Truck Bed Cap

[Tractor Dan]

I have a fiberglass cap on my truck. Nothing fancy just the sliding side windows and the rear half hatch above the tailgate. I would like to get a contractor cap or something better one day but for now this is working. It does the job ok which is to keep my sandbags and the box that holds them dry in the winter.

Trying to get stuff done before winter gets here. I have found that my truck cap on my bed is leaking. Appears to be coming in around the window frames on the side. To fix this i'm thinking just take either a caulking removal tool or a razor knife and cut the old rotted caulking out and caulk it with silicone. Maybe get a black to match the color of the cap and truck. Does this sound like a good idea?

Also another issue i have is the rear door of my cap doesn't latch very securely. I'm going to replace the lock because i have never had keys for it, this was a $25 craigslist find. The problem is the two rods that go out to either side of the bed and into the door frame don't latch tightly. With the latch in the closed position i can sometimes still lift the rear door. So any thoughts on how to fix this issue? I'm most likely moving to Dayton,Ohio for college and while having an unsecured cap where i'm at is no big deal i know in a bigger city that's asking for trouble. So i want to make people atleast have to put out some effort if they want to take anything. I generally don't have a lot of "valuable" things in the bed but i keep my ratchet belts and stuff of that nature in the bed. Anything of value goes in the cab.

 

[Earl43P]

Fiberglas is flexible.

I had that issue with the rods not extending far enough, allowing you to force the hatch open.

Loosen the aft bed/topper clamps.
Position one side 1/4 to 1/2" further inboard, tighten that clamp.

Have an assistant tighten the remaining clamp while you exert force on the side of the cap to push it inboard 1/2" or so.

Basically, your cap opening is too wide and you need to force it closer together.

 

[Tractor Dan]

Ok. I'll give that a try. I have a couple big ratchet belts might use one of those to tension it. I wouldn't put enough tension on to crack anything but enough to keep in the position i need. I guess i have a project for next week. I'm tempted to just bolt it to the bed but don't want to drill the bed rails and the diamond plate bed rail covers. Honestly i should probably take the bed rail covers off now that i think of it. Just never did because i never had a place to put them. Still don't really but i could find a corner in the basement i suppose.