Tonneau, and Water Proofing

Hi All,
Today I had the Diamondback HD tonneau installed. I had it installed just because the dealer I bought it through offered it for free and so I accepted. In retrospect I probably should have just done it myself.

This was my first tonneau so naturally I immediately screwed it up. I tried removing the pistons (which is supposed to be fine) and immediately popped the stupid retaining clip that holds it on its mount. This is the band my thumb is touching in the photo below:


We couldn't find it anywhere (I think it flew into the landscaping). My solution followed the usual steps:

1. Laughter;

2. Anger;

3. Panic;

4. Go to Autozone.

(5. Bourbon later tonight.)

I just bought a cheap tonneau piston at Autozone. That stupid clip was on it so I just removed it and put it in the place of the missing band on my piston.

I also noticed some water got into the bed when a storm came through. Now, don't think less of Diamondback. This wasn't one of your gentle New England "read some Emily Dickinson on the porch with a glass of wine and watch the beautiful renewal of nature through the beauty of gentle, nurturing rain" kind of storms. This was one of those "Wow, I think we have somehow angered God" kind of Southern storms.

So what do folks use to seal the leaky points where tonneau covers meet the bed? I was thinking on first pass of using some kind of window sealer, but figured I'd ask if there were better options.

A few gratuitous pics of the new tonneau, for the curious:



I have to say that the Diamondback is an absolute beast. I am in awe of how strong it seems to be. And yet it isn't that heavy.

 

That is what I want to get. I’m saving for it right now. I thought about the SE but I figured the extra strength is worth the extra $400. Congrats it looks great!

 

Thanks man. I think the HD probably is worth it. The main difference with the SE I think is probably in the number and girth of the support ribs under the top. I highlight on of those with the red arrow in the photo below:


I decided on the HD because I wanted to be able to carry stuff like heavy Yeti coolers on my cover without worrying about it.

I was on the fence about the HD Can protector. I am now glad I got it. Vision out the back is still fine and I think securing stuff to the cover top will be a lot safer and easier with it.

 

I should also add that I bought a Pelican hardigg case to hold all of my recovery, tire repair, tools etc. stuff in the back. It is this one:

Pelican 14-Gallon Hardigg Waterproof Hard Case Big Protective Storage Trunk with Foam Insert

https://www.amazon.com/Pelican-14-G...e=UTF8&qid=1526950512&sr=8-7&keywords=hardigg

I am really pleased with it. I have a bunch of Pelican gun cases so I know their quality is spot on. This case is heavily built with tough metal latches and hinges. They don't offer this normally to civies but if they did it would be a lot more than they are charging for these, which I think are available to us as the result of some kind of military contract overrun.

Anyway, I am pleased to report that the case fits easily under the tonneau.

 

I was talking to a vendor yesterday about one and they said they can do the standard he with out the extra cage for 1849 with free shipping. What did you end up paying for yours?

 

That case looks nice, Pelican is top notch when it comes to cases and the metal outside is well worth it. I kinda want a case but I don’t know what I would use it for yet.

 

I might be a bit different about the way I think of tonnau covers. Pretty much all of them are water resistant, not water proof. If it does not leak a bit, you should count your blessings. The good thing is any leaky water will stay in the channels of the bed, so anything you have back there that could be water damaged, won't be unless you have something soft that.conforms to the floor profile. Plus, there is a difference between static leak (sitting still in driveway) and dynamic leak like driving down the interstate in the rain. So, if I have something that i absolutely positively don't want to get wet, I put it in a dry bag or garbage bag. My suitcase does not go into a bag. The bit of leakage I have is not enough.to hurt anything.

 

I believe $1849 is the price for the HD alone. I paid $1849 for the HD tonneau, $449 for the HD cab guard and $150 for the shipping. So if he is willing to get all of that to you for $1849, that is a good deal. A very good deal. In fact I don't see how he would not be losing money on it. Make sure you have an invoice before any money changes hands.

 

Ok good to know. I’ll be talking to him in the near future probably. Just want a little more cash in the bank before I commit. Don’t want something to come up and not be able to handle it.

 

Fair enough. However, I think the water got in through the little step down in the bed indicated by the red arrow in this pic:


I want to try to plug that and see how it does. The question is what is the best media with which to plug it.

 

Toyota has rubber seals for the factory cover. I’m sure you can get OEM ones that will fit perfectly.

 

So I took advantage of another major storm coming through to look for leaks. I think I found a major culprit: a gap at the top if the bed where the side beds meet the back bed (indicated by the red arrow):


I'll fill this. I'm thinking silicone or something?

And if you think I am kidding about these storms, this happened this evening on the non-Taco domestic front:


I can't believe this has nothing to do with the half dozen electrical surges we have experienced as we have been pounded by lightning.

Fun, fun, fun.

 

Open your tailgate and look at the bed floor right where the tail lights are mounted. There are gaps there too. Again, I have the factory cover and I dont worry about a bit of water.

 

I noticed those too. They are are going to be dealt with too. At this point they are probably causing less trouble bc the truck is parked at a slight incline, with the rear being the lower end.

 

I knew I remembered seeing these. It took some work but I found em.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/rubber-plugs-for-gaps-in-bed-rail-available-now.420884/

 

Thanks man!!

 

It's a beaut Clark!

 

You ... invoked Griswold.

We're bonded for life now man. You realize that, right?

 

LOL, We must have all ready been, I am thinking....

 

So here is an overnight update. Yesterday it rained like holy dogs***t here (I thought I heard the news say that at one point it came down at 4" an hour around where I live) so it was a good test of the Diamondback. Aside from the gaps in the bed from Toyota that I identified last night, it seems as if a little water got through at the hinges:


This was a tiny amount, not enough actually to drip into the vehicle. I am on the fence about whether and how to fix this. I lean against fixing it from below since water could get trapped around the not and screw. I am also a little reluctant to do it on top because it would look ugly I think. It is so little water I might ignore it.

Finally got a chance to get a pic of the Hardigg box in the bed too:


As you can see, for now I am securing it with just bungies. Although it seems big, you have to consider that it will end up holding all of my recovery equipment (except the MaxTrax type traction boards, which are the orange thing stored behind it), tools, other emergency gear, incidentals, etc.