Disclaimer: I’m not a licensed/certified structural engineer, auto tech, etc., nor have I consulted w/ DiamondBack Covers and Front Runner Outfitters to see if this project will work in the long run. This is a «do at your own risk» project, should you follow the steps I provide. Follow manufactures’/machinery/tools’ instructions & safety procedures; be safe, use eye protection/face shield and any other protection as needed for safety; and pray for the best. Bed stiffeners should probably also be added to help with carrying the added load toward the back of the truck (Total Chaos ones should be arriving today for my order). That being said, they all seem to be holding up fine and I’m liking this system A LOT; I like it A LOT.
The best rack systems I’ve found to fuze with the HD cover were by Front Runner Outfitters. Their racks are what I’d consider to be a molle system back pack for the trucks. Combining the great stuff of DiamondBack covers and Front Runner racks is like Goten and Trunks joining together to become Gotenks! http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Gotenks
Short story:
Use this system: https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.c…olorado-roll-top-2015-curr-slii-load-bed.html
Cut this part into three pieces per track, six total: 1 x TRBU002 – Pick-Up Load Bed Tracks / 1200mm(L) – by Front Runner
- 1 piece/track, 2 total – measure and cut off a small piece where the two center most holes are on the track so that it’s wide enough to fit onto the space provided by the center cover panel, or the non-moving part of HD cover, where the cover clamps onto the bed rails (I tried to leave 1/2″ space from front & back edges of center cover piece to edges of this track portion so that the front & back covers don’t bind when opening. It seems it can be cut to a longer piece and still allowing for both cover section to open, if in load bar configuration. As you can see from the pictures above, I could have planned it better since the rack legs are positioned more toward the front on the track instead of being centered on the track. The slats going across the rack system are spread out in such a way that I got lucky the track system still fit the rack legs in a good enough position to allow for the front cover to remain operational – back cover will obviously not be in the rack config.)
- 2 pieces/track, 4 total – If the smaller pieces above were measured correctly and cut cleanly, you should have two pairs of equal length tracks to mount on the left & right sides on the the front and back cover panels
- Line up the tracks on the top outer most edges of the three main sections (back & front covers and center panel) of the HD cover, giving a 1/2″ spacing from outer side edges, where the cover angles downward where the tie-down cleats are
- Find good spots to drill holes, mark, and drill away ..on your perfectly good ole DiamondBack cover! I positioned the existing countersunk holes on the long track pieces toward the back on the back cover panel and toward the front on the front cover panel
- Use hardware provided to secure tracks onto HD cover (there is a weather stripping, but I think we should apply some black all weather silicone sealant to help prevent leaks); an added countersunk hole or two for more screws to be screwed in can be added to the other ends of the longer equal length tracks for better leak proofing and added stability.
- When attaching the Universal Load Bed Leg (I got the short legs instead of the tall to help clear the garage gate where I live; Short legs ~ 6” tall, Tall legs ~ 8” tall), make sure they give you the M8 Channel Nuts x 8pcs. DO NOT use the M6 Stud Plates that come with the Pick-Up Roll Top Leg Mounts because they are too narrow and won’t secure well in the tracks.
- Edit (12.3.2021): If you want a slightly taller setup, try to get the Tall Legs:
Universal Load Bed Leg / Tall (Pair) – by Front RunnerSKU: LASS026
- From there on up, follow the instructions for the Front Runner rack system and accessories. Mine came with seven slats total; five are «free moving» and two are at opposite ends, front and back. If you prefer the load bars system, please contact Front Runner to discuss your needs for length of slats(cross bars) and height of Universal Load Bed Legs. I ended up getting the 58″(1475mm) long slats since the DB HD cover allows for the bed rack legs to be spread out more. The tray is about 53″ long x 58″ wide. A part of me feels like I need to add some support in the middle section of the slats to help support the weight of the cargo/RTT on the slats. For now, I’ll try some 2 x 4’s or something, if it looks like they’re needed/slats cave in a little. We’ll see.
Good luck! Oh, yeah.. And the front cover opens up!
PS: To counter the added weight toward the rear of the truck, I put heavier cargo toward the front in the bed.
