Updated at: 01-07-2022 - By: Lucas

You might want to get a bed cover for your truck, but you’re not sure if it will keep water out. If so, this is a very common question that many people have.

The covers for truck beds can handle some water, but they are not waterproof. This means that even though they may keep most of the water out, some water will still get into the bed during heavy rain.

Truck bed covers, also called tonneau covers, may not be completely waterproof, but they are still a great addition to your truck! Let’s dig a little deeper to find out what else you should think about when it comes to “waterproof” truck bed covers.

Materials Matter When It Comes to Truck Bed Cover Waterproofing

Are Truck Bed Covers Waterproof

Truck bed covers are great for covering up the space in the back of trucks, convertibles, and pickups that is not being used. Still, they might not be as waterproof as most sellers and manufacturers would have us believe. Why do I say that, though?

Most of the time, the material is a mix of cloth and vinyl, which might not last through a big storm. Even if the cover is hard, like one made of fibreglass, water will still get in.

Water always seems to get under the bed cover through places we can’t see, like the front. I usually see a small space in the corners of the bed and around the tailgate.

When we talk about holes, the tailgate seams are notorious for letting dust and water in. That is, if you don’t use the seal kits.

Well, the only way to make a truck bed completely waterproof is to weld the tailgate and the bed together with a big metal plate. The only problem is that it would be pointless to try to get inside or into the truck bed.

But that doesn’t mean that a truck bed cover won’t keep things from getting wet.

A lot of them can stand up to water, which makes me feel better about moving some electrical equipment from one place to another. Do you need a waterproof bed cover if a water-resistant one will do the job?

How do I Protect my Truck Bed from Rain?

Storms can hurt the truck bed, so it needs to be protected. The first thing that comes to mind is to use a truck bed cover that won’t get wet.

Some truck bed covers are better at keeping water out than others, which makes them a better choice.

I’ve always made sure not to take the words of the manufacturer at face value. At the very least, I always read the customer reviews to find out if the product is worth the money.

When buying certain things, a little bit of research goes a long way.

In particular, the one-piece painted cover is a great choice and a clever way to make the device less likely to get wet. Some tonneau covers are made of a single piece of fibreglass or ABS plastic that keeps water out of the truck bed.

You can also choose something that folds or rolls up hard and is better at keeping water out. I can’t say the same thing about the soft roll-up or soft holding covers, though. If you want to keep water out, I don’t think the soft covers are a good choice.

What is a Best Truck Bed Cover?

Are Truck Bed Covers Waterproof-2

The best truck bed cover depends on a number of things, like what you need it for. If I’m looking for something to make the parking lot a little safer, a hard truck bed cover made of ABS or fibreglass will be useful.

If I want my pickup truck to look cool on the highway, that’s a different story. If all I want is for my car to stand out from the crowd, a regular soft truck bed cover will do.

Soft covers are cheap, come in many colours, and are simple to put on.

Choose a truck bed cover that fits your needs, and don’t go for the cheapest one you can find. I have to say that it is tempting to pick something that won’t cost us too much.

This is especially true if you want a truck bed cover that only gives you the protection you need.

I think you get the most for your money when you choose quality. When I buy equipment or products, I always choose a well-known brand, which is a safe bet.

Can I go through a Carwash with a Truck Bed Cover?

In normal conditions, the truck bed cover will keep your valuables dry between 98 and 99 percent of the time. Obviously, nothing in life is 100%, right? The only thing you can do is get a truck bed cover that comes as close as possible to what you need.

When a truck bed cover goes through a car wash, the results may be different, mostly depending on the type of bed cover. For example, if I have a softcover, I would have to give up for now on keeping the truck bed dry.

If there are chemicals or things on your car that will be ruined by water, you might want to think about skipping the car wash.

I would get one of the good covers that seal along the edges to keep most of the water out. But you can’t be sure that the truck bed covers will keep your truck bed dry when you go through a car wash or drive down the highway in a downpour.

Even though the designs of the covers can handle important things like vertical rain, they can’t keep high-pressure water like that used at a car wash. That means you’re more likely to get good results with a truck bed cover in the rain than at the car wash.

Do I need a Truck Bed Cover?

The truck bed cover can be used for a number of things, such as making more space. Most of the time, I put the cover on the truck bed to protect some valuables. Then it would be a good idea for the bed cover to be waterproof or at least resistant to water.

The extra space for cargo is great for delivering certain goods or transporting sports gear. But I think you should be extra careful because there are risks.

First of all, whatever I put on the bed cover is subject to the weather. The weather can be hard to predict, and a sudden downpour can ruin expensive gear in an instant.

Then, if I don’t tie things down well, it’s easy for some things to fall out of the truck bed cover.

The truck bed cover is very useful for keeping dust, ice, and snow from getting on important things. Having a good quality bed cover gives you the freedom to do what you want while driving.

Check out my article on whether or not tonneau covers are worth it for more information.

How to Increase the Water Resistance of Bed Covers

No matter how hard you try, you can’t make the bed cover waterproof. But the good news is that there are still ways to make it less likely to leak.

That means that the bed cover can be changed in a few ways to keep the truck bed dry.

1. Using Seals

I found out that, depending on the size of the cover, I can get extra seals at the local hardware store. Remember that the biggest thing isn’t always the best thing.

The bed seal kits are a good way to solve the problem of water resistance. When I buy a bed seal kit, I also get the foam, blocks, and seals I need to protect the truck bed.

If water gets through the bed cover, the drainage system will take care of getting rid of it.

The only thing I don’t like about the bed seal kit is the price, which may be too high for some people. But when did good quality start to cost so little? To get the best, you need to loosen your purse strings.

2. Water Pipe Insulation

Insulating water pipes is a cheap way to do something that can be very helpful. It looks like the installation process is pretty easy, and it shouldn’t be hard to find insulation for the water pipes.

The main material is rubber, which does a great job of keeping water out of the bed cover.

In short, the covers for truck beds are not waterproof. Still, there are a few ways to make something less likely to get wet. I’ve already talked about two of them.

Before you leave, you should also check out these other great resources about trucks.