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I'm shopping for a used hard tonneau (can't afford new & don't mind tinkering). I've already got a Husky drop-in toolbox on my King Cab 04, meaning the net needed coverage is almost exactly 60 inches (6'8" - 20inch toolbox). I've found a few good used rollables but I'm having a really hard time figuring out a few things:

1. Can you chop the length on the tracks? That's only going to be possible if there is *not* special hardware at *both* ends. I'm guessing I could chop the front end because the back probably has locking mechanism built in. Does anyone have some wisdom they can share in this regard?
2. What's the difference between the 2004 Titan w/Utili-track and the subsequent 2005+ gen1 beds? I see a lot of parts that don't officially seem to include 2004, which is weird because I don't think the bed changed at all.
3. What's the difference between the Titan versions and, say, Ford or Chevy for the brands like Pace Edwards, Truck Covers, Retrax Pro? I'm guessing it's really just (a) the width of the rolling slats and (b) the mounting hardware. I'm trying to see if I can open up my used purchase market to units taken off other truck brands, and I'm hoping that with a small investment in custom mounting screws and whatnot, I can make it work.

 

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Since posting I bought a used Truck Covers USA | The Finest Roll Covers & Accessories on Earth . I found one that was originally designed for a Titan so bed width wasn't a concern. Because I have a toolbox I actually had to shorten the coverage, which just meant cutting the tracks. The company actually supports this process, meaning you can call them and they'll explain how and where to make the cut (carefully as a 2 stage offset cut at the point where the tracks meet with the rolling storage area near your cab, as opposed to the tailgate end). I am extremely impressed with the customer service and friendliness of the company.

I'm not sure what's different about the 04 vs 05+ Gen1 trucks. It may have to do with the Utili-track system. On my 04 the side tracks are comprised of 4 total pieces that each have 5 bolts (two at the ends and one in the center). I had to unscrew all 5, flip each track upside-down, and install the 4 bolts on the edges (the 5th doesn't have a bolt hole when you flip the track). I chose not to drill a hold for the 5th bolt. The flip allows the six custom aluminum "L" brackets to slot properly to hold the rolling tracks onto the edge of my truck bed (these 6 brackets are the only thing mechanically mounting the cover to the truck bed). For some reason the vertical part of the L was a bit too tall, which created a gap between the track and my bed, so I simply sliced about 5mm off the top with a reciprocating saw.

Everything worked nicely. With my Dad's help and being very methodical it took about 2hrs start to finish, including the bits of customization. The only trickery involved was 1 a reciprocating saw with a nice fresh metal blade for a total of 8 cuts through soft aluminum (6 brackets + 2 tracks) and a T40 (Torx) impact driver for my impact wrench (the Utili-track bolts are seriously strong and have blue-threadlocker on them).