Why This May Be The Most Versatile System On The Market!
If you want one of the strongest and most lightweight toppers on the market, look no further than Go Fast Campers (GFC). After three years one of their Platform Campers, I made the switch to a Platform Topper. Read my post – GFC Camper vs. Topper. While I loved the former, I wanted to switch my setup to something even more versatile.
We go on fewer big camping expeditions than we used to, so the Platform Topper is perfect for our daily driver. It can still carry all of our gear and works as a great camping setup. After one year, I still absolutely love mine and have customized it with upgrades that add to its already amazing functionality.
In this article, I’ll provide an in-depth, one-year review of this awesome platform (pun intended).
Who Is GFC?
Before we delve into the details, let’s take a step back – who is GFC? Their motto is “Cozy, Fast, Reliable” and after running their products for over four years, I can say that they fully embody those words.
Their products are designed and manufactured in Bozeman, Montana, USA with an expert workforce that prioritizes quality and customer service. They are making huge strides in US manufacturing where automation is paramount and robots are cranking out parts.
When you buy a GFC, you’re purchasing the most “hackable” camper or rooftop tent available. From trips to Home Depot to grueling miles of washboard trails, I’ve never had their product let me down.
Revolutionizing Accessories
Their products are designed to revolutionize how you use your truck and turn them into jack-of-all-trade adventure machines. They combine convenience and durability with a lightweight design and are also compatible with a wide range of truck models.
How To Order
GFC has a lead time of approximately 8-12 weeks (might be a bit longer since they are running a big sale at the time we published this).
You get to choose the color of the powder-coated panels and the option to add a front or rear window and cross bars. You can pick up your order and have it installed at their Bozeman, Montana headquarters (for an added fee).
Alternatively, you can have it installed at one of their eight convenient fulfillment locations (also for a fee depending on the location). On GFC’s product pages, you can see live lead times for each of the fulfillment centers.
Features & Specs
Let’s take a look at three important categories here.
Construction
GFC uses a proprietary aluminum extrusion with billet aluminum joints and mounting feet. The structure’s framing is made of rounded aluminum tubes bolted together into a triangular frame. This evenly distributes the load around your truck bed.
I’ve had no issues with anything rattling or coming loose even on washboard trails. There are people out there who fully send it with their GFCs without hesitation.
On the sides and rear, aluminum panels are hinged to open and give full access to the bed in the famous “cabana mode.” The panels have a dense, textured powder coat in the color of your choice.
I’ve taken the truck on some tight trails and although my blue paint has some gnarly battle scars and pinstripes, the powder coat finish has held up extremely well.
The roof is a translucent honeycomb composite that allows for soft ambient light inside. We’ve camped in the topper on several trips now, and the roof lets in the perfect amount of light in the morning.
Versatility
The topper has accessory mounting rails on all sides which I’ve used to mount their Beef Rack cross bars and handles. Inside, there are internal mounting locations which I’ve used to add D-rings to connect a cargo net to hold our camp gear.
Weight
The topper weighs in at a class-leading 135 pounds. This dominates the strength-to-weight ratio compared to traditional fiberglass camper shells. It also fits right around the cab’s roofline. Due to the impressive weight and small form factor, I haven’t noticed any fuel economy impacts or wind noise.
My fuel economy actually improved when I made the switch from the camper. Plus, I can also easily fit in parking garages which is a relief living in the city. With my camper, I couldn’t always fit into garages.
It can support up to 800 lbs. of dynamic load and practically thousands of pounds of static load with their roof rack system. GFC claims that it can support more weight than the actual bed. And they backed it up by putting an old Ford truck on it…
1-Year Review
After running a GFC Platform Topper for one year, I can confidently say that I love it as much on day 365 as on day 1. In fact, I love it even more.
I’ve spent the past year dialing in the setup and it’s been the best one yet. In the past eight years, I have had many iterations of bed setups – ranging from an empty bed and everything in between. The topper stands out as my favorite due to its lightweight versatility.
Major Customizations
My major upgrades and customizations have included GFC’s beef rack crossbars, Matt Gecko dual red/white LED lights, BamBeds platforms and sliders, and a RockyMounts GuideRail bike rack.
Each of these accessories perfectly compliments the Topper and allows me to head to the mountains at a moment’s notice. Not only that, but I can still run to the hardware store and use my Tacoma as a truck. Going from a dialed camping setup to a fully empty bed in minutes has been invaluable.
Konrad wrote a post on relevant accessories he put on his camper. See – Best GFC Camper Accessories.
So far, nothing has required any maintenance or repairs. One thing I’ve noticed is that in extremely cold climates, the gas struts don’t perform as well as they do in warmer temperatures. However, they still operate fine.
There are also a few water entry points in the bed during heavy rain. I can’t knock GFC for that though as that’s bound to happen with any bed setup (due to the Tacoma bed design). There are aftermarket seals and butyl tape out there that you can use to help solve this if it bothers you but a drop or two here or there has never bothered me.
From daily driving on the highway to the occasional offroad trip, the Platform Topper has been rock solid, and GFC’s proprietary billet mounting feet haven’t loosened at all. You can find plenty of videos online of fiberglass camper shells catastrophically failing and flying off trucks offroad. I am confident that I would break my truck in many ways before being able to damage anything while driving.
Final Thoughts
Sure, I miss the massive bed size of my GFC camper. However, I fall more in love with the topper every day. Whether I’m heading out mountain biking, snowboarding, camping, or to Home Depot, I know this system is up to the task and will keep all of my gear safe.
The more I fine-tune and tailor it to my needs, the more it’s become my favorite upgrade to my truck. After a year of use, I feel like I’ve barely broken it in. It may even outlive the already reliable truck that it’s bolted to. I’m looking forward to the next adventure around the corner!
