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Fix for Leaky Bed Panel Covers?

D

DYMOND53

GUEST
Does anyone have a fix for leaks between the cargo panel covers? Salesmen and first trip to the service dept. told me there are "NO leaks"; "Never heard of this problem with this vehicle." New service manager from Washington state said they do nothing but leak...
So.....how do you keep your cargo dry on a rainy day?
:8:
 
Vernon said:
Does anyone have a fix for leaks between the cargo panel covers? Salesmen and first trip to the service dept. told me there are "NO leaks"; "Never heard of this problem with this vehicle." New service manager from Washington state said they do nothing but leak...
So.....how do you keep your cargo dry on a rainy day?
:8:
Welcome to the club........

The panels should not leak over the top of the rubber mat.....

Please search through the many threads on here and what some people with water leaks did with their dealers to remedy the problem.....

the top of the rubber mat should not have water on it...only the edges.....

Good luck
 
Never had any problems in the rain. The only time they leak is when I use my pressure washer to clean the cladding. Run it through a car wash and if it leaks drive over to the dealership and show them.
 
I can understand your frustration. I've only had my Av a week and when I was washing it on Saturday I noticed the mat had water on it under each seam. And not just a little. I was surprised because I was doing it in my driveway without much water pressure. That night I read through many of the old posts here to get some ideas. I first checked for visable gaps in the seals and didn't find any. Next I removed the panels and cleaned all the mating surfaces with a wet towel. I also cleaned the gaskets on the rails and at the front. The last thing was to coat all the rubber with some silicone grease and reassemble. We had some hard rain this afternoon and it was pouring when I drove home from work. After I pulled in the driveway I opened the tailgate to see a nice dry bed. The only trace of water was a couple of trickles down the sides that were running directly into the drains.
 
On top of keeping the rubber surfaces clean and lubricated, installation plays a HUGE role in preventing leaks.
It's important to hold the panels up at a 45 degreee angle when sliding them underneath another panel or against the back window.

Several months with no problems here.

CT.

 
Next I removed the panels and cleaned all the mating surfaces with a wet towel. I also cleaned the gaskets on the rails and at the front. The last thing was to coat all the rubber with some silicone grease and reassemble.

hmmmmmmmmm thanks for the reminder... I've been noticing a few drips and am needing to spend some time getting them sealed....

Clean surfaces are the key
 
What is the exact name of the product (silicone grease) which you used to "seal the gasket and goove" on your panel covers. I used a "silicone spray" which did not work.

Thank you,

Vernon
 
The bed is not suppsoe to be water proof :-[ that is why they put drains and water diverters in the bed. The water is supposed tobe controled to these drains. I had problems with the water diverters on one side being cracked. The dealer replaced with no problem.
 
I tried silicone grease and it was so sticky it took a very long time to lubricate. It was very hard to slide the grease up and down the seals. As in normal grease, it is very easy and fast. But what I have, it would take 30 minutes just to do about 3ft of seal. Does this sound right or do I have the wrong grease? And where did you guys find the grease to buy? One Chevy dealer told me that they don't have such a thing
 
djfcars said:
I tried silicone grease and it was so sticky it took a very long time to lubricate. It was very hard to slide the grease up and down the seals. As in normal grease, it is very easy and fast. But what I have, it would take 30 minutes just to do about 3ft of seal. Does this sound right or do I have the wrong grease? And where did you guys find the grease to buy? One Chevy dealer told me that they don't have such a thing

I suggest BMW (yes the car company) Gummi Phledge.......this stuff is specific for rubber seals...........
 
I had to adjust all of mine.

I loosened the torx screws and slid them back and forth till they alligned properly. they have about 1/2 inch of play you can work with. the shop foreman had told me there was no adjustment.

i still have a slight problem on the pass. side at the tailgate if I don't slam it VERY hard. Other than it is good since I moved them.

I actually shut myself in there on a VERY sunny day and looked for gaps. i then moved the panels till daylight disappeared. I had to really trust my daughter to open the midgate and let me out. Tony Soprano ought to drive one of these it's like a big trunk to carry many "past acquaintances" in. Don't try this if you are claustrophopic.

-REV
 
BlessedByGod said:
I actually shut myself in there on a VERY sunny day and looked for gaps. i then moved the panels till daylight disappeared. I had to really trust my daughter to open the midgate and let me out. Tony Soprano ought to drive one of these it's like a big trunk to carry many "past acquaintances" in. Don't try this if you are claustrophopic.

-REV

Oh no - don't let the litigation lawyers see this. If they get a hold of it, Chevy will have to install an emergency release in the interior of the bed tailgate, like those built in car trunks now.....
 
ChevyThunder said:
It's important to hold the panels up at a 45 degreee angle when sliding them underneath another panel or against the back window.

Is this in the manual? I don't ever remember reading this and therefore I've never done it. I'll have to see if that helps with my leaks.
 
djfcars said:
I tried silicone grease and it was so sticky it took a very long time to lubricate. It was very hard to slide the grease up and down the seals. As in normal grease, it is very easy and fast. But what I have, it would take 30 minutes just to do about 3ft of seal. Does this sound right or do I have the wrong grease? And where did you guys find the grease to buy? One Chevy dealer told me that they don't have such a thing

I used PERMATEX Dielectric Tune-up Grease on a small piece of cloth to do the smooth surfaces. I found that an old toothbursh worked well on the grooved gaskets between the bed panels. I used a very thin coating and wiped off the excess. It is a bit sticky when cold so you could try warming up the tube in hot water first. I thin kit may have taken 30 minutes to to do all the seals and gaskets on mine, including the midgate.

Bob
 
I love this site.

Ok, I now have two things to do this weekend: Leather seats and check the seals around the panels.

Thanks guys. >:D
 
Looks like its been awhile since anyone has posted about this problem?  I hope that means one of the 2 products suggested works!  I hope so. I guess thats what i'm going to try for my leaky bed too.
 
Wow..A 6 year old thread brought back to life  :love:

Mine never leaked  :D
 
midlifecrisis said:
Oh no - don't let the litigation lawyers see this.  If they get a hold of it, Chevy will have to install an emergency release in the interior of the bed tailgate, like those built in car trunks now.....

:laugh:... :laugh:....Well it has been five years, have you figured out yet, you can simply release the center panel or the tailgate panel and push up, kinda hard to get locked in, when the panels release from the inside....guess GM already thought of that..... :laugh:....doh.....
 
bought my 05 used and never had one leak until Tuesday. i had my benelli , a 5 day back pack full of clothes and some boots and other crap in there... my poor shotgun has never had a spec of rust on it, now its completely rusted. went to unpack it this morning... my stomach knotted up when i open my tailgate and realized what had happened.  :cry:

i immediately got a hose and ran water over it and the seal between the 2 and 3 panel is leaking and it is leaking on the drivers side by the gutter. sucks. guess i am going to have to get me a snug top! tried to post a pic i took from my phone and it said it was too large...
 
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