People buy and use car accessories like roof racks, window visors, chrome trims, and mud flaps to enhance the looks of their vehicles. However, accessories like tonneau covers are used to enhance the functionality of vehicles like trucks. Such a cover helps safeguard your cargo from weather elements and deter thieves too. However, over prolonged usage, a tonneau cover may get worn out and leakage can occur. The good thing is you can always repair a leaking tonneau cover.
What Do You Need to Seal the Leaks?
Before you try repairing a leaking tonneau cover, you have to collect the equipment that will be used for the job. These are:
- Water Pipe Insulation- This is handy for draining the excess water that accumulates on the top of the cover. Water pipes are quite cheap and simple to set up. They are offered with adhesives to make the installation quicker.
- Installing Seals- If the leakage is not deep or big, try using seals on the affected areas. You can find such seals at a local hardware store and the cost is nominal. Ensure you buy the seals while ensuring the hue matches that of your tonneau cover.
- Bed Seal Kits- This can be expensive compared to the other 2 options. But these kits safeguard the tonneau cover from snow, dust and other elements.
How to fix a leaking Tonneau Cover?
- Find the Leaks- At first, you have to locate the leaking locations. Use a flashlight inside the bed of the truck for finding all the leaks. You may ask someone to assist you here. As an alternative, place some cardboard on the truck’s cargo bed. Now, cover it with the tonneau cover and use a hose to simulate rain. The water leakage can be found by checking the cardboard for wet spots.
- Mark the Spots- After you locate all the leak spots, mark them using a marker pen. This is important as for fixing the cover, you will need to remove it.
- Sealing the Leaks- You may make use of a duct tape or commercial adhesives to fix a leaking tonneau cover. This will work if the holes are not large. Use seal strips if the leakages are at the side of the cover.
- Test- After repairing the tonneau cover, test it well. So, fit the repaired tonneau cover atop the cargo area of the truck and repeat the rain simulation using a hose. Ask another person to get inside the bed with light to spot any leakage.
Summing it up
Detecting and repairing leaks in the tonneau cover is not hard to time-consuming. You will need the right materials and someone to assist you.
