Posted: Feb 13 2005 at 3:57pm | IP Logged

One of the features that sold me on the 2004 Titan was the Utili-Track system in the truck bed.  It sure looks to me like Nissan spent some time and effort to come up with this thing.  I mean, pickups have been around for a while now and nobody else came up with anything like it.  (It seems like a lot of folks, Toyota for one, are copying it!!)  Not only can it be used with a variety of accessories, it offers incredible flexibility with each one.  It is a great feature.

But what happens when you want to cover the bed.  I found out that several bed cover/lid manufacturers simply have taken a pass on a model to deal with the Utili-Track system.  Several others offer models that, while they cover the bed just fine, interfere with the use of the Utili-Track system and accessories.  Bummer.

Of all the hard (fiberglass) lids I looked at, every one impacts the Utili-Track rails in one or more places.  Much to my surprise, since I was sure I wanted a fiberglass top, I went the other way and bought a soft tonneau.  One reason for this is that I decided I wanted a cover that would let me operate the tailgate without messing with the cover every time. 

After checking out several brands, I chose an Access roll-up cover (www.accesscover.com).  In a nutshell:  1.  The quality of the cover is excellent.  It’s made out of heavy-duty material.  It doesn’t sag or flap in the breeze.  It doesn’t show the cross-braces.  2.  It doesn’t interfere with normal tailgate use.  3.  The Velcro fastening system is far superior to the thumb-numbing snaps of ancient technology.  4.  It is amazingly simple and quick to roll up and put back in place.  5.  Even with the requirement to drill four small holes in each bedrail (only on models with Utili-Track), it’s a cinch to install in less than an hour.

Access offers an adapter kit so the bed extender accessory will work.  I don’t plan on using that accessory, so I didn’t install the kit.  Also, I’m not sure if the overhead rack accessory will clear the bed rails.  Obviously, any soft cover would have to be rolled up to use this one; and a hard cover would have to be removed.

If you want a good-looking cover that offers maximum flexibility with the Utili-Track system in your Titan, I recommend a cover from Access.  Photos attached.... when I figure out how to do that!!!