Hey all. I just got my V2 Pro and was disappointed to learn that it lets in a lot of water through gaps on both sides of the rear panel. When I contacted support, I was told that this is a “standard engineering requirement for bolted on toppers/campers onto truck beds because it accommodates the closing of the tailgate.” But the gap I’m talking about has nothing to do with the closing of the tailgate — it’s the gap in the corner above the tailgate, and closing that gap would not interfere with the closing of the tailgate. I’ve also had other toppers/canopies that did not have this gap, so I don’t see how that could be an engineering requirement. The gap I’m talking about is big enough to fit a finger through on both sides, so rain/water pours right in. I’m wondering if every GFC has these gaps regardless of the truck make/model, and why this hasn’t been addressed?
There was a gap but not this big. Added tailgate seal to close the gap. Maybe it is just the image, but the first pic looks like a huge gap due to some sort of misalignment on your truck. Any noticeable damage on your tailgate or your truck bed? I suggest adding bed stiffeners in case your bed is out of alignment or at least prevent it from happening.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IPQWXZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Also, the second pic looks like the tailgate seal is shooting straight down. Mine “folds” under the rear panel when closed.
It must just be the photo. There’s no misalignment, the gap is the same on both sides, and there are no issues with the tailgate closing. I’ll probably end up buying those seals, but it’s alarming that this isn’t addressed anywhere and seems like a major design flaw. I did the extra work to seal the bedrails before install so I could have a dry bed, so it was extra disappointing to find out they don’t even make an attempt to stop water from getting in the bed.
Interesting. Mine was installed at the GFC HQ in Montana and that’s the way they did it. I wonder if different installers do it differently.
You aren’t alone. Mine has had the same large gap since day one. New corner brace arms were provided but made no difference. Took a trip to HQ and they couldn’t fix it there either.
What a bummer. Did they give you a reason?
Nope. Loosened all 4 corners, try to force it into place, nothing worked. Chalked it up to potential manufacturing issues. I have the topper, and one of the first ones at that, so that was the potential issue.
There are so many strange things about this. We have the same issue (presumably many months apart), but for some reason they told you it was a manufacturing issue and even tried to fix it, but they told me it was an “engineering requirement” for all bolted on campers/toppers so you can close the tailgate, which makes no sense. If it is a manufacturing issue, why would they still be having this same issue many months later? And if it is a requirement for all toppers/campers, why doesn’t every single one (including other brands) have this same gap? None of this is adding up.
I got mine installed December of '22, which was right when they came out. As far as I know I was one of the first people to get one, I hadn’t seen one on any vehicle before that, and if I remember correctly the topper came out in Oct '22 (I think). Initially I was told that it was a manufacturing defect in the first few runs of parts which is why they gave me new brace arms to try out. Got those, installed them and it didn’t change anything. Tried to loosen the topper from the bed and use the ratchet strap method to square it up (as they showed me in the video they provided), and the only way they topper was going to close that gap was by physically permanently altering the topper in a bad way. A few months later I took it to them and they tried to loosen everything and close that gap with no luck. What’s odd is that you can see how out of square the rear is based off of the rear panel lines on both sides of the panel itself. I don’t expect it to be perfect because ultimately its a rigid component sitting on a bed that is designed to flex to an extent. But yea, it’s odd to say the least that the gap is in the exact corner as mine, and I have a Ranger.
Yeah, that is nuts. Mine is in both corners and they’re telling me it’s designed that way intentionally. At least they owned their mistake with yours.
Picked up my V2 camper in Mar '22 in Belgrade and it was similar with a gap. I buy the closed cell foam (various sizes) from Amazon and just keep a running battle with trying to keep dust and water out. I am able to keep it under control. Also sealed my bed rails and other various holes around the bed before install.
I can confirm that not all shops install the same way. GFC sealed up my tailgate during the install (bottom and sides) that worked well, I was in another install shop a couple years later and asked if they had more of the material, they said no because they don’t do that. Not sure if Belgrade still does.
Interesting. Mine was installed in Belgrade and they didn’t do anything with the tailgate bottom or sides. I can live with those small gaps around the bottom and sides, but this gap in the corners is significant. GFC support offered to sell me a neoprene seal, but they say that’s for sealing the sides of the tailgate. Still no response from them on fixing this gap I’m referring to.
I wouldn’t say they owned it.
They put seals around bottom and sides of tailgate (which I think they were doing for everyone at that time), still had those holes. I have been plugging them myself since day 1. I think there is a lot of clearance there because of the side-to-side movement (flex) of the camper, the rear door slides across the bulb seals quite a bit. Not sure they will have a solution for you.
For what its worth I have the same gaps on my gen3 tacoma installed in MT 2021. I was pretty shocked to see them tbh but noticed it was on all v2s but varied slightly based on the truck. Kind of a bummer especially since the v1s have way better coverage.
if you think that gap is bad for water intrusion, just wait until you get it out in some dust and dirt. your entire bed will be full of the stuff.
like others have said, you can do a bit with tailgate seal, but it starts to look chunky and unpolished. for dust, which will be your real enemy, not water (i promise) — you should look into vent options in the side panels to create positive pressure so the dust doesn’t get sucked in by negative pressure.
You’re not alone. Had install in Belgrade end of June and having same problem with water intrusion. Contacted GFC support and was told they could send an invoice for neoprene seal to help, but as you said, mostly to address gap around tailgate and not those corner gaps. Trying to come up with a solution on my own. Hopefully GFC will address in the future.
I really don’t get it. Clearly this is a pervasive, ongoing issue, and a glaring design flaw. I’m really baffled that GFC hasn’t addressed this anywhere, even with the newer version like the V2 “Pro”. Obviously they’re well aware of the issue and have been for quite some time, and instead of owning it, they upsell us on neoprene seal to treat a separate issue, and tell us that “all tailgates have gaps” when it has nothing to do with the tailgate. I’m having some serious buyers remorse after seeing the way their support is handling this. I’ve been waiting on a response from support for 10 days after trying to get clarification on the “engineering requirement” that requires this gap so the tailgate can shut.
This really is an easy fix, but it will never be 100% water/dust proof…ESI Tailgate Seal and ROK Block on Amazon, use some scraps to seal the corners…EZPZ
+1 to ESI Tailgate Seal for a decent seal with a finished look. It held strong for a solid 3 years.
For an improved seal, I’d recommend 3M Strip-Caulk.. It does not look nearly as clean, but it has held back dust, grime, and water.