Tailgate Gaps

I have noticed I have close to a 1/2 inch gap between my tailgate and my bed on both sides. This is causing a minor leak with my topper. Does anyone have any knowledge on why this is ? and what I can do to close or seal these gaps?

 

Can’t help you with the why, but I just noticed the same on mine today. Plan to take some weatherstripping or even camper tape and try to get a better seal. Plan on doing a lot of winter camping and don’t care to get drenched in my sleep.

 

Pics?

Does the gap gain a taper from the bottom ^up? The other way around? Or is there a solid & even 1/2" gap on both sides?

I had to add bed strengthers to the sides of my bed at the tailgate. They were splaying out. And I couldn't even close my tailgate.

 

They do taper out. I will get pics when I get off. What is this campers tape stuff? Would that rig it up for now ?

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-K...mper-Mounting-Tape-for-Trucks-V447H/100122697
It'll help fill the gap, but won't resolve the problem with the bed rails spreading -

 

If you use a long straight edge along horizontal lip of bed next to tailgate, is it bowed up? If so you will need to use corner stiffeners thru bolted to a good angle iron piece underneath to pull bed flat which will help straighten out the bed walls. When assembling use a ratchet strap help pull bed wall back vertical. As you see from my avatar I have a shell and sometimes mount my RTT up there. Also built an internal skeleton for shell support.

 

If you want a water-tight camper shell, then get a 4-runner (just kidding!)

I have lived with this problem since 1990 with each of my Toyota trucks, and have tried various means to seal it. I've used the 3/4" tape to seal where the bottom of the tailgate meets the truck bed, but that only lasted a few months, then the seal pretty much flattened out. I used the same stuff between the sides of the tailgate and the shell, but was never able to get a really good seal.

Next, and with my 1998 Tacoma, I noticed some air holes that were punched into the sheet metal just underneath the bed rails, so I covered them with duct tape. For the next 3 years I noticed an unusual amount of dust was getting into the shell (I do a lot of off-road camping and travel dirt roads frequently). So I took the duct tape off and now I don't see nearly as much dust collect inside the shell.

Early on I found some weatherstripping. Can't remember the name or manufacturer though. I cut some metal strips and mounted the rubber weatherstripping vertically along the inside rear of the bed, and used pop rivets to hold it on. The tailgate closes against the rubber weatherstripping.

That has lasted since about 2000, but, if you look at the photo below, the red arrows show the parts that I couldn't properly seal. In any event, those leaks don't bother me and they do not leak water, just some dust. And not too much of that either.

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That's about all I can say from first-hand experience - I wish I had more...

About camper tape: camper tape is made (and I suggest the 3M camper seal and not the stuff made by FrostKing) to seal between the top of the bed rails and the bottom of the shell mounting surface. It's pretty thin, too, but it does work, at least for 5 or 6 years before it too, flattens out and begins to pass small leaks during rainstorms.

I hope you find something that really works for you, and if you do, by all means post it here so the rest of us can also benefit.

 

This is all new stuff to me. I recently took my truck to an ARE dealer and they resealed the topper. This didn't fix the leak I was having then I realized it was coming from the tailgate. So basically I need to make a threshold for an exterior door on my tailgate sides.

 

half an inch?! That seems way big for what's "normal". Where are you measuring? pics?

Even for a typical gap, though, as has been said, pickup truck beds (by design) are NOT watertight.

I think maybe the rubber seal for a pop-up tent trailer might fit in the gap btwn the body and tailgate. That might work.

maybe something like one of these?:

 

Yep that looked like mine.

I had a fabricator weld up some bed straighteners that fixed the problem. Nobody makes them for 1st gens from what I've found...


Nice and straight now.

 

You can see that my issue was causing the bed side sheet metal to crack.

 

That's crazy. So basically the bed strengtheners is just a L bracket? I would just ratchet strap my bed back straight then install those? Also did you do anything for sealing the gap to keep out the elements?

 

Yep just an L-bracket with a gusset.

Yes I used a rachet strap to pull the bed sides together. Got them perfectly square. Marked my eight holes. And drilled. Bolted the strengtheners down with the strap keeping them straight..
Did that 18 months ago and not an issue since. And I have a 250# worth of weight on the bed sides, an over softopper bedrack with an RTT bolted to that.

I didn't add weather seal.

 

Oh I forgot. I'd had to use a razor knife to cut out some of the body glue out of the corners, to have strengtheners sit perfectly flat.

 

Time, driving conditions and weight all play a roll. The bed will slowly fatigue and the gap will get wider as time goes on. When I swapped my bedsides the second time it was really noticeable how much they flex. When I go on a trip and plan on seeing some rough roads I put a tie down in there and ratchet them together some. Not and best solution but it keep the tail gate closed and prevent further damage.

"L" bracket are a big help. I'm going to make a bracket system to try to help mine. @SDHQ OFFROAD make an amazing kit for the 07+ Tundra's, I'll eventually get to making something similar.
https://sdhqoffroad.com/products/07-current-toyota-tundra-sdhq-built-hidden-bedside-support-system

 

I'd be nice someone offered a kit for the 1st gens. Mine aren't as pretty as the 2nd & 3rd gens but they work as intended. Those ^ Tundra supports are nifty!

 

hmm, gonna have to check my bed now, good info

 

This is all can find online for 1st gen Tacoma bed stiffeners - - Pretty pricey (IMO) - disregard the URL title 2005-2015 as once you get to the page, 95-04 is an option.

Here's a pic of my first RTT bed rack where a bed bar was incorporated to help prevent the sides from splaying out. Just visible in the picture just inside the tailgate. One side could be unbolted and the bed bar swung up and out of the way to load larger items in the bed. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f172/rtt-meets-taco-183300/#&gid=1&pid=1

 

Hmmm. Stainless steel? Not sure I'd be envisioning SS here. Price is about right, close to the 2nd & 3rd gen ones. I paid like $75 for mine.