DIY cargo cover

[NVSteve]

here's what it looks like with the cover off. there is one bolt in there. and it's more square that round with the cover off....hummm

So that bolt is simply another point where the panel is held in place. Well, going by the shape of the recess with the square hole & the 3 holes on the larger indentation, I wouldn't have any problem cementing a wood mount into place.

You should pick up a cover, stretch it out in the back & see what you think. You may or may not like the gaps.

[doctahjones]

yeah i picked up one.

i got one for a 05-12 xterra, and i don't know that it's long enough to make the catch at the end. i mean maybe, but it would be fully stretched, no wiggle room.

second i think that bar has to be solid metal, which would make it 'fun' trying to cut down.

as for the gap between the 2nd row and the roller, i could maybe deal with that if everything else was easy.

i think i'm just going to keep the route of the roller shade and replace that. just have to not put so much tension on it, and reverse the way i have it mounted.

[NVSteve]

i got one for a 05-12 xterra, and i don't know that it's long enough to make the catch at the end. i mean maybe, but it would be fully stretched, no wiggle room.

Told you it would be a slight pain in the ass. I didn't see any problem with it extending to the rear mounts at all. It may very well be a metal bar, either hollow or solid. It would be easy enough to cut with a hacksaw since the cover will need to be narrowed anyway. And popping in a new bar wouldn't be hard at all. I still say you should try it with the Xterra cover.

[doctahjones]

nah i'm not going to try that route. that's -too- much effort for me

i did buy the 12mil roller shade (as opposed to the 6mil) and as it should being 2x as thick it feels alot more sturdy. i think the spring/winding mechanism feels a little more rugged too. there is a difference in price, the 6mil is $20 and the 12mil is $35.

interestingly enough i had to swap the bolts holding the mounts back to the smaller length ones i had originally started with. the longer ones were rubbing against the roller itself, which is strange since i thought both were the same width.

so far i haven't put alot of tension on it but it is sagging a little, probably because it's twice as thick. there's a bunch of tornados going on around dallas so i had to stop for now.

[doctahjones]

so yeah, i'm totally happy with the 12mil roller. it retracts with ease unlike the 6mil. it also seems less prone to ripping/tearing like the thinner one.

it still does sag just a little, but 80mph with windows 1/2 down and sunroof open and it barely bubbles up. plus it covers the cargo are more completely.

i'll edit my post and put put some pics tomorrow with the sag and the way i changed the mounts from my first post.

[doctahjones]

ok, edits done. very happy with this cover solution.

homedepot doesn't have a listing for the 12mil 55in wide roller online, but it was in store.

[gear1975]

Hi doctahjones,

Do you have pics of this newer 12 mil roller solution? I'd love to see how you did this.

Cheers!

[ReynMan83]

in looking for a cargo cover, i find it extremely hard to fathom as to why this was atleast optional gear for an x, but not a pathfinder. seriously boggled. any newer pictures of the updated install, or has someone found a nissan/3rd party option for this? thanks in advance.

[smj999smj]

in looking for a cargo cover, i find it extremely hard to fathom as to why this was atleast optional gear for an x, but not a pathfinder. seriously boggled. any newer pictures of the updated install, or has someone found a nissan/3rd party option for this? thanks in advance.

Actually, in 2005, it was available for the Pathfinder and could be found in the parts catalog; it was listed at $470 (a bit ridiculous considering the one for the Xterra is less than $100). I believe Nissan stopped making it available in the US, but I'm not sure. It is still available in other countries. I believe you can get it in Australia, but the cost to bring one over to the US is not worth it. They refer to it as a "cargo blind."

[doctahjones]

weird, totally missed the ?s

i don't have pics of the 12mil, but really it's 99.9% exactly the same, it just sags half as much. the 12mil has a much tighter/stronger spring in it (since the vinyl is heavier) than the 6mil so it keeps it tauter. still can't seem to go over about 60mph with all windows down though.

i'll try to get some newer pics this week, espeically to show how it's been wearing. it's probably got another year in it before i'll have to replace it.

[ReynMan83]

thanks for the info fellas. no worries DOC, i can get the idea from the previous posts. still seems rather odd to me that these are so "hard to find".

[doctahjones]

same with me. i mean there's molding for the cover, yet they decided not to make it? it's bs.

[smj999smj]

I've heard the Australian "cargo blind," as they call it, is a two-piece design so it can be used with the third row seat in the up or down position. Nissan in Austrailia's contract with Nissan does not allow them to ship parts to the USA. Found this Australian PDI manual that shows a partial view of the cargo blind in a 2012 R51:

http://learning.nissan.com.au/DOTS/medi ... EC2012.pdf

[ReynMan83]

holy crap, nice "dig" man. i wander if i might be able to track down a navy buddy stationed in AUS. hmmm. ohh wait, budget cuts. yeah.... haha

[smj999smj]

I heard new they go for $800 Australian, which is about $775 US. There was somebody selling a used one for $200 AU, but the post was 2 years old. All too much money, IMO!