screens for the windows or side doors and in mosquito country this will be a problem as well. I will probably have to fashion a solution for this as well. 

Headliner looking towards cab.

Headliner with slot cut for positive pressure vent. 
(This needs covering with some mesh and the whole thing with carpet)

Weatherproofing 

I found these concerns to not be true. I have not had trouble in the rain, an automatic car wash, or while hand washing. I think most of the reported problems have to do with careless assembly. 

Dust infiltration is a problem, but this is due to the fit around the tailgate which is Ford's problem, and I am working on some flaps to help seal these edges better. I have also taped over holes in the side of the bed to help remedy this problem there. Still, it is not bad even on some extremely dusty roads this summer.

Extremely dusty road!

How much dust got in.

Blue tape to seal holes and glimpse of cardboard strip to seal tailgate. Note the extra dust in the lower left again due to poor tailgate seal. 

Some users complained about seizing locks in icy weather and RSI's customer support supplied rubber caps for the locks that keep water out. I opted to put these only on the liftgate locks as I figured I would only need basic access under such conditions. They supplied enough rubber covers however for every lock. They are easy and intuitive to install. 

Support and Service

Support comes out of Texas which was a relief. Lionel, the person I contacted, was extremely responsive and helpful. He said he would send new mounting pads (with new longer bolts) and when I asked about freezing locks and the window seals, he said he would send rubber lock covers and some spare window seals as well free of charge. Great! 

Later I was hooking up the brake light and found the cable they sent wouldn't fit my Ranger. I contacted Lionel and again he said he would send a new cable. This cable arrived and was faulty. I contacted Lionel and he confirmed they had mis-specified them initially and he sent another one. Once fitted this third cable worked. 

I would give their customer support top marks. Their logistics are poor as they cannot seem to get the right parts in the box int he first place. 

Summary

Overall, I am satisfied though I am of course a committed owner. I would reconsider the top due to the insulation issues if I were starting over. This would not matter as much if one were not planning to live under the shell.