Tonneau Cover advice

[danielle2019]

That would be great! I am pretty convinced a Sentry is best for me. But not sure about the regular or the CT? I know what the vinyl looks like but I have not been able to see the CT up close. And can't really tell if there are other things different considering the list prices are different.

Here ya go!

 

[Rampat]

Here ya go!
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Can you take a better picture of the last one that shows more of the end of the rail and how it sits up against the tailgate?

 

[danielle2019]

That would be great! I am pretty convinced a Sentry is best for me. But not sure about the regular or the CT? I know what the vinyl looks like but I have not been able to see the CT up close. And can't really tell if there are other things different considering the list prices are different.

Here are a few more pics! I should also mention - you do have to pull the release cord and pop open the end of the cover to close the tailgate, since the rubber gasket sits over the top of the tailgate. (As illustrated in Pic #3) I don't mind it at all, but then again I don't have to open my tailgate all that often.

 

[Rampat]

Here are a few more pics! I should also mention - you do have to pull the release cord and pop open the end of the cover to close the tailgate, since the rubber gasket sits over the top of the tailgate. (As illustrated in Pic #3) I don't mind it at all, but then again I don't have to open my tailgate all that often.
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Thank you! But that’s a killer for me. On to the next option.

 

[Patsy1099]

Thank you! But that’s a killer for me. On to the next option.

Do you mean the way it locks?
If it doesn’t lock then someone can easily and quickly open your cover and access whatever is in your bed. You don’t need a key to unlock it which is great for me. You just have to open the tailgate, which for me I would be doing 99% of the time anyway to get something out of the bed.

 

[Rampat]

Do you mean the way it locks?
If it doesn’t lock then someone can easily and quickly open your cover and access whatever is in your bed. You don’t need a key to unlock it which is great for me. You just have to open the tailgate, which for me I would be doing 99% of the time anyway to get something out of the bed.

No, that you can’t close the tailgate with it closed.

 

[Patsy1099]

No, that you can’t close the tailgate with it closed.

You can open/close the tailgate with the Sentry down and locked in place. No problem. There is a rubber gasket that sits on top of the tailgate to provide a seal but it is just fine when you open/close the tailgate. Initially it is stiff and needs to break in so you not having to adjust it but it breaks in quickly and works best when you close the tailgate firmly.

 

[Pressgrove]

Just had a typical Florida rainstorm. Torrential downpour for about 20 mins. I parked on flat ground again. This was the worst one so far.

Back to this thread now..... I think the tailgate design makes it almost impossible to seal. The inside edges of the tailgate and the bed are almost diagonal from each other, so there's no surfaces to seal between (see the radius molded into the corner of the rubber bumpers). Also, the way the top end of the tailgate slides past the top of the bed makes it hard to seal there as well.

I think the best way is to attach something to shed the water that does get in there and direct it away from the bed. I think you can fill that gap with a small piece of plastic angle with a rubber flap attached to it, angled down towards the back of the truck. I tried to mark up the photos below, but it's not that clear. I'll draw up something later to show it clearer.

 

[Pressgrove]

Just had a typical Florida rainstorm. Torrential downpour for about 20 mins. I parked on flat ground again. This was the worst one so far.

Here's a little less crude sketch......

• The red is a plastic angle, the black is rubber that is glued to the angle.
• The angle is bolted through the hole with the existing bolt in the photo.
• In the front, the rubber tucks under the plastic bed rail cap.
• On the side, the rubber is cut so it just barely brushes the edge of the tailgate as it closes.
• Any water that goes through the tailgate seam runs backwards, towards the inner surface of the tailgate skin.

It's far from ideal, but I'm not seeing a better way without a molded seal that fits around and between the bumpers. Even with that, I still think you need something similar to this at the top.

 

[danielle2019]

Here's a little less crude sketch......

• The red is a plastic angle, the black is rubber that is glued to the angle.
• The angle is bolted through the hole with the existing bolt in the photo.
• In the front, the rubber tucks under the plastic bed rail cap.
• On the side, the rubber is cut so it just barely brushes the edge of the tailgate as it closes.
• Any water that goes through the tailgate seam runs backwards, towards the inner surface of the tailgate skin.

It's far from ideal, but I'm not seeing a better way without a molded seal that fits around and between the bumpers. Even with that, I still think you need something similar to this at the top.

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Huh. Good idea. Do you have a CAD file for that by chance? I can 3D prototype it. I only have PLA right now, which is a hard plastic, but the fit is right, TPU material is flexible, withstands heat and abrasion.

