Bed water"proofing"

Okay everyone, first and foremost, i have searched and searched and searched. Finding nothing discussing this, I have decided to start a thread. Please post helpful links but keep the "use the search bar" nonsense to a minimum.

OKAY! i have a 2017 TRD OR w/ a diamondback HD cover. I'm trying to waterproof my bed as best I can. I have determined that no water is coming in under the closed diamondback cover. I have already filled the gaps in the front right and left of the bed w/ pond foam though I may do it again because I don't think it is done well enough.

Question is:
1) where is the water potentially coming from?
2) how can that spot be made as water tight as possible?

Additionally, it seems like the water primarily emanates from the track system. Could the bolt holes be letting in water?

 

water comes in around the tailgate. get in there and close the tailgate and cover and look for light shining through.


DISCLAIMER: works best during the day, and have someone there to let you out of the bed. theres also (on my 2nd gen) little drain holes behind the cab. water mists up through there when I drive in the rain.

 

noted - that is my next area to tackle. trying to determine if i need to buy a seal kit or if i can weatherstrip it enough.

 

a bed seal will do the best. I tried weather stripping mine and it did alright, but some still gets in. I was also not trying to completely seal it up. I sleep in there and it gets a tad stuffy with too much carbon dioxide.

 

Harbor seals work well although they eat a lot of fish but if it is water tight you should be okay..

 

Get in under the Tonneau and have someone close the TG and start hosing down the cover and all seams, etc.... Take a flashlight (not Fleshlight) with you..!

Note the drips or other areas of "wetness"....

Now you have the solution "in hand"... ! cheers.

 

So this is where the water is coming from....any help? just Silicone and reinsert bolt?

 

is it coming around that bolt or from above that bolt? ive always been under the assumption that tonneaus were inherently not water proof.

 

the cover is certainly not waterproof. BUT i do not see water emanating from the cover. As simple as this seems, I'm really stumped.

 

weird, yea pull the screw out and throw some sillycone in the hole and on the screw. cant hurt really. now I don't know if those screws have bolts on the backside to worry about, so watch out for unknowns. someone knows on here, just not me haha. good luck bud. chasing water leaks is frustrating.

 

Thanks bud

 

You are correct. I have the TruXedo Lo Pro on my truck. Water gets in at all four corners and a little on the sides. I have a bed mat in my truck and I have never seen water standing on it so no worries.

 

used weather stripping with my tonneau cover seals well usually only drips in around the tail gate

 

I had the same problem with my Leer cap. The problem is coming from under the plastic cap on the top of the bed sides. If you take the rail off and put your fingers up under the plastic, you will find some spots are wider than others. Perform the leak test without the side rails. Where it leaks, use Duct seal. I did this and it worked great.