Jun 9, 20213 min read

Cover My Truck!

The increasing demand for canopies & covers in Pakistan

The recent years have witnessed increased demand of pick-up trucks in Pakistan. From merely a single manufacturer of single cabin “loader” pick-ups, we now see a range of single and double cabin pick-up trucks with an ever increasing demand in Pakistan. The Toyota Revo, the Isuzu D-Max (both with their single cabin and double cabin variants) are the pick-up truck options available for the Pakistani customer.

Spend enough time ogling trucks and one will see a fair number sporting a canopy atop their bed. Some are smooth and streamlined others hunchbacked or poorly sized for the trucks they squat atop. Whether you seek SUV aesthetics, raw functionality, added cargo or passenger space, a canopy, also known as a camper shell, a hard top, cabin cap, or topper, is a great addition to your truck. From load security and weatherproofing to minimalist weekend jaunts to the woods, nearly every pick-up truck can fit some kind of camper shell without modification and using the truck’s existing bed hardware for more utility and convenience for a number of purposes.

Why Use a Camper Shell?

Anyone with an open-bed pickup truck has likely experienced something flying out on the highway, a sensitive load getting soaked in an unexpected rainstorm, the theft of even the most seemingly worthless items, or garbage thrown into the bed. Camper shells/ canopies turn the traditionally exposed truck bed into a lockable, weatherproof space for storing cargo or even oneself on camping trips. For those of us in a rainy or theft-prone environment, a shell is an all-but essential upgrade. Even the most basic shell features locking handles on the rear access door, which incidentally also prevents the tailgate from opening if one’s tailgate doesn’t itself lock.

Local or imported? New or used?

Interesting comparison! For many years, adventure enthusiasts, corporates and Govt. departments in need of canopies/ camper shells have been relying very limited options available in the market: The locally manufactured canopies or the one time imports. Even though locally made canopies have served the market for a very long time, due to limited options and no competition buyers have faced an array of issues from lack of warranty support to uneven finish and no weather/ water resistance due to usage of poor raw materials and non-automotive fiberglass. The other option camper shell seekers had was to buy slightly used imported Chinese camper shells from the aftermarket which would become useless in case of any part breaking down or requiring service – thus leaving only substandard locally manufactured camper shells.

Which style and manufacturer?

The top brands available in Pakistan are Tough-Fox®, a Turkish manufacturer, CARRYBOY® a Thailand based leader in Canopies, Lid Covers and 4x4 accessories and SAMMKITR® , the Thai based global leader in steel canopies. Both CARRYBOY® and Tough-Fox® of these brands come with comprehensive 1 year warranty whereas SMM steel canopies come with a whopping 3 years warranty. Sales and service is simple - the convenience of single point purchase, paint and install – usually at the same OEM dealer you have purchased your pick-up truck from. Currently Tough-Fox® products are available at OEM dealers in Peshawar, Faisalabad, Lahore, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Islamabad and Karachi – The Company is finalizing dealers across rest of Pakistan to deliver one-stop solution to all its customers. Imagine ordering your brand new Toyota Revo and receiving it with a sleek and durable canopy painted to match your vehicle right at your favorite Toyota Dealership. Foxtrot Automotive, a company headquartered in Islamabad is the national distributor of CARRYBOY®, Tough-Fox® and SMM canopies, hardtops, camper shells, lids and accessories in Pakistan. FOXTROT ambitious to help all pick-up truck owners and its commercial users get better products and service quality.