Pickup truck owners with shells - ideas on keeping out dust?

[Daryl 32]

Yesterday we had a great time driving some roads/trails in the mountains near Idyllwild. Some of the roads were really silty as in 2 to 3 inches deep in places- so it was DUSTY!

Inside the bed - shell is now covered in a layer of dust. So have any of you done anything to seal off the tail gate so you can still open and close it? This is where all the dust came in as I have worked on everything else.

This is important to us as we sleep in the bed - shell.

 

[Boort]

@Daryl 32

... it was DUSTY!
Inside the bed - shell is now covered in a layer of dust. So have any of you done anything to seal off the tail gate so you can still open and close it? This is where all the dust came in as I have worked on everything else. This is important to us as we sleep in the bed - shell.

I've had the same issue. Best thing that I've found so far is Gaffers tape on the outside seams of the tail gate and some more along the inside bottom. You have to redo it each time and gaffers tape tends to be expensive. I started with that painters tape but it fell off on the trail or became sticky in the sun. I thought about putting soem thin foam rubber on the sides of the truck where the tailgate rests but never done so.

I've seen trailers and slide in campers that the Aussies have which have a positive air pressure system. Basically they have a large filter intake that goes to a high volume fan. The fan keeps the living area at a slightly higher pressure than the outside air pushing out the dust. Here is a diagram of one system http://www.kimberleykruiser.com/anti-travel-dust

I've seen larger scale systems used in automotive paint booths and operating rooms.

Boort

 

[theick]

Yesterday we had a great time driving some roads/trails in the mountains near Idyllwild. Some of the roads were really silty as in 2 to 3 inches deep in places- so it was DUSTY!

Inside the bed - shell is now covered in a layer of dust. So have any of you done anything to seal off the tail gate so you can still open and close it? This is where all the dust came in as I have worked on everything else.

This is important to us as we sleep in the bed - shell.

You can use standard household foam insulation between the sides and along the bottom. It doesn't last forever but it's cheap and works well.

 

[The other Sean]

if your topper has a front sliding window, try opening it. That's what my Dad used to do in his old F150 on dirt roads. worked quite well. Leave the sliding window of the truck shut and only open the slider on the topper.

 

[Joey D]

I remember one of the 4XOverland videos on YouTube talked about this. I think he used wet sponges to seal any gaps in the bed rails.

It was this video:

 

[Drftsub]

I need to do this as well, but I have seen quite a few people on Tacoma World using adhesive backed weather stripping around the tailgate area to help combat this. Most have reported it being fairly successful.

 

[grantwilson]

ike others have said, its all about the seals. Rubber is preferred, foam is adequate.