Posted: Nov 20 2004 at 8:17pm | IP Logged

I wonder if nissan could rig up a bed lid that would use the railing system to mount it.  Might as well use all your resources available

Posted: Dec 03 2004 at 5:03pm | IP Logged

There are a couple of tonneau's out there that are pretty good. It all depends on what you want to spend, the desired look, and configuration. I put a Leer tonneau on and it looks great (about $800 installed). It has a molded hump that is similar to the hood. It does have the lifting brackets that end up about 6 inches below the rail when closed. Gaylord makes a similar lid, that has gas struts to assist in lifting. I had one on a previous truck and liked it. Didn't have the same lifting/closing mechanism. It didn't drop below the rail. This particular lid was more dificult to lift up but easy to pull down. The leer on the other hand lifts up easy, put is more difficult to pull down. Both the leer and gaylord lock down. The leer has a better locking mechanism. That makes it nice for leaving stuff in the bed, especially on boating and camping trips. A.R.E. also makes a similar looking lid. Don't know any of the particulars though.

As for the roll up lids, I looked at them, didn't like them. The vinyl types are a pain in the butt. Had one on an old S-10 and the vinyl top shrank due to sun. The aluminum roll up ones take up a ton of space in the bed closest the cab, both when rolled up and extended. Their mechanisms looked really cheap to me.  

When I was looking at lids a couple months ago, there was a plastic (I think ABS) cap that was really light. Can't remember the name. It couldn't be painted, thus only black, but it only weighed 50 pounds. It would be nice to take off a cap with one person, if you need to haul stuff. The leer and gaylord you need at least two adults to lift it off and put it back on. They may also have a lid that comes in three or four sections that all lock down- similar to the chevy avalanche. Those are really nice because even a child can unlock the sections and remove/reinstall them.

If there is any thought toward better gas mileage, forget it, Any decrease in wind resistance is negated by added weight.

Best bet is to go to a truck accessory shop. They'll have examples/demos of each system to check out for yourself. Since most of the add-on truck stuff are still only available for the big 3, ask if each product will fit on a titan.

Posted: Dec 03 2004 at 5:18pm | IP Logged

I like the looks of the peragon, but you would lose the utilitrack.

www.peragon.com

Posted: Dec 03 2004 at 6:24pm | IP Logged

I bought the Nissan OEM roll-up tonneau and I am very happy.  It zips instead of snaps, and you can zip it from any corner.  The rib supports have a quick release pins and are removed and installed easily. 

My only gripe is that it uses the utility track to hold it to the bed.  It has three clamps along the track,  but I removed the middle one, so I could slide the bed diveder back and forth.  I also moved the other two clamps farther to the ends of the bed to allow more movement.  I was worried the tonneau might not have enough support, but it's been a few months and no problems.

The Nissan tonneau is a bit over $300 so it's a good deal.  I also used a 10% off Nissan accessory coupon I got from the dealer after the first service.  That made it a no-brainer for me. 

As far as the hard top lift ups, they are great, but they limit the cargo cabability of the truck bed which was a problem for me.  Hope this info helps.

Posted: Dec 05 2004 at 1:08am | IP Logged

Great topic, could you post a picture of the Nissan OEM model. I have not seen what it looks like.  

Thanks

Posted: Jan 11 2005 at 5:32pm | IP Logged

THE REAL CHALLENGE WAS FINDING A TONNEAU COVER THAT DIDN'T COST ME THE UTILITRAK SYSTEM WITH ITS GREAT ACCESSORIES - WELL IT EXISTS, ITS CALLED THE "RETRAX" COVER FROM A COMPANY CALLED ADVANCED PRODUCTS.   I INSTALLED IT ON MY NEW 2004 LE CREW CAB AND ITS WORKS, AND LOOKS, GREAT.  FRANKLY, FOR THE $900.00 INVESTMENT IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY. 

IF I HAD THE TIME, I START SELLING THE COVER SINCE MY DEALER, WHO SOLD ME $800 IN UTILITRAK ACCESSORIES, COULD ONLY RECOMMEND A ROLLING COVER WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THE REMOVAL OF ALL THE EQUIPMENT. NOW I HAVE THE BED DIVIDER, THE LOWER TRAY AND THE BED EXTENDER ALL COVERED BY A FIBERGLASS PANEL THAT REPELS WATER (GREAT FOR FLORIDA)

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY TRUCKIN'