ADVICE NEEDED! Leer 100XR canopy leaking

hey all... I had a new leer 100xr canopy installed a few weeks back on my 3rd gen and it leaks like crazy. I've taken it back to the shop that installed 3x now and they continue to try various "fixes" to help stop the leaking. each time I take it back it does seem to get better, but it's nowhere near close to water tight. The shop keeps telling me 3rd gen will never be water tight... as you can see from the photo's, i've got a leaking faucet.

as far as I can tell the water is coming down the rear window seal and hitting the carpet and wicking back and dripping like a faucet at the heaviest point which also happens to be right at the canopy mount. It is happening on both sides, but most severe on passenger side. I bought this canopy to extend storage capacity as we have a growing family + a dog and need some extra space.

Any advice on how to remedy would be greatly appreciated. it's currently back in the shop getting a silicone treatment to the carpet near the rear window. they claim it will harden the carpet and the water won't be able to wick back? i'm losing my faith in the shop that installed so i'm hoping to experts on the forum can steer me in the right direction.

I live in the PNW, it's going to rain until July!

 

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this?

 

I don't have a real solution for you, but I'm hoping to hear some advice from others on the forum as well. I've caulked the shit out of the front of mine, and somehow water still finds a way in. It always seems to be the front and especially the corners. I've also run a bead of caulk along the outside sides of the topper.

My topper was professionally installed, and the technician even talked me through what they do to weatherproof it. So there's caulk under the side rails and up front, weather stripping all around, and butyl tape in the front corners too. Add in the extra 2 tubes of caulk that I've pumped into the equation, and I am completely stumped as to how to keep this thing from leaking.

 

I wouldn't rule out a leak through the side window.

It's possible that the cap is mounted a little too far forward.

Weatherstripping on the tailgate might help.

A lot of water can come in under the truck's side rail caps but that should only happen when you are driving.

 

Please change your Title to something more descriptive Help is reserved for people that are stuck.

 

Also make sure that the rear window glass is making good contact with the rubber seal when the window is closed. It's possible for only one side of the window to latch if the latch is not adjusted properly or if you don't push it hard enough when you close it. Try pulling that side open to see if the latch is holding and try pushing in on the rear window in the lower corners after you close it to see if that pulls it in tighter.

 

how can one know if it's mounted too far forward? noted on weaterstripping on the tailgate. it does look like they over torqued the mounts and the fiberglass or whatever the material is on the mounts is bent. they said this is totally normal when I brought it up to them and they said it's "engineered to flex" which sounds like total BS.

I also asked them to verify if it was leaking through the window and they assured me it was not the case. just doesn't seem normal for this much water to be coming through.

 

I can check this when I pick it up today. is there a how to guide somewhere on how to adjust those latches or should I ask the installation shop to validate the latches are working properly?

 

The two bolts in your second photo are what are used to adjust the latch. You just have to find a happy medium between making good contact with the rubber while not being too hard to close.

 

awesome, thank you. the latch is certainly not great so I can tighten this up and see if that helps the seal against the window. the shop cut the carpet back in hopes it the water wouldn't grab on the edge and wick back... perhaps this will help mitigate that as well.

 

If the cap is too far forward, I would guess that the rear glass would be tight against the tailgate but not making good contact with the rubber seal on the cap.

A garden hose flowing water in different places might help you narrow down the location of the leak.

 

just full of knowledge and nifty tricks. I'll give the hose a whirl during the next break in rain and see if I can't pinpoint this leak. really appreciate the advice.

 

Yeah, that is some messed up crap there. Much worse than mine was. Dimes to donuts the side window is contributing to it. Mine did. It'll get better as the leak clogs up with crud! May be the seal AROUND the window, may be the window itself. Drill out those rivets, flatten that flange, apply your own sealer, then re-attach it evenly with machine screws and nuts (not rivets) that you can torque and re-torque evenly until the leak stops. Drill extra fastener holes where leak is persistent. Need more clamping there. Then caulk around every window. If is still leaks it is the window FRAME: the frame leaks. Demand a warranty window, and YOU put it in. Even the best workmanship that you receive in a bed cap leads one to believe that this industry is where many with diminished person expectation come to roost. And it sometimes manifests in their work product. What they let out of the back door as first-tiered quality is often shocking, and would qualify as latent vice in any other industry.

Ask the guy trying to seal it how long he has worked at the bedcap dealer...and what he did previously...

Question: how much forward rake do you have? That'll cause the rear window seal on that side to drip slightly forward, into the bed. Leak forward when wind assisted, may not do it sitting still. Check that. Ask me how I know. Get in the back, have your wife drive you around in the places and at the speeds you drive when it is raining the way it does when it leaks. Observe. One trip in the right rain will narrow it down. Again, ask me how I know.

 

the way the shop is talking about it leads me to question their abilities...

 

Naw. Perish the thought...

 

with this being a brand new 2 week old topper, I'm not sure I want to dive into the window seal... I'd rather just get a warranty exchange if it is indeed the window that's leaking. if warranty is not an option then i'd certainly dive in per your recommendation. i'm not able to talk to the shop guys, I only get to walk in and talk to the 2 sales guys and then they go chat with the shop team when i'm dropping it off to be "fixed". not much front rake, truck actually sits fairly level with the canopy on and where I park at my house is actually sloping toward rear of vehicle so any standing water should run out not up and into the canopy.

 

I had a similar leak from my brake light that was wicking down the carpet. Threw some caulking in and repositioned the seal a little better and water hasn't saturated since.

Also, have yet to figure out a solution for the front of the canopy.

 

glad that worked for you! sounds like I might just need to get in there myself and stop relying on the shop to fix the issues. I did have leaks from the front but they made a custom foam seal then slathered silicone all around it and it doesn't leak anymore. I guess they did one thing right, if only they could fix my leaking faucet in the rear of the canopy. when I get my truck back I can take some better photo's of what they did up front so you can get an idea for yours.

 

I'm old enough to have owned several 1970's Chrysler vehicles which leaked like crazy so I have plenty of practice chasing leaks. One of the most famous leaks in those was through the windshield wiper shaft which would drip directly onto your right foot as you pressed the gas pedal!

The bare bones aluminum cap on my 86 S10 never leaked a drop.

The ARE cap on my 03 Tacoma leaked the entire time I owned it despite my efforts and the efforts of the dealer.

The LEER cap on my current rig leaks around the side window and was leaking through the third brake light but I managed to fix that.

 

If you pop the 3rd brake light off, you can see on the seal where it may be leaking. And the hideous gaping hole they made at the factory.