Bed Drainage?

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Optimistic Paranoid

Optimistic Paranoid

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Jan 19, 2013
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OK, here's the "Inquisitive Idiot" question of the day:

("There May Not Be Any Stupid Questions, But There Sure Are A Lot Of Inquisitive Idiots!") ;D

Anyway, completely new to the world of truck campers and I've been wondering about something - water from rain or whatever in the truck bed.  I've read through all of this Truck Camper section.  I've found a few threads on spray on bed liners, and rubber mats, but nothing on drain holes.

Surely the fit of the camper to the pick up body isn't so tight that it prevents water from entering?

If the truck were parked nose uphill, obviously the water could run out by the tailgate. (If not blocked by the rubber mat or the camper body.) But if parked nose downhill, seems to me the rain would pool in the front.

Do we drill drain holes up there?  Or what?

How waterproof are the bottoms of truck campers?  Do they just paint them, or is there a more waterproof coating of some kind applied by the factory?

What, if anything, am I missing here?

Thanks!

Regards,
John
 
Good question. Used to have a truck camper but never thought about that. 

I think I'd park my truck on a slope and run water into it and see if it drains. If not...I'd drill a couple holes.

You could also inquire at a place that sells truck campers.
 
I use to put 2  2x4 trex skids in the bed then loaded the camper. If it rains the first time you drive away or go up a slight incline the any water in the bed will run out the tail gate.

Hope this helps, Tom
 
I have bed rails in my bed for my fifth wheel hitch. I had to lay some 5/4 boards down which were the same height as the hitch rails. Also it gave me a little clearance between the side bed rails and the bottom of the TC. 
MY truck camper does leak any rain water in the front corner when it rains and I have a sprayed in bed liner.
 
A couple 3/8 inch drain holes in the front corners,,if there are not there already,, would do the trick if your concered. I never really worried about it. I have a rubber mat laid down and camper sits on it. Truck beds have stamped slide rails across the bed, so any cargo in the bed isn't actually laying flat to the surface of the bed, water will drain in between those slide rails, plus the thickness of the mat. But in reality, very little water can get inside of the T/C bed. The over head, the over hang of the side rails and most hang over the rear, all 4 sides are protected from rain, maybe some wind driven sideways rain can get in, but even that would be very little and if your parked level the water would run along the stamped bed slide rails. My older Lance camper that we had never showed any evidence of moisture in that area.Now that I think about it, in the front corners were access doors that were for storage. When it was opened you could see the truck bed in front of the wheel wells. We would get some road dust over many trips, don't remember water in there, that includes driving in the rain,,,gregg
 
HappyWanderer said:
How does water drain without a camper?
Click to expand...

Well, it drains very nicely out the tailgate in back when I start moving.  But I've found small lakes in the front of the bed after rainstorms if the nose is lower than the tail.
 
Optimistic Paranoid said:
Well, it drains very nicely out the tailgate in back when I start moving.  But I've found small lakes in the front of the bed after rainstorms if the nose is lower than the tail.
Click to expand...

If you leave it alone, will it drain out on it's own?  If not, drill a small hole on each corner. I'd only drill a 1/8" hole.
 
I'm not sure that drilling holes will solve more problems than it will cause, such as rust and dumping water into places it wasn't designed to go.
 
HappyWanderer said:
I'm not sure that drilling holes will solve more problems than it will cause, such as rust and dumping water into places it wasn't designed to go.
Click to expand...

I think a couple of carefully located holes would let the water drain outside the frame, without hitting any of the running gear.

Honestly, since I'm always seeing water pooling in the front of the bed, I was just wondering if this was a "thing" with the campers.  Apparently it's not.
 
Brokeass Boater said:
How is water draining from the bed any different then driving in the rain on wet roads as far as water getting to the under carriage?,,,gregg
Click to expand...

My concern is that if rainwater is trapped INSIDE the bed and pools, the water will either leak into the bottom of the camper, or -eventually - cause the wood itself to rot.

The camper is protected by the bed from any water OUTSIDE the bed, including spray thrown up by the wheels.
 
I don't think you'll have any issues. If you're really concerned and if it's going to rain, just park so the truck nose is up 1/2 Degree.
 
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