Retrax drain tubes...bed mat in the way! Help!

[Tcape]

I'm now in the process of installing my Retrax bed cover. Everything seemed to be going fine until I got to the step where I install the drain tubes. My bed mat covers the two removeable bed plugs, so it looks like I won't be able to put the drain tubes through the plugs. Anybody else that has a bed mat and a Retrax run into this?? I really do want to install the drain tubes, but I DON'T want to cut my new bed mat! Solutions?
TIA,
Tom

[Pug]

Hey Tom! I don't have a tonneau, but I know that my drains in the corners of the bed get clogged with debris, and from time to time, I have to access them to probe them enough to flush the gunk out of them.
Keep this in mind when you ultimately DO cut the mat. I don't think that chopping-off the corners would compromise the mat's usefulness, do you?
There's a pic here. Is this where your problems lie?

[RRIDER]

I don't have a Tonneau cover either, but have considered getting one many times. I have a bed mat, and have thought about the drain tubes. If I ever do get a Tonneau, I think i would see if it is possible to just lay the drain tubes under the bed mat. Hopefully it would just drain out at the tailgate.

Is this feasible?

[Pizza Man]

Originally Posted by RRIDER

Is this feasible?

Absolutely! Tuck the tubes under the bed mat and let what drains run under the mat and out the tailgate. I don't remember how much tubing was supplied, you may need to make a Depot run for an additional length.

[Tcape]

Originally Posted by Pug

Hey Tom! I don't have a tonneau, but I know that my drains in the corners of the bed get clogged with debris, and from time to time, I have to access them to probe them enough to flush the gunk out of them.
Keep this in mind when you ultimately DO cut the mat. I don't think that chopping-off the corners would compromise the mat's usefulness, do you?
There's a pic here. Is this where your problems lie?

Yep Pug, my bed mat covers up about 90% of the plugs in the bed. As PizzaMan and RRider suggested, I can probably run the drain tubes under the bed mat....and let the water just drain out the bed under the mat. I hadn't thought of that. Shouldn't cause any major problems. THANKS for the suggestions!
Tom

[RRIDER]

If you do tuck the drains under the bed mat, let us know how it works. Because IF I ever decide to put a tonneau cover on, I'll know if it works like I think it should.

[Mtnman]

I've got a ReTrax and didn't bother putting in the drain tubes.

I haven't found enough water in the bed to worry about it.

[Pug]

Once the water freezes in the tubes under the mat, won't flow stop? Would probably work fine, otherwise. Maybe there's not even enough water that it would make a difference. Worth a try, I suppose. Better than having a "skeeter breeding" ground in the bed.
Good luck.

[Pizza Man]

Originally Posted by Mtnman

I've got a ReTrax and didn't bother putting in the drain tubes.

I haven't found enough water in the bed to worry about it.

Same here, Mtnman.

[Tcape]

Just thought of another problem this morning. PizzaMan and RRider recommend running the drain tubes under the mat, and letting the water drain out the back of the bed. I realized this morning that with me installing the tailgate gasket, water will have a hard time flowing out of the bed. The tailgate gasket seals the tailgate pretty well.

I'm wondering if I could just let the corners of the bed mat rest on the drain tubes. Hopefully, the mat wouldn't be heavy enough to crimp the tubes and prevent draining. Anybody tried this? Gotta be a way!

But I guess while I'm searching for the right solution, I'll just leave the drain tubes off for right now. Don't know this for sure, but I'm thinking the drain tubes are primarily for the water that collects in the cannister when a wet top is rolled back into the cannister. Am I wrong here??
Tom