 

[Pressgrove]

Huh. Good idea. Do you have a CAD file for that by chance? I can 3D prototype it. I only have PLA right now, which is a hard plastic, but the fit is right, TPU material is flexible, withstands heat and abrasion.

This is in Solidworks, but just conceptual. I would need to do some measuring to get it dimensioned properly.

I don't think TPU would be rigid enough to span that gap. Take a look at yours.... the combination of the void behind the tailgate skin and the one behind the bedside panel where it wraps around the truck is surprisingly wide. That's why I came up with the plastic angle and rubber/neoprene/whatever.

Maybe printing a TPU piece to go over the rigid part would be helpful. I'm sure that straight and square sides won't work.

 

[Patsy1099]

A simple piece of weather stripping gets you 99% of the way there. If water gets in at the tailgate, it’s incredibly minimal and right at the corner. I’ve found for my setup, with ramboxes and a Sentry, the small weatherstripping keeps 99% of all water including high pressure, out. YMMV

 

[Rampat]

A simple piece of weather stripping gets you 99% of the way there. If water gets in at the tailgate, it’s incredibly minimal and right at the corner. I’ve found for my setup, with ramboxes and a Sentry, the small weatherstripping keeps 99% of all water including high pressure, out. YMMV

Ram box and standard are totally different worlds. You have it much easier.

 

[Patsy1099]

Ram box and standard are totally different worlds. You have it much easier.

Really? You might be right but why? wouldn't it just be a longer piece of weatherstripping? Can you post a pic? Curious to understand the difference.

 

[Rampat]

Really? You might be right but why? wouldn't it just be a longer piece of weatherstripping? Can you post a pic? Curious to understand the difference.

After studying what you’ve posted and talked with me about I’ve seen that you have a great flat easy place to put the weather stripping that the tailgate can close up to. On ours the gap is larger and on the side compared to perpendicular with no clear place to put the stripping. I tried something last week and it didn’t work at all. I’ll post a picture tomorrow.

That said I saw a guy post some pictures today of a different weather strip placed differently from where others did. It could work better but is unproven yet, he will report back. I posted his pics below.

 

[Mashonrussell96]

Hi all, I recently bought a 2019 1500 Big Horn with the 6’4” bed. Love the truck so far. It did not come with a bed cover and would love advice from anyone with after market experience. I’m willing to pay for the hard cover, if it really makes a difference. I guess my questions would be - what are the best ones out there, and is this something I should have the dealer install. Note I do have the ram stock bed liner. Appreciate any comments!
Keith

I bought through Amazon the Tyger roll up. I am very happy with it. The install went splendidly. I had it on in less than 30 minutes. It rolls all the way up to the cab and stretches nice and taut to the bed rails. I haven't noticed any moisture inside the bed and it keeps everything nice and safe. And for less than $180, it was well worth it.

 

[MG99]

After studying what you’ve posted and talked with me about I’ve seen that you have a great flat easy place to put the weather stripping that the tailgate can close up to. On ours the gap is larger and on the side compared to perpendicular with no clear place to put the stripping. I tried something last week and it didn’t work at all. I’ll post a picture tomorrow.

That said I saw a guy post some pictures today of a different weather strip placed differently from where others did. It could work better but is unproven yet, he will report back. I posted his pics below.

No luck here keeping water out at the tailgate or bulkhead with the experimental seals. An improvement but not a solution. The Bak Industries seal I cut and placed at the gate is quality and might work better with some further adjustments.

 

[MG99]

After studying what you’ve posted and talked with me about I’ve seen that you have a great flat easy place to put the weather stripping that the tailgate can close up to. On ours the gap is larger and on the side compared to perpendicular with no clear place to put the stripping. I tried something last week and it didn’t work at all. I’ll post a picture tomorrow.

That said I saw a guy post some pictures today of a different weather strip placed differently from where others did. It could work better but is unproven yet, he will report back. I posted his pics below.

No luck here keeping water out at the tailgate or bulkhead with the experimental seals. An improvement but not a solution. The Bak Industries seal I cut and placed at the gate is quality and might work better with some further adjustments.

 

[Pressgrove]

Hard driving rain here this AM.... Truck didn't move. Leak in the tailgate are only. Front of the bed is bone dry.

 

[TMD78]

I just bought the Retrax, are your cargo management system rails set to high? Mine seem to be too high which doesn't allow the cover to set flush on the bulkhead and rails. Seems like it sits about 1/4" to high. Did you have this issue?

Sorry missed this, but yes that is what retrax says, that the Cargo rails have a big tolerance from the factory and mine must be too high, funny they said I was the only complaint so far even though they anticipate this issue.