David,
Thank you so much for taking the time! I'm looking at the T59 which is a tad bigger than the T55, but fits my 6' bed. I saw one comment made on a forum about the quality being out of line with the price, but when asked the fellow did not elaborate. That is the source of my suspicion. I appreciate your assessment, and I'm glad the unit looked solid. I've seen a video that showed the slats inside, so I know what you are talking about. I just plan to use the overcab for stoarge. I'm very much a minimalist.
So again, thank you! If you do happen to get by the Tufport plant I'd love to hear what you find. The fact that your shell was returned points to issues that are hopefully in their past. You might mention that the question of quality is out here and see what they say. I think it would make an excellent base shell for my outfitting.
David (downhill)