When you purchase a tonneau cover for your truck, one of the main reasons that you are looking for a cover is to protect your truck bed and your cargo from the weather.
Of course, the cover will help protect your cargo from the rain, but many of the tonneau covers you can find on the market are water-resistant instead of waterproof.
What is the Difference Between Water-Resistant & Waterproof?
When a tonneau cover is waterproof, it will keep all of the water out of the truck bed, but one that is water-resistant will mostly keep the water out but some will make it through. Typically along the seams, folds and edges of the tonneau cover
These leaks may be minor, but they should still be noted so that you do not place cargo in an area where it could potentially get wet.
Where Do Leaks Occur?
The area at the front of the truck bed that connects to the cab of the truck is an area that often gets a lot of rain and wind, so if there happens to be a slight space between the cover and the truck cab, rain can get in, especially if you are driving or it’s windy outside.
These spaces do not need to be large, to the naked eye, you may not even be able to see a space for the water to get in.
Image source: ranger5g.com
Another area where water can trickle into a tonneau cover is the area that is near the tailgate.
In most trucks, the tailgate is not connected tightly to the rest of the truck, so if the wind is strong enough to blow the rain into the gaps, water can easily get under the truck bed cover. If the water sits in the truck bed for a while this could lead to rust. Fortunately, kits can be purchased to seal the tailgate and block water from getting in.
Since most tonneau covers are considered to be water-resistant, they are not going to keep the water out completely.
Being that they are not 100% waterproof, you will need to either secure the cover so that no water can get in or find a way to allow the water to drain when it does get into the bed of your truck.
One preventative option is to install a tonneau cover seal. The seal is a flexible piece of rubber that sticks to the bed rails to make a more weathertight seal between the truck bed and the tonneau cover when it’s closed.
Rain is not the only way that water can get under your tonneau cover; even though many of these brands are designed to be washed and cleaned in a car wash, the high pressure of the wash can force water into the bed of the truck.
This is especially true when you have a soft roll-up tonneau cover where the edges of the cover are secured with Velcro.
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The Most Effective Tonneau Cover for Water-Resistance
In general, the most water-resistant model that you will be able to find when you are looking for a new tonneau cover is going to be a one-piece option that is crafted from hard plastic or fiberglass.
This type of cover will often overlap the rails and the tailgate, which means that rain will not be able to enter the truck bed easily.
Retractable tonneau covers are also quite effective because they have compression seals at the back of the bed near the tailgate so that leaks do not occur, and the rest of the cover is positioned on tracks.
After that, another good option is a low-profile tri-fold tonneau cover. These will keep most of the rain out. Over time, the sun may degrade the rubber in the folds and cracks can start to form. However, the higher the quality of bed cover the less likely this will happen.
Soft roll-up covers can offer a bit of protection, but water can seep into the area between the cover and the rails, especially if the clamps are not as tight as they could be.
Snap covers tend to be even less water-resistant, so if you are looking for the most affordable option, keep in mind they may not be as good at protecting the bed of your truck and the cargo from getting wet.
UnderCover LUX Solid One-Piece Tonneau Cover. This style offers the most protection from water getting into the truck bed.
Final Thoughts
Most tonneau covers will protect the bed of your truck, but they are not 100 percent effective in keeping water out of the truck bed.
Some truck bed covers perform better than others, but if it’s essential to keep your cargo dry, make sure that you research which cover works best for your truck and how you can prevent leaks from happening in the first place.
Not all truck bed covers are going to provide a snug fit on your truck bed, but the better the fit is, the more water it will be able to keep out.
Are you looking for the ultimate protection for your truck bed? Look no further than the DualLiner bed liner system. Custom-designed to fit your truck perfectly, made in the USA, a lifetime warranty and free shipping! What could be better? Check it out here.
DualLiner + Tonneau Cover = 100% Truck Bed Protection
