Installing the tailgate seal w/Retrax cover

[Truckin']

Ridge Man forged the way on this project and has some good information and pics in another post:

Retrax Tonneau Cover and Tailgate Seal

We did not remove the bolt from the Retrax bracket to put the seal underneath the cover guide. In fact it would have been very difficult for us to do so. We'd put a bead of silicone seal around the entire bedrail. By loosening the bolt there was enough give to force the seal under it with a screwdriver.

DH cut the notch off the back edge of the seal to go around the bracket. He cut more away than he needed to, but it doesn't compromise anything.

We did not bother pulling the red tape off in the part that went under the track. That would have made it impossible to push in and it was unnecessary. It's pinched down solidly when the bolt was retightened.

Before pulling the tape off, close the tailgate and position the seal so that it presses firmly up against the tailgate.

[Truckin']

Peel the tape and secure the gasket. Take care to give as much slack as possible when you hit the indentation. Press it in firmly. We still had a gap in both top and bottom curves of this indentation despite trying to provide enough of the seal to go around the curves. Take the gasket down into the gutter around the trunk.

[Truckin']

Gate opened and closed during install process.

[Truckin']

I'll have to add more pics tomorrow. There's a thunder storm going through and I'm going to get offline.

HooRay for rain and cooler weather!

[jch]

Very nice job Truckin' and great pictures! Very detailed.
Have you run into any situations (hauling something etc.) where the cover gets in the way? Does the cover pull out and retract smoothly every time? Does water get in the bed when it rains? What don't you like about the cover? Sorry for the questions. I've been contemplating this cover for a while and asked questions of several ROC folks. There is a great wealth of info to draw from here through many experiences!

[Truckin']

We haven't hauled too much since getting it. We stuffed a load of cardboard into it for recycling and it was nice to have the cover to keep it contained.

We'd just bought a new cooler that is too tall for it, but we'll just haul that one in the trailer and take one of our older, shorter ones when we don't take the trailer.

I think there may be some things that we haul in the bed that will need a spacer at the front to keep them from running into the cannister that the cover retracts into by the cab. A heavy quilt will probably be enough to protect it. A spacer on the floor would keep wood or whatever from pulling out the drain tubes too.

We like the cover very much. It pulls and pushes with the tiniest bit of effort. It just zips along if you push it. You can open it and lock it any spot along the track.

We don't have any ATVs or motorbikes, so I can't think of anything we would be hauling where the loss of the few inches behind the cab will be a hinderance.

The water that gets in is minimal. We still haven't had a downpour since putting it on, but we squirted it at the car wash and there were just a few drops of water in the very front.

It's a good cover and was the right choice for us. I can't think of anything I don't like about it.

[Truckin']

The bead of silicone we'd put around the track kept it from lifting much, even with the bolt loosened. We pried gently with the screwdriver and pushed the gasket in with a plastic spatula (the screwdriver was gouging it too much). The ribbed bulb of the gasket is just beyond the edge of the truck bed to make a firm seal when the tailgate is closed.

[Truckin']

This is the half moon gap that Ultra-Hog referred to in his post. It's the bottom right portion of the tailgate, inside of where the swing out handle is located. We patched the gap by cutting a triangle of the gasket and placing it on the door.

[Truckin']

The bottom gasket left a gap on the driver's side of the tailgate when you looked straight down on it (first photo). This would not have happened if they had sent the larger ribbed bulb strip for the bottom. I think it would have worked better.

We repositioned the strip after our first attempt of attaching it higher to where the top of the smooth bulb is exactly flush with the edge of the truck bed.

[Truckin']

DH got aggravated with me several times when I got into the trunk after the tonneau cover was installed because I would let the lid bang into the track. It chipped the underside of the track paint as you can barely see in the center of the first photo. I must add that this is extremely minor and nothing like the big scratches he put in the top hauling the old field fencing away.

We solved this problem with careful placement of two scraps of the gasket. Now the lid has a soft opening and I don't get scolded.