Anyone ever used RTV to make gasket for hard tonneau or camper/topper?

[fixizin]

I've got the (mostly) excellent Gemtop GT Classic hard (steel) tonneau, Y2K vintage, but the original EPDM rubber weatherstrip is starting to let the rain in here and there. Price of new stripping approx. $40... plus installation hassle.

ANYWAY... was just McGuyvering out loud, and wondered if anyone had ever gotten a cartridge/caulk-sized tube of whatever-color RTV, and made their own large-scale "gasket" for such an application?

I know it's great for "static" apps like your diff cover, but could it be cured at say 1/4" thickness, then stand up to the repeated "bounce" of a hinged tonneau cover?

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've used silicone and other caulking a lot in my trade; renovations. I think if you let the bead cure for long enough [~ 3-6 days] silicone would work just fine. However, it is a real pain to clean off once it's adhered to something. Don't use it where you would want to have a clean surface later. And where you want it to stick, clean the area with alcohol or maybe Brake-kleen.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[shane96ranger]

Just a thought.... Lowes sells rolls of weatherstripping and caulking. I used the caulking to seal my tail lights on my Mustang, and it's worked well from what little rain/water it receives.

Edit: fixed my hillbilly grammar.

 

[Earl43P]

Yep, what he said ^.

Lowes has 2 or 3" wide double-sided tacky foam in rolls.

IIRC, I needed two rolls to do one cap.

You can tell when that foam deteriorates (like mine did from 3 years in Yuma) because when you spray water at the seam, old foam rolls outta there. I need to redo mine, but I'll be taking the cap off for the winter, so I'll do it when I reinstall it.

I would NOT use RTV if you plan to remove the cap.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Perhaps I should clarify. I would apply caulk to the topper while it's off the truck and let it cure for several days before re-applying the topper.

Richard

 

[fixizin]

Floored, good tips, both posts. That long cure time is a concern, but not a show-stopper.

I should clarify: this is a hinged tonneau cover, aka bed lid, aka decklid, opened and closed several times a day, so whatever is used would have to stick ONLY to the lid, NOT to the bed rails, so any double-sided stuff is out... but of course it has to conform/mate/seal to the bed rails, in a DRY, non-sticky way... much like the driver and passenger doors, lol.

Here's the newer, wider version, that covers up the stake holes:

Examining the existing--and now very FLATtened--weatherstripping, I note that it was originally very HOLLOW, tubular really, for maximum gasket-conformance. OTOH, the only "irregularities" it has to conform to are the 4 Truxedo stake pocket/hole covers... oh, and the tailgate seams, nach... and the welds up front... and...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Check out weatherstripping used on trailer doors. Here's a site;
http://www.qtrailer.com/products.php
Check out page 22 of the fenders and components section.

Richard

 

[Frank The Tank]

I always used that foam-tape stuff. It seals pretty good and can be removed with a heat gun an wd-40 one day.

 

[killj0y]

auto parts stores sell all kinds of foam seals for that. I used some of it to redo the "weatherstripping" on my toolbox keeps rain out good

 

[kryptonitecb]

Weather stripping and foam from your local hardware store is cheaper and does the same job.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[fixizin]

Excellent practical input from all!...

Wasn't obvious for a long time, but... major source of leakage turned out to be the slow disintegration of the O-RING around the lock cylinder! Lands and grooves in drop-in bedliner then channeled water to many MISleading locations... lol.

STILL, Ye Olde weatherstripping IS near the end of its service life (13 years, fair 'nough), and now that the DRY season is finally here, gonna get on it.

OTOH, aftermarket 'stripping I put around tailgate opening is the same age, and looks AMAZINGLY near-new...?? I still have the pkg. for that... will have to contact THEM for new rubber!