Topics

I’ve had my reservations about the mid-high roofline. Visually, it might look a bit odd towering over the cab’s clearance lights, but that’s a common look for trucks with slide-ins or campers. Those lights are more about legal width requirements and aesthetics anyway; they don’t actually have to be the highest point on the rig.

There are practical trade-offs, too. The MX profile will likely ding my fuel economy compared to a flat cap, and it’ll put my kayak pretty high up. However, given the heavy-duty truck’s weight, lower center of gravity, and solid frame, it should still handle well on the road.

In terms of clearance, the MX will put me at a height similar to my old lifted Silverado. That means automatic car washes and parking garages are out, but with solar panels and a kayak rack planned for the roof, I shouldn’t be using those anyway.

When I look at the big picture, the price difference is negligible over a 15-year lifespan—especially with the market performing well. The extra headroom for camping is a huge plus, and even if I have to wait until late summer for delivery, it’s worth it. This setup is going to be my adventure partner for the next decade and likely carry me right into retirement.

I’m going for it.

---

---

Comparing my old versus new set up…

The interior height from the bed floor to the roof for a 2026 Ford F-350 Super Duty with an A.R.E. MX Series camper shell is approximately 44 to 46 inches.

Compared to the 2011 Silverado (~46″), the 2026 F-350 typically offers a slightly shallower bed but a more modern, streamlined cap design, resulting in a nearly identical total clearance.

Height Comparison

Bed Depth

21.1 inches – SuperDuty

22.4 inches – Silverado

Camper Shell Rise

~23 to 25 inches – SuperDuty

~23 to 25 inches – Silverado

Estimated Total Height

44.1 – 46.1 inches – SuperDuty

45.4 – 47.4 inches – Silverado

Key Differences in the 2026 F-350 Setup

• Bed Depth: Modern Super Duty beds (6.75′ and 8′) have a standardized height of 21.1 inches. This is about an inch shallower than the older Silverado, which may slightly reduce “floor-to-ceiling” height.
• Shell Design: The A.R.E. MX Series for the newest Super Duty models is engineered to match the taller, more vertical cab of the F-350. While it still provides roughly 4 inches of rise above the cab, the total vertical gain from the bed rails is usually about 22.5 to 24 inches.

Space Considerations

• Sitting Up: At roughly 45 inches, you have enough room for an average adult (sitting height ~36″) to sit comfortably on a 9-inch thick mattress or platform without hitting the ceiling.
• Cargo Volume: The 6.75-foot bed on the F-350 provides 65.4 cubic feet of volume before adding the shell; the MX shell effectively doubles this usable protected space. 

The Super Duty cab is taller relative to the ground. However, when measuring interior space (bed floor to camper roof), what matters is the cab height relative to the bed rails, not the ground. Because the cabs are a similar height above the bed, the “Total Interior Height” remains comparable between the two trucks.

Despite the Super Duty being a much larger truck overall, the interior “headroom” from the bed floor to the shell ceiling is within 1 inch of the 2011 Silverado because the Silverado’s deeper bed compensates for its slightly shorter cab.