Question & answer
Do Roll-Up Tonneau Covers Leak?
Some water can get past any roll-up cover. RealTruck says plainly that no tonneau cover is entirely waterproof, and that its covers are water-resistant. Treat a cover as weather protection, and put anything that must stay dry in a sealed box.
The short answer
Yes, some water can get in. RealTruck says no tonneau cover is entirely waterproof and that slight seepage may occur from high-pressure water. Soft covers have a sealed vinyl top that keeps most water out, it says. Tyger's sheets add that crossbars must arch upward, or water pools. Keep cargo that must stay dry in a sealed container.
What the makers say
RealTruck sells many of the covers on this site, so its words carry weight here. Its roll-up article states that "no tonneau cover is entirely waterproof", that its covers are water-resistant, and that slight seepage may occur from high-pressure water. Be wary of anyone who promises more.
On soft covers, RealTruck says a sealed vinyl top keeps most water out. On hard covers, it points to rigid construction and tighter seals. Those are the maker's general descriptions. We have no measurement of how much water any cover lets through.
Where the water usually comes from
We have no field data, so we go by what the sheets guard against. Every point in Tyger's troubleshooting and Gator's install steps is a hint at a place water can get in:
- Crossbars. Tyger says they must arch upward, or water pools. A cover that is not supported by its crossbars "will not hold up to heavy rain or snow".
- The front of the bed. Tyger has a front seal strip for a low front bed rail. Gator has foam weather seals. Rough Country has a foam seal on the front edge.
- The tailgate. Rough Country says to move the rails toward the tailgate if the tailgate does not touch the rear seal. Tyger says to move the assembly if the cover falls short.
- Bed liners. A liner over the rail changes how a clamp and a seal sit. See bed liners.
What you can do about it
Install to the sheet, because most of the above is about getting the install right. Our install guide follows the sheets. Re-check clamps after a week, as Gator says to. Keep the seals clean.
Then match your expectations to what you carry. Tools, a cooler and a spare tire are fine under a good cover. Documents, electronics or anything you cannot get wet belong in a sealed container, whatever the cover.
If you already have water
Go to the leak fixes. They run in order, from the most likely cause to the least.
Why we do not rank covers by dryness
Nobody here has held a hose over these covers, and no maker document we read publishes a water figure. Any ranking would be made up. So choose by fit first, and treat the seals and crossbars as part of the job. If you want to weigh soft against hard, RealTruck's words are the best we have.
What owners ask
Are hard roll-ups drier than soft ones?
RealTruck says hard covers have rigid construction and tighter seals, and that soft covers keep most water out. It also says no cover is entirely waterproof. We have no measurement comparing the two, so we cannot give a number.
Can I take my cover through a car wash?
RealTruck warns that slight seepage may occur from high-pressure water. We read no statement from a maker approving or banning car washes for a roll-up cover. Check your own sheet, and take valuables out of the bed first.
What about drain tubes?
Rough Country's hard roll-up manual has two drain tubes running into the front of the bed wall. The soft cover sheets we read do not list any. So this depends on the cover.
Sources
Where to next
- TroubleshootingLeak fixesWater under your roll-up cover? Check crossbars, tension, front seal and tailgate seal, in that order. Fixes come from Tyger, Gator and Rough Country documents.
- How-toInstall a roll-up coverHow a soft roll-up tonneau cover goes on, from the Tyger and Gator sheets: tools, rail placement, clamps, crossbars, tension, and the checks most people skip.
- ComparisonSoft vs hardSoft or hard roll-up tonneau cover? Vinyl vs slats, install, weather, load and choice by truck. Take a soft one for most trucks.
- OverviewQuestionsPlain answers on leaks, weight, drilling, snow, security and fit, each taken from maker documents, with the gaps stated. No hands-on claims and no guessing.
Who is behind this
rolluptonneaucover.com Editorial Team
Truck fit and buying advice
We are the editorial team at rolluptonneaucover.com. We read listing titles, maker install sheets and truck makers' own bed specifications and sort them truck by truck, with sources on every page. Nobody here has bolted these covers to a truck, and nothing was measured in a lab. We say so plainly.
- Listing titles and maker sheets read
- Sources on every page
- No installs and no lab work
- Publisher details in the imprint