Bestop Supertop 5.5' Bed F-150 2004-2020 / F-150 Raptor 2010-2014 / 2017-2020

Without a doubt, one of the best things about owning a truck is being able to use the bed. But sometimes you need it covered, and your typical bed cover just might not be up to the task. So today, we're going to be installing this Bestop Supertop on our 2017 F-150 Raptor.

If you want to cover up your bed, but don't want a big, bulky, and expensive fiberglass cap, this Supertop is exactly what you need. This Bestop Supertop is designed to fit your 2004-18 F-150 and Raptor with a 5 1/2 foot bed. It's made of high-quality black diamond fabric with tinted vinyl windows that get supported with a black powder coated frame. It's designed to directly bolt to the bed, so it can be easily be removed and stored when it's not needed. For more information and pricing, click the link in the description down below. Now, let's get to the install.

Tools you'll need for this installation: 3/8 ratchet, 7/16 socket, 9/16 socket, 7/16 wrench, a razor blade, and a tape measure.

The first thing we need to do for this install is grab the right rear tailgate bracket and install it on the right rear belt rail. Place it right over the stud, like so, and secure it with the provided cap nut. And do the same thing for the other rail.

Grab your bow mount bracket and the longer clevis pin with a fender washer, and get it into this slot right here. Then the shorter clevis pin and washer, put it through this hole, here. Slide the front right belt rail against the rear right belt rail. Then place the bow mount bracket on all four studs. Place a cap nut on all four studs. Tighten the four nuts with a 7/16 wrench. You're gonna push on the bow mount bracket away from the two rails, so there's room for this to slide. If it's too close to the bracket, then there will be too much friction and it won't slide.

So, you need to make sure there's proper spacing, and tighten it all down. When you get this rail assembled, you also want to make sure that it's as straight as possible. Now, we're gonna take the provided foam tape and put it the whole way along the bottom of this rail. Do the same thing to the other bracket. Place both rails on top of the bed and measure at the front and back of the rails, and make sure that they're evenly spaced 63 1/2 inches away from each other.

Grab the provided clamp and place two on each rail. Tighten them down. Place each clamp as close to the end of the rail as you can, and then tighten them down with a 9/16 socket. When you install these clamps, you want them to be as far in as possible so they put down even force. Grab the two front bow halves, and slide a tie-down strap on each end. Then we're gonna couple the two together with the provided coupler.

With the front bow together, we can attach it to the two front clevis pins right here. Slide on one side. Once it's on the first pin, install a fender washer, then a cotter pin. And then do the same thing to the other side. Grab a rag and some isopropyl alcohol, and wipe the top inch and-a-half of the front of the bed to make sure it's nice and clean.

We can now install the provided Velcro where we just wiped the bed. Install the rear bow onto the rear pin. Get it over the pin. Get the washer on, then the cotter pin. Do the same thing to the other one. Install an elastic strap on each of the middle bows, just like that. Then you can couple them together, and install the third coupler.

Now we're gonna bring the fabric up to the truck and lay it on top of the cab. Snap the fabric to the front bar by going underneath of it. Do the same thing to the other two bars. This one, we'll do this one under the bar. This one, over the bar. And this one, under. Do the same thing on the other side, then move to the rear bar. This will wrap around the bar to snap on.

Let's fold it forward, and see what it looks like. This corner will snap in right here. We're gonna attach the Velcro now. To make this whole process a lot easier, lift up on the front bar, here and move it to the rear tooth on this bracket. This will give you a lot more slack to work with. And then also, make sure that this flap is up underneath the rail, right here.

With this corner on, also make sure you get this flap underneath the rail, right here, just like that. This kit comes with this third brake light that you can install on the rear bar of the topper, because it's covering up your third brake light and you need it to stay legal. But we don't need this because we have the Putco switch plate on our truck, and we think that looks a whole lot cooler.

We're gonna attach to the rear window. This J Hook mates up with this Jay Hook right here on the topper, so we're gonna lock those two together first. Line up the tailgate bar with the tailgate bracket. We're gonna zipper it up. Start at the top and work your way down. Install the weather seal on the bottom of the tailgate bar.

The last thing we need to do is install the windows. The first thing we're gonna do for this window is attach the J Hooks. There's one right here. Then we're gonna get this front zipper started. Don't zip it up all the way. Zip them all the way up. One more cool feature of this top is, when you're not using it or if you don't want it up, it actually folds down. Just lift up on this arm here, put it all the way forward, remove all your windows, and it folds up.

Okay, we got our Bestop Supertop installed on our 2017 Raptor. And this is a really good alternative to those big, expensive, bulky caps. It's easy to store, and it's a lot lighter, too. Now we can carry big items in the bed of the truck and keep them dry and protected. And we can even take it camping, which we actually might do in the near future.

I'd say give yourself about two hours to install this, and before you know it, you'll be heading off road.