First Things First
Dry & Dust-free, Please.
You are Here: Seal My Bed Caps?
Do I Really Need to Seal Under the Bed Caps?
A question that appears often in online questions and blogs from those building their truck camper with a shell or topper. Considering truck bed caps were not designed to seal anything, they do what they were designed for – help protect the bed from damage.
Based on experience with the 2013 Tacoma camper shell build, and now evidence of dust and mildew under the Tundra bed caps, the answer is yes.
Can I Remove The Bed Caps Without Damaging Them?
The idea is to be able to lift up the outer edge of the bed cap to locate the first tab and push it toward the bed to disengage it from its slot, then move to the next tab – all without scratching the paint.
Free special tool AND a Dreamsicle – am i good to you or what?
Removing Tundra Bed Caps
Take your time. Start at either end and lift the outer edge of the bed cap enough to see the tabs engaged in the bed slots. Use the ‘special tool’ to push in until the tab releases, then move to the next one. After freeing all the tabs, proceed to lift the cap, disengaging the second row. You may need to give a little nudge if they don’t release easily on their own. Trust me, it is easier than it sounds.
Once removed, clean both the top of the bed sides and the under sides of the bed caps and let them dry thoroughly before applying the tape and sealant in a later step.
Note: There is a round locator peg at the front and the rear of each bed cap. These will help you reinstall through the foil tape seal later on.
Covering the Many Holes.
Foil HVAC tape makes a good seal for the unused holes in the bedsides. You can use 4″ wide, but i like the control afforded by using 2 runs of 2″ wide foil tape.
Starting at either end, trim the end to match the contour of the bed top 1/4 to 1/2 inch from the first hole. Stretch out about 18″ of tape and peel the backing back to expose the adhesive.
Carefully place the leading edge 1/4 to 1/2″ before the first hole and about 1/4″ from the outside bed edge, making sure it will be covered completely by the reinstalled cap. Lay this down carefully, following the straight line of the bed and avoiding wrinkles and air pockets whenever possible.
Once this run is completed, go back and smooth out any wrinkles and push any air pockets toward the edges or the holes. Some wrinkles will remain, unless you are really really good at this!
Repeat for the second run, and then for the remaining side.
First run of foil tape
Finished foil tape seal
Sealant Under the Bed Caps
This is where you will need to determine the best location for an inner and outer bead of sealant on the underside of the bed caps. The goal is to be outside the holes and closest to the edge of the caps while not having any caulk squeeze out when reapplying the bed caps.
The front and back ends are particularly important, so consider a double row of sealant there. Pay attention to the ridges on the cap and the curve of the bed tops at these points.
Don’t be afraid to go back and apply additional sealant where you think it might be useful.
Sealant on the Bed
Paying attention to the slight v in the truck bed top edge, try to apply a bead of sealant as close to the outer edge, front edge, and rear edge as possible without the potential of squeezing out.
Once you are satisfied the sealant on the bed and on the bed caps is sufficient, carefully reinstall the caps using the two round pegs under the caps to position, then pushing down through the foil. Continue to press the caps back into place on the bed sides. Check for any oozing sealant and remove quickly.
