Westin EXP Truck Cap Review: 2015-2022 Chevy Colorado

The Westin EXP Truck Cap is a 5-piece extruded aluminum bed cap built to turn the open bed of a 2015-2022 Chevrolet Colorado into a secure, weather-sealed cargo space without drilling a single hole. For Colorado owners who haul tools, camp out of the truck, or simply want their gear out of the rain, this aluminum cap sits in a sweet spot between a flimsy soft topper and a heavy, permanently bonded fiberglass shell. In this review we cover the build quality, bed access, roof load rating, install process, and real-world pricing so you can decide whether the EXP belongs on your Colorado.

What Is the Westin EXP Truck Cap?

The Westin EXP Truck Cap is a modular aluminum truck cap — sometimes called a bed cap, canopy, or truck topper — designed to enclose the cargo bed of a pickup. Unlike a tonneau cover that simply lays flat over the bed rails, the EXP adds full vertical sidewalls and a tall rear hatch, creating a tall, lockable, weatherproof box. For the 2015-2022 Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab with the 5-foot short bed, Westin sells the matching application under part numbers 16-11015A and 16-11015B. The same cap fits the mechanically identical GMC Canyon Crew Cab of the same years.

What sets the EXP apart from a traditional camper shell is the material and the door layout. Where most legacy shells are molded fiberglass with a single liftgate, the EXP uses a 5-piece extruded aluminum structure with gullwing doors on both sides plus an auto lock/unlock rear door. That combination gives you something closer to a hardside truck box than a classic topper — useful for contractors, hunters, anglers, and weekend overlanders alike. At our Tampa, FL shop we see Colorado owners choose the EXP specifically because it can carry a rooftop tent while still keeping the bed locked and dry underneath.

Build Quality: 5-Piece Extruded Aluminum Construction

The headline feature of the Westin EXP Truck Cap is its 5-piece extruded aluminum construction. Each panel — the roof, two sides, the front wall, and the rear hatch — is a double-wall aluminum extrusion rather than a single thin skin. Double-wall aluminum gives the cap real torsional rigidity, so it does not flex, drum, or rattle the way a single-skin steel or thin-gauge topper can on washboard roads. It also keeps total weight down to roughly 150-180 lbs for the complete cap, which is meaningfully lighter than a comparable fiberglass shell.

Every panel wears a textured black powder-coated finish. Powder coat over aluminum is the right corrosion strategy: aluminum will not rust the way a steel frame does, and the textured finish hides minor scuffs from loading and unloading gear. For a Colorado that lives outdoors year-round — or one that sees coastal salt air here in Florida — that finish matters more than it sounds. The matte black look also blends cleanly with the Colorado's factory bed rails and cab roofline instead of standing out like a glossy aftermarket add-on.

How Easy Is It to Access the Bed?

Bed access is where the Westin EXP Truck Cap separates itself from a basic topper. Both sidewalls are double-wall aluminum gullwing doors that swing upward on gas struts, opening wide so you can reach deep into the Colorado's 5-foot bed from either side without climbing in. Each side door uses a locking T-handle, so you can keep gear secure on both flanks of the truck. For a contractor pulling tools at a job site or a hunter loading a cooler, that side access is genuinely faster than a single rear hatch.

The rear door adds an auto lock/unlock feature for keyless entry, with a heavy-duty locking T-handle and an emergency interior release lever on the driver-side door — a smart safety touch if you ever climb inside to organize cargo. Around every opening, an EPDM closed-cell sponge double seal blocks water and dust. Owners consistently report that the bed stays dry through heavy rain and dusty trails, which is the whole point of stepping up from a soft cover to a sealed aluminum cap.

Can the Westin EXP Carry a Rooftop Tent?

Yes — the Westin EXP Truck Cap is rated for a 700 lb static load and a 300 lb dynamic load on its roof, which makes a rooftop tent entirely realistic on a 2015-2022 Colorado. The static rating is the weight the roof can hold while the truck is parked (a loaded tent plus two sleeping adults), and the dynamic rating is what it can carry while driving (the folded tent and gear in motion). Both numbers comfortably cover the most popular soft-shell and hard-shell rooftop tents on the market.

