When it comes to midsize trucks in the overlanding community, it seems like the Toyota Tacoma steals all of the attention. Don’t get us wrong — it’s a great truck, especially the current generation, but it’s far from the only game in town.
Take the Ford Ranger, for example. It’s super-capable, very nice to live with, and makes a fantastic base for an overland build. That’s especially true now that ARB has debuted its Ascent Truck Cap for the 2024 and newer Ranger with the 5-foot bed.
Powder-coated metal bed toppers for trucks are definitely in vogue now, but they leave a lot on the table when it comes to driving your truck every day. Conversely, old-timey fiberglass bed caps are heavy, sort of uncool-looking, and often lack features overlanders want.
The ARB Ascent seems to bridge the gap between the two with very little sacrifice.
How It’s Different
ARB constructs the Ascent cap with ABS plastic. While plastic sounds like a bit of a cop-out, especially when it comes to how rugged the cap will be in the long term, it isn’t. The Ascent uses a powder-coated metal frame with a painted ABS shell. This provides rigidity and enough strength to give the Ascent a static load rating of 770 pounds and a dynamic rating of 275 pounds.
That’s plenty of capacity for all the gear you want to throw on top of it if you pair it with the ARB Base Rack.
The ABS shell is lighter than all-metal or fiberglass bed caps, and because ARB built this version specifically for the Ranger, it’s really well-integrated from an aerodynamic perspective. With gas here in Southern California going for $6 at the time of publication, that reduced drag is a seriously nice bonus.
The rear glass is 5mm thick, tinted, and frameless. It’s also curved on the back and sides to further help the aerodynamics. There is a clear front window that lets you access the bed through the sliding rear cab window as well. The side windows pop out on gas struts for easier bed access and have an optional vent-catch setting to improve airflow and make it easier to route electrical cords when using a portable power station.
Smart Quality-of-Life Features
As you’d expect from a company like ARB that’s been building hardcore off-road gear for decades, the Ascent has some really nice quality-of-life features baked into it. A low-profile, high-flow vent, for example, creates a positive-pressure environment in the bed area, which greatly reduces dust ingress. This is nice to have anywhere, but it’s especially handy in desert environments.
We also dig the electronic central locking feature that works with the vehicle’s built-in central locking system — no extra fobs needed. There’s also three-mode LED interior lighting and a knob that lets you lock and unlock the cap from inside — especially nice if you’re camping in the bed.
The Ascent cap is available in three colors — gray, white, or black — though other colors may become available later. The retail price is not inconsiderable at $5,000, but that’s a little higher than the aluminum Alu-Cab Contour truck cap, for example, which goes for $4,800. The Ascent should be available to order later this year.
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