Leaking Softopper

Also posted in caps and covers forum. Trying to get an answer before I hit the road for 3 months.

Brand new Softopper 3 weeks old. Fits perfect no issues there. Noticed some water on the bed mat Monday morning after some rain. Last night they were calling for rain so when it started I hopped in the back under the Softopper to see where it leaked.

My front corner bed seal job worked perfectly.

There were no leaks either in theSoftopper itself or along any of the seams.

The leaks were all coming from the straps on the inside that you use to tie up the sides and the rear. So I have 6 points of drippage. Not a damn sight of a drip or drop anywhere else.

So when it rains the strap on the outsideis getting wet and is absorbing water that is being pulled through the inside and soaking the strap there before dripping. And it’s quite a lot of water with all 6 dripping. Confirmed this with red food coloring.

Have an email in to Softopper but thought I’d see if anyone else has this issue as I’m on a bit of a time crunch. Once I arrive at Warren AFB I will not have access to my personal phone (secured in the armory on base) and will only have an iridium phone for 3 months.

 

The truck beds are not sealed or watertight to begin with. My softopper has been fantastic but you will get slight water leaks in the front corners, those are normal and minor. It's not a solid hard top so put your sensitive items in bins or up off the bed.

Make sure you do the seam seal they sent with the topper. This is probably why you're getting strap leaks. Dry it out, clean it, and seal the seams properly. I sleep in mine in the rain spring/fall camping without issue.

 

As in my post front corners were sealed and did not leak.

I did use the seam sealer properly. My last Softopper did not do this. Why I’m asking.

 

Hit those spots with the supplied sealant? I did that around the sewn perimeter and it has been solid since. Like 3.5yrs.

 

That's odd then, sailcloth doesn't let water in it's always the penetrations/stitching. You could try a spray-on fabric water sealant on the outside buckle/straps. I've never read anyone having leaks like that after they seam-sealed it though. I guess it could just be a rare QC issue.

 

Yep hit all the seams and the straps quite well.

 

When the straps dry out, treat them with the seam sealer again. Put it on extra thick around the straps and down the straps a little bit. Squeeze some of the sealer in a small disposable cup and use a craft paint brush about 1/4" to 3/8" wide. It works better upside down than the built in applicator.

I did two coats this way and it worked great.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lets-see-some-softoppers.277644/page-185#post-18875533

 

I guess I’ll try completely saturating the straps til they don’t hold any more sealant. I have a ton of my own sealant too. Years and years of being outside 6 months or more a year I’ve used it on everything from mag pouches, nvg cases, gore-tex, you name it. Thanks for the thought.

As a side note the straps seem to have more of a cotton mix in them. I compared my straps to a neighbors this morning before posting and his seem to be a higher nylon content than mine. His is 2 years old. It’s been a while since my last one and I don’t remember.

 

If it’s that new I would definitely recommend reaching out to Softopper to see if they can warranty it. If not, and the seam sealer didn’t work, you could try some sealer tape (the stuff they use on ski jackets, not household)

 

I opted for the undercover topper, covers the bed and overlaps the sides of the bed and the tailgate. Admittedly, not cheap. $1000.

 

it took a couple applications of the provided seam sealer for me but eventually i got the straps to stop letting water in on mine

 

Thank you. I knew someone else had to have had this situation.