Water leak in camper shell

i just got my shell and I saw water get into the bed. I read somewhere that at the front two corners of the bed, some people used sealant to mitigate the issue. I just bought a brand new camper shell and did not expect to see any leaks. Can people share their expiernces?

 

it would be helpful for you to post the exact shell model you have so that we can offer advice.

with that said, I presume that most modern day reputable shells are leak free... what is leaking is your truck bed. your truck bed has certain gaps in the front and back that will need to be sealed. (this has nothing to do with you shell) Sit in your bed during the day and see where light shines through... go to home depot and get some weather stripping and seal said cracks.

 

Here is my thread;

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/leer-cap-window-leaking.469925/

 

Leer XQ


I'm about to take it back to the installer and needed to know what exactly is the installer's responsibility and what would be my responsibility.

VuTron: you mentioned that certain gaps will need to be done by me and the installer is therefore not responsibile for leakers that are part of the bed then. correct?

 

Mines leer too. Heres what you do.
buy a caulking gun, take the rail off thats under the cab window, seal under there then put it back on and really seal both ends of it. I put a weather strip between the cap and cab to try and keep rain out also.
Plug the 3 holes in the bottom of the bed closest to the cab.
When the caps off you can also take off the long plastic pieces that run the length of the bed walls and run some caulk the length of that too.
You shouldnt get a drop in if you do all that.
Pain in the ass i know

 

I was under the impression that the installer should be responsible for all the water intrusion inside the bed.


Sorgon82: It really looks like a pain in the butt.

 

What kind of caulking did you use?i was just at the hardware store looking at plummers putty and caulking but didn’t get anything cause I want to use something I know I won’t have to redo in 6 months

 

I have an ARE cap and when I got it installed, they also installed a Tacoma gasket kit with it. I have no idea what that is, but I have never had one drop of water in my bed.

 

The shop that installed my SnugTop was aware of the issues with the gaps in the Toyota bed, he showed me and I was able to stick my thumb through it. He states part of their installation was filling all the openings with sealant. I haven't noticed a leak and wouldn't have thought about had the shop not notified me when I was purchasing the top. I'm away from home at the moment but when I return next week I can get detailed pics if you'd like @roy326

 

The Tacoma bed is full of holes and places for water to leak in. If your cap installer did a decent job most of the ones related to the bed rail should have been taken care of. I have an ARE MX and recently noticed water getting in near the front. If you look up at the upper left and right front corners of the bed you will see a gap that doesn’t get covered by the ARE install kit. I stuck some foam up there and used black gasket caulk to seal it up. I no longer have an issue. You should also seal the tailgate, lots of holes and gaps there, and the side boxes if you have them. I just removed the boxes and put in weather strip behind the lip. The ARE doesn’t seal well around the bottom corners of the back window. I used extra weather strip from the trailgate kit and plugged those up.

 

Just use butyl putty. It's awesome. Work it around in your hands and fill the gaps.

 

Tampons

 

Oh boy...

First of all, all fibreglass shells are utter shit. No, they're "awesome" and "leak proof" as some claim. They look nice, but beyond that, they are complete, worthless trash. I got a fully loaded Leer 100XR a few weeks after getting my truck, and it was the worst money I ever spent. Leaked in every window, every seal, and under the cap, too. None of the window gaps were even, half the window screws weren't fully tightened, and a million other problems were present.

The problem with a lot of fibreglass shells is that they use foam-based seals. Foam has a "memory," so after it has been compressed for a while, it will retain that shape. As the truck bed will move somewhat independently of the shell, that shape will eventually develop gaps around it, and water will leak through. Your reaction will be to tighten down the shell tighter, and that will help, for a short term. Then it's a rinse & repeat process of leak, tightening down further, leaking again.

What you want is a rubber, automotive grade seal. Look at your door to see an example. Rubber does not have the same "memory" properties as foam, and when properly seated, will not leak.

All said and done, what you want is an AluCab shell. 100x the quality of any fibreglass shell on the market.

As for the bed corners, seal them with a butyl based sealant (many asphalt sealants at Home Depot are butyl based and can be had for $3). First, lift up the plastic bed caps on both sides of the bed, and run a bead of sealant there, before re-installing the caps. Then remove the bar at the front of the bed, remove the plastic caps on both ends, seal them, then reinstall the caps. Then run a bead of sealant where this bar used to sit, then re-install it. Only then should you seal the actual gaps on either side of that bar. Fill them up as much as possible, and let a little sealant overflow into/out of the bed. Then install your shell, but place it down, don't drag/slide it on the bed sides, as that will damage the seal underneath it.

 

You're correct in part of your statement.

Foam tape is definitely not the best material, especially if you want it to stay perfectly dry. Snugtops use a triple bulb automotive seal and mine's never leaked a drop in 2 years. You can add the seal to your Leer top and you may change your mind on it being "worthless trash." The guy in our town who installs camper shells does this on every one he sells from Leer, ARB, and anyone else who may be using foam tape.

Do a quick search on Amazon for "Extruded Solutions Super Cap Seal". I have not personally used the product but the reviews are great and my brother uses one and likes it. Hope you figure out a solution and hope this helps.

 

Where did you score that weatherstripping? I’m going to have to give that a try

 

I asked the installer to add it after reading on here

 

Ahhh gotcha. Thanks

 

I used duct seal. In electrical at HD. Worked for last 2.5 years.

 

I've got a Lear 100QX on my truck that has never leaked anywhere, and I think that even though it was pretty pricy that it's as good as anything on the market. Seems to me you should have asked for you're money back.