The roof carries integrated roof rails, so you do not have to fabricate a mounting solution. Westin engineered the rail system to work with common accessory mounts including the Yakima Track Tower and Skyline Tower, the Thule Rapid Podium, and Front Runner Canopy Load Bar kits. That means kayaks, ladders, traction boards, MOLLE panels, and awnings all have a factory-supported home. For Colorado owners building an overland rig on a budget, the EXP doubles as the gear platform — you are not paying separately for a bed rack.

Does the Colorado EXP Cap Bolt On Without Drilling?

Installation is no-drill and bolt-on. The Westin EXP Truck Cap clamps to the Colorado's factory bed rails using the included hardware — there is no cutting, no drilling into sheet metal, and no permanent modification to the truck. That matters for two reasons: it protects the bed from rust-prone drilled holes, and it preserves resale value because the cap can come off and the bed returns to stock. Most owners report that the complete cap assembles in about an hour with a second set of hands, and it can be removed in roughly 15 minutes once installed.

A few practical notes from our install bay. First, this is a two-person job — the panels are light individually, but positioning the assembled cap onto the bed rails safely needs a helper. Second, snug the bed-rail clamps evenly and re-check torque after the first week; a handful of owners have noted the clamps benefit from a careful initial setup. Third, the cap ships LTL freight on a pallet, so plan for a curbside delivery and have a way to move the boxes. None of this is difficult, but knowing it up front makes install day smooth.

How Much Does the Westin EXP Truck Cap Cost?

Here is the single most important thing to understand before you order: the Westin EXP Truck Cap for the Colorado ships as two separate boxes, and you need both for a functional cap. Box 1 (part 16-11015A) is the top section and lists at $868.99. Box 2 (part 16-11015B) contains the sides and hardware and lists at $2,580.99. A complete EXP Truck Cap for a 2015-2022 Colorado 5ft bed therefore runs roughly $3,449.98 before shipping.

Why split it into two boxes? Freight. Each box stays within standard LTL pallet dimensions, which keeps shipping manageable and reduces the chance of transit damage to a single oversized crate. The practical takeaway: add both Box 1 and Box 2 to your cart together. If you order only Box 1, you will have the roof and front section but none of the sidewalls, doors, or mounting hardware. We list them as separate items, so double-check your cart before checkout.

Westin EXP vs. a Traditional Fiberglass Camper Shell

Most Colorado owners cross-shop the aluminum EXP against a classic fiberglass camper shell. Both enclose the bed, but they solve the problem differently. A fiberglass shell is typically lighter on the wallet for a basic cab-height model and offers a painted-to-match option, but it has one rear liftgate, a lower or unrated roof, and is more prone to spider cracks and sun fade over years of Florida heat. The Westin EXP trades the painted look for aluminum durability, side-door access, and a roof you can actually load.

If your priority is a color-matched, traditional look and you rarely load the roof, a fiberglass shell can still make sense. If you want an overlanding-capable platform with side access, a loadable roof, and a material that shrugs off salt and sun, the Westin EXP is the stronger long-term buy. Owners coming from soft tonneau covers almost always describe the EXP as a bigger upgrade than they expected.

Pros and Cons of the Westin EXP Truck Cap

Who Should Buy the Westin EXP for the Colorado?

The Westin EXP Truck Cap makes the most sense for three types of 2015-2022 Colorado owners. The first is the overlander or weekend camper who wants a rooftop-tent platform plus a dry, lockable bed in one purchase. The second is the tradesperson who needs secure, weatherproof tool storage with fast side access on a job site. The third is the outdoor enthusiast — hunters, anglers, mountain bikers, and overlanders — who hauls expensive gear and wants it out of sight and out of the weather.

If you only need to keep groceries dry on the occasional rainy day, a soft tonneau cover is cheaper and lighter. But if your Colorado is a genuine adventure or work truck, the EXP's aluminum durability, dual side access, and loadable roof justify the investment. Westin builds the EXP for other trucks too — for example, the EXP Truck Cap for the Toyota Tacoma follows the same modular design — so the platform is proven across the mid-size and full-size segment. For a 2015-2022 Colorado or Canyon Crew Cab with the 5-foot bed, this is the cap we recommend.