Leaking tonneau cover - any easy fixes?

Hi,
So, my 2016 (bought used) came with a tri-fold hard cover over the bed. Sadly, it leaks when it rains - seems to be along the edges where it attaches to the bed.

As I’m new to the whole truck world, I’m wondering if there’s a simple/cheap fix, or if that’s just normal and life. It’d be nice to be able to throw groceries in the bed and not have to worry about them being wet by the time I got home.

I have no idea of the brand of cover - it just comes with some Toyota warning stickers on it, so I assume it was installed by the original dealer. Adding a couple of pics if that helps any.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

They leak, simple as that. Get some totes with lids.

 

As said above, they leak. With enough effort, you can make them borderline waterproof.

I think waterproof expectations from consumers are all over the place. With the amount of normal leaking, I don't think groceries would be hurt, unless a few drops of water on your cold cuts is absolutely prohibited. I probably wouldn't keep my priceless and irreplaceable paper mache art back there in a rain storm over night.

 

Yeah, I never expected it to be up to the “storing art” level, but right now it’s at the “don’t drive home for 5 mins with a paper bag in the back”. Sounds like that’s normal though.

 

One thing that has helped me is a rubber bed mat. It elevates my cargo and lets the water kind of drip down the side under it and out of the bed, instead of pooling on my stuff.

 

I will say this, the flushmount covers that depend on drainage systems tend to give a hard time minimizing water intrusion. But that looks like a top mount that you have. With a quality unit you should be able to get it down to a few trickles. Make sure the side seals are not damaged and deformed. On some of these they can be removed/replaced without too much of a problem. Verify it's properly positioned. Some Home Depot stick on type seals could be thrown on in a few strategic places.

I think there is hope for improvement if the water is coming under the rails, whereas if it was coming through the hinges that's a different story. I have an 800 dollar Ruggedliner top mount hard folder on my Ford that I feel comfortable leaving things I want to keep dry underneath through inclement weather and I haven't yet been made to regret it.

 

Thanks. I’ll try checking on the side seals (once it stops raining!) and see if there’s something obvious. It does appear to just be along the edges, not from the hinges in the actual cover itself.

 

Check the alignment to verify that it was installed straight and square.

I have a tri-fold and even in a hard rain or car wash it only lets in a very small of water at the back corners, and I think that's more from running down the gaps between bedside and tailgate than from the tonneau itself.

 

Thanks - it’s worth a shot!

 

With the cover closed and the tailgate open, see if you can find any spots where you can see daylight. If there are any, those should be the areas you should look into first. I’ve used Butyl tape with relatively good luck. Like others said, making a tonneau cover 100% waterproof is near impossible, but there’s definitely ways to improve it.

 

Yeah, I’m not expecting 100%, but an improvement would be nice.
Thanks for the suggestions - just waiting for the rain to stop…