I came up with the weatherstripping on the bar to keep the flag flapping sound down on my Trek top. I was going to replace the foam with some 5/8 heater hose.
I replaced mine with sasquatch links, the factory ones did feel like they may have had some dirt in the joint though. I did have the thought of it making some more rigid though.
How does the surface feel on this feel, is it soft like the OEM or hard like a bedliner? I will be a early adopter for sure, one of the things I regret about my Outer Banks is the carpet!