First, this install is on a 2011 Nissan Titan Pro-4x. It doesn't appear this cover is available for any of you with a hardbody. But, any Frontier/Titan owners should be able to pick one up. I read reviews that placed this as a top-notch bed cover. I was looking for a tri-fold so I could easily get larger items into the bed, but still have the ability to seal things up when I wasn't transporting them (a hard cover makes that very difficult as you would have to basically remove the cover to get something like a fridge in there).
My Titan came with a Utili-Track system installed, so the first step was adjusting it to accommodate the cover (for those without Utili-Track, this step obviously isn't necessary). This shows what the rails look like installed from the dealer:
The problem with this is that the bed cover rails need to clamp down where the Utili-Track rails exist. So, I had to flip them around:
Notice, the rails are now mounted just a touch lower. Not all of the bolts line up, so there may be one missing on either side. The next step was to place the bed cover rail on the side of the bed as near to the front of the truck as possible. There is a drainage port on the cover rail (pic later) that comes into contact with the Utili-Track rail nearest the cab. I made sure to give myself just enough clearance. Then, the bed cover rail clamps onto the side of the truck:
There are three clamps per side that should be visible in this shot:
Clamp down the bed cover rails on both sides, and you're getting close to done. The next step (which was the hardest while working solo) is to unfold the bed cover on top of the rails and begin to line it up. If it doesn't sit near the front of the truck, it needs to be folded back up, moved and then unfolded again. Once it is lined up, there are two hand screws near the front the secure it to the bed cover rails. Here is what it looked like unfolded and lined up:
Here is a shot of the inside where you can see the hand screw. Behind it is the small drainage port from the bed cover rail (also notice the drainage hole in the bed, I'll be using it later):
Again, but from the other side. Here, the drainage port is more easily seen:
There is some flexible tubing provided with the bed cover. I wanted to feed that through the drainage hole in the bed noted above. One problem: the bed drainage hole is smaller than the outer diameter of the flexible tubing. I could bore the hole out, but I preferred not to do that to my new truck. Instead, I decided to couple the tube down to a smaller size. One trip to the hardware store later and I had my goods. I grabbed some couplers, tube clamps and some plastic grommets (to protect the tube from the sheet metal of the bed). I pieced everything together and then installed them on the truck:
This was done on both sides, and doesn't interfere much with anything in the bed:
The drainage tubes are used to rid the bed cover rails of water that may accumulate in them. As water leaves the cover, there are what I can only describe as gutters inside the cover rails. The drains then prevent this water from getting into the bed. The goal is a water-tight cover that will protect anything in the bed.
This cover provides, in my opinion, a sleek, low-profile look. In fact, I think it matches my black truck nicely (though I have seen images from other color trucks that look equally good):
While working on the cover, I also installed a tailgate seal to help keep more water out of the bed:
One thing I noticed, is that the rubber seals on the cover itself were a bit creased (they ship the cover folded so the box size is manageable and being permanently folded for a few days leaves creases):
A few days in the sun (or a heat gun) helps smooth them out. After driving for a few months with the cover installed (through some occasional heavy rain), I noticed that the bed didn't stay completely dry. It remains mostly dry, but there is a small amount of water that enters. It's probably not enough to soak anything in the bed, but it still a cause for slight concern for me. I've pin-pointed the source to the corners of the bed. The seals do not close completely.
I am looking into finding something that I can use to create a better seal, but wont permanently alter the truck (in case I ever need to remove the cover). Again, this is a minimal complaint, but a complaint nonetheless.
In all, I would highly recommend this cover. Install took roughly 2 hours, which includes the time to rotate the Utili-Track rails. Without those, I think the install may be possible in roughly an hour (depending on how much time you would decide to spend on drainage). The cover is apparently very durable, though I haven't used it for too long. It can easily support 50-100 lbs of weight on any given panel (I haven't tested with more, though they advertise it can support 300ish pounds if the load is somewhat spread - BAK has posted videos of grown men sitting/standing on the cover). It folds easily (can be done by one person) and can be propped upright against the cab (I'd recommend putting a blanket in between as not to scratch the paint) which frees up about 98% of the bed for hauling. With a locking tailgate, it also secures the bed (though it probably wouldn't take much more than a utility knife to get in there if someone was so inclined).
As stated, I highly recommend this cover if you can scrape together the cash for the somewhat steep asking price ($800-900 depending on the truck). BAK offers other tri-folds, but this is their top dog, and it performs as such. Any questions/comments, post them up!
