How To Waterproof Tonneau Cover Using Silicon OR Duct Tape?
Tonneau covers are used to cover cargo or open seats in vehicles like trucks, cars, jeeps etc., It is derived from French which meant “cask” or “barrel”. It referred to the open passenger compartments.
While good quality tonneau covers are made to protect your cargo from moisture and rain, these aren’t completely waterproof. There still’s a chance of cargo getting damaged by the trickling raindrops escaping from spaces not visible to the human eye.
While tonneau covers are highly water-resistant, they aren’t waterproof, nor can they be made waterproof. We can only add to its water-resistant nature to bring it as close as possible to being waterproof.
However, before going through the method, let’s understand the basic kinds of tonneau covers available in the market.
Different Types of Tonneau Covers
There are a variety of tonneau covers available, and they can be broadly classified as hard and soft covers.
As the name suggests the “hard” tonneau covers are made of “hard” materials like aluminum, fiberglass and so on. Hard tonneau covers can be painted, some even have lights and clamps. However, storing those takes up a lot of space.
Here’s a hard folding tonneau cover available online:
Whereas, “soft” tonneau covers are made of softer materials like canvas fabric, vinyl and others. They’re easier to store, install and remove.
However, the fabric might lose its shine, color and fade over time. They also run a chance of flipping due to wind. These are used as per the work requirements and preferences. Vinyl and fiberglass are common tonneau cover materials.
Check out this soft rolling tonneau cover:
| Photo | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|
 | RealTruck TruXedo TruXport Soft Roll Up Truck Bed Tonneau Cover | 273301 | Fits 2020-2025 Chevy/GMC Silverado/Sierra 2500/3500HD 6' 10" Bed (82.2") | Check Price On Amazon |
Tonneau covers can be retractable, hinged, foldable and others. You can choose the one suiting your work the most.
Why To Use a Tonneau Cover?
- Saves your cargo, truck bed from UV
- Saves from snow, ice and rain
- Protects the cargo from theft
- Keeps prying eyes away from them
These are the primary reasons for tonneau covers being loved by so many people!
How To Waterproof Tonneau Cover? [Using Silicon and Duct Tape]
As I mentioned above, tonneau covers cannot be made 100% waterproof, however, we can make them near waterproof. So how can we do that? Read on to know about it!
This method is primarily for fixing any hole or crack in the tonneau cover. You might notice some holes or cracks in the tonneau cover allowing water to escape and harm the cargo inside.
This method would especially work if the holes are smaller in size. You can use either silicon or duct tape on hard tonneau covers. For soft tonneau covers, duct tape would work better.
Silicone is durable, forms a strong adhesive bond with the surface. It is also widely used as a waterproofing agent for items under constant or almost regular moisture contact and can also tolerate heat efficiently.
Thus, silicon would protect your thing from the sunlight, rain and everything.
You can use below silicone caulk:
If you don’t have silicone then you can definitely use a simple duct tape. The duct tape would cover the surface and would not allow even a single droplet to pass through it.
Here’s a black duct tape considering most of the tonneau covers are black in color:
| Photo | Product | Buy |
|---|---|---|
 | 3M Multi-Use Colored Duct Tape Black, 1.88 Inches by 60 Yards, 3960-BK, 1 roll | Check Price On Amazon |
If you’re unsure where the water is trickling from, then you can apply a very simple trick. Just take your tonneau cover in front of a single light source with the other surroundings being dark.
At this point, you’ll notice the exact points from where the lights would pass through the cover. You can mark those areas for waterproofing purposes.
Required Material:
Procedure [Step by Step]:
1. Clean the tonneau cover
For hardcovers, you can use a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water. Using a soft brush, gently clean the cover. Alternatively, you can also use tonneau cover cleaners to clean the cover.
Then clean with a fabric having microfiber. Also, let it dry in the sun for at least one hour or a couple of hours to let it dry completely.
Cleaning the cover would lay a smooth surface for applying the silicon or duct tape, whatever you choose ultimately.
2. Apply the tape/silicon
Then, you’re ready to apply it. You should choose any one of them as per your convenience and availability of products.
So apply your preferred product on the tonneau cover. In the case of silicon, you’ll have to let it dry for a couple of hours. Then, your tonneau cover would be all ready for use.
Total Time Required:
If you use silicon it would take around a maximum of four hours. However, for duct tapes, it’d take a maximum of two hours.
Total Cost:
Considering you’ve dishwashing liquid with you, the cost boils down to the cost of silicon or duct tape.
For silicon- Not more than $ 20
For duct tape- Not more than $ 20
So, the total cost would be $20 approximately for any method.
Tip:
You usually find seals along with the tonneau cover to seal off the corner spaces where water might get through. If you find them to be not enough, you can buy extra seals for your purpose from the nearest hardware store.
Final Words:
The first and foremost thing you should do to ensure a proper, highly water-resistant tonneau cover is to follow the instruction manual’s every word. This allows the cover to sit properly on the bed rail and serve its best quality.
Apart from these, you’d like to check whether your tonneau cover has become old, almost breaking apart or stretching. In that case, it is better you go for a new cover for your cargo’s safety.
