In Bed Trunk

Have any new owners taken the "in-bed" trunk through an automatic carwash yet?

pretty sure it's water tight looking at the seals. When the dealer washed my car there was no water in it.

I took a good look at how it was put together when I done my test drive, basically water would have to run up hill to get into the trunk, it seems well laid out for that.

Washed mine last night. No leaks.

Had 3 inches of snow melt in the bed, no water in the trunk

After looking at the seal, I don't see a way it could leak.

I have had my Ridgeline for 2 weeks now, been thru several automatic car washes, and no leaks in the trunk.

No leaks through rain, sleet, snow and two car washes.

RidgeinMaine,

I'm curious to find out how the Ridge handles in the snow and ice. I presently live in Alaska but will be moving to Maine soon. I hope to buy a Ridge before we make the trip. The Ridge looks to be an awesome vehicle for year round use in the northwoods. Lots of space for the fishing gear and the float tubes.

Areas of concern: First of all, does the trunk lid freeze up? Difficult to open? I want to get a bed cover but I'm not liking the Honda tonneau cover. The Retrax rool up cover looks sharp but I'm afraid it may be hard to open when it's covered in ice and snow. I would hate to have it freeze up and I need to get something out of the trunk.

Do you carry your canoes on the Ridge? I hope Thule comes out with a roof clamp for their roof rack system.

How is the dealer support in Maine? I hate the idea of buying a truck in Alaska and not getting good support from a local dealer.

I would appreciate your comments. Please feel free to email me.

Russ in Alaska

I've had my RL for 3 weeks now and been through 2 washes (will wash it today) and hadn't noted any leaks at all.

Speaking of in-bed trunk...has anyone filled it up with ice and their favorite beverage this summer (if it hasn't already been asked on the forum)? Any pics??

-SixOpRidge

The dealer took the truck through their carwash twice before delivery due to my concerns of leakage inside the cab. Both the cab and the trunk were dry.

The truck only came out in March and I got mine 3/12. It was still cold here in CT and I didn't have any freezing problems. The gutter (for lack of a better term) is well drained and there is some flex in the trunk so I doubt it would freeze solid. Might stick like any door in the right icing conditions, but should be able to be defrosted easily enough.

Do you carry your canoes on the Ridge? I hope Thule comes out with a roof clamp for their roof rack system.

How many canoes are you planning to carry at a time? Thule does have a T that will mount in the hitch at the back. I have pictures of that up here somewhere in the images section. One thing I would be aware of is that you may not want to buy in Alaska but in Maine because of the tax implications. You have to pay Maine taxes as part of your annual registration renewal. If you pay all the taxes up front in Alaska this can put you out several hundreds of dollars. As to service in Maine it really depends on where in Maine you are going to live. I have found some dealerships are really good and some are horrible, I don't remember many that fit the middle ground.

I only carry one canoe but I have a Thule box that is also mounted on the roof rack. I use the long Thule bars (58inches) and the roof rack clamps on my Chevy Blazer. The bars extend out on each side about a foot. I tie down the canoe with a strap at the bow and the stern, with two straps at the Thule bars. My plan is to do the same on the Ridge. If all goes well, I won't need the T support. I have a 16 foot Kevlar Mad River canoe. It's only 58 pounds.

Since we don't have sales tax here in Alaska, it would be cheaper to buy it here. However, the overall price may be cheaper in Maine, so who knows what would be the better deal. :confused:

Thanks for all your responses.

Russ in Alaska

I only carry one canoe but I have a Thule box that is also mounted on the roof rack. I use the long Thule bars (58inches) and the roof rack clamps on my Chevy Blazer. The bars extend out on each side about a foot. I tie down the canoe with a strap at the bow and the stern, with two straps at the Thule bars. My plan is to do the same on the Ridge. If all goes well, I won't need the T support. I have a 16 foot Kevlar Mad River canoe. It's only 58 pounds.

There may be a way to get the extension bars on top of the rack eventually but at this time there isn't a kit to do that. As to the T, given the length of your boat it may become necessary. But maybe not. I have a 16'6" boat that I use the T on. One thing you might consider is looking at the Yakima site to see about the wrap arounds they make that can wrap onto the existing bars, not sure if the connectors that can go on top would help or not, but it would be something to consider. If you are going to go this route though and find you need an extension, you need to look at the Yakima hitch attachment. The reason being is that it is a Y instead of T. So it is a little better suited for off center loads.


Since we don't have sales tax here in Alaska, it would be cheaper to buy it here. However, the overall price may be cheaper in Maine, so who knows what would be the better deal. :confused:


Be aware that most states require you to pay excise tax when you bring a car into another state if you haven't paid taxes on it before. I am pretty sure Maine charges you a nice amount when you bring a car in to register it. You are likely required to register it within the first 3 months if I remember correctly unless you are associated with the base. Of course it has been some 13 years since I have had to register a car in Maine so I can't only go on memory.