How To Waterproof A Tonneau Cover And Fix Leaks Already Have

Last Updated on May 9, 2022

A tonneau cover is used to protect your truck bed from bad weather and obstacles that can damage your carrying belongings. The problem is that most of the tonneau covers are made from polyester or vinyl. Sometimes, these materials are not scratchproof or even fully waterproof. Maybe the padding or the seal on the side is insufficient. That leads to leaking through the sides of your truck bed cover. But you can waterproof your tonneau cover by following a few simple steps. Let’s see how to waterproof a tonneau cover.

Also if your tonneau cover has tears, makes noise, or becomes stuck. You can repair tonneau cover tears, noise, and stuck solution at home.

How To Waterproof A Tonneau Cover And Fix Leaks Already Have

Tonneau Cover Types & Water Resistant Level

There are many types of tonneau cover available in the market. And they provide different levels of water protection`

Soft Roll-Up tonneau cover (good water-resistant)
Soft Folding tonneau cover (good water-resistant)
Hard Roll-Up tonneau cover (great water-resistant)
Hard Folding tonneau cover (great water-resistant)
Retractable tonneau cover (great water-resistant)
Painted one-piece cover (most water-resistant)
Snap tonneau cover (low water-resistant)

Waterproofing Options

As we discussed above, no tonneau cover is completely waterproof. The following are some easy solutions to increasing their water resistance.

Installing Extra Seals
Installing Bed Seal kits
Water Pipe Installation

Installing Extra Seals

If the leak is not big then this process will be more helpful if you install a little more seals. Take measurements and get some seals from the market of recommended size depending upon your tonneau cover.

Installing Bed Seal kits

In some cases, installing bed seal kits can solve your problem easily. If water enters somehow, bed seal kits have a drainage system to get rid of it. This will be an expensive approach. If not, the leakage is huge, this is not a recommended option to choose.

Water Pipe Installation

This is a popular and inexpensive approach as it is very simple and can easily be installed. These pipes are made from rubber to make it easy to fix the gaps. You will need to fit it in the place where the water enters from.

Using one of those methods on your tonneau covers will increase their waterproofing properties. I’m sure you will find that it is more waterproof than before.

How to Fix a Leaking Tonneau Cover

Truck owners use tonneau covers to protect the cargo bed of their truck from bad weather like rain, snowfall, etc. You have to keep in mind that no tonneau cover is fully waterproof. It doesn’t matter how good your tonneau is, it can be leaked anytime. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean the cover is no more useful. You can always fix a leaking tonneau cover by following some simple steps.

Follow our instructions carefully. If you don’t do that, you might need to spend more money and time to fix your tonneau cover as you may damage the cover.

Step -1: Find the leaking position

You can follow the fake rain method here. To do that, keep the back door of the truck open and close the cover completely. Spray water at upward speed on top of the cover so that it falls naturally. Then you can find out the position of the leakage inside the truck bed using a flashlight. You might need someone’s help here.

Step -2: Mark leaking spots

Then, you will need tape or a marker pen to mark the spots. Now, this is important that you remove the cover from the truck bed. Otherwise, you won’t be able to fix it.

Step -3: Sealing the leak off

Take measurements of the size of the spots to find out what material best seals them off. Seal them from the top rather than the bottom of the cover to make the leak stop in the best way. Waterproof adhesive tape can also be used to seal them off.

Step -4: Testing

Now, it’s time to check if the seals work or not. To do so, fit your sealed cover back on the truck bed and repeat the first step. If it’s not working then follow the second and third steps.

If you can’t solve it after serval tries, you may need professional help or may need to remove tonneau cover & replace it.

Conclusion

To keep your truck bed safe, you need to keep your tonneau cover waterproof and you can do that by following the above procedure. For more assistance, leave a comment below.