Vinyl bed caps

[ChopperBill]

retapped the vinyl bed caps twice in 2 months and was going down the highway today and looked in the rear view mirror and there was one of the SOB's flapping in the breeze! Any ideas how to sucure these things. I am about to go have have the Bull Dog liner extended up the top of the bed.(Sorry I didn't do that in the first place!)

[MABurns]

Take em off and wait until it is warm (unless you have a heated garage) Clean both the truck and the vinyl well and use both 3M tape and a tube of silicon. Don't drive the truck for 24 hours and put a 2x4 on top with some concrete blocks on top......I don't think I could get mine off if I wanted to,

[ChopperBill]

MAburns, Did you tape the top or just the sides like my directions say?

[Reno DMAX]

Or.... you could go with the Z71 style tail gate cap!

[FisHn2DMax]

Chopper,

I just purchased from GM a set of OEM 2003 style bed caps for my brother's 2002 as an X-mas gift. He saw my 2003 caps and loved them.

I opened the box and looked at the New caps. They have two, 3/4" 3M double sided tape strips going down the full length of the top (bottom side) of the caps. There is NO TAPE ON THE SIDES of the cap rails! Instructions indicate a 70 degree F. environment or higher when installing and includes alcohol wipes for wiping down the top of truck bed painted surfaces before installing.

I received the optional the 2003 bed caps from GM when I ordered my truck. The dealer had to install them during prep, and I'm here to tell you they're on there really good! I tried to pull up on them and NO way are these babies coming off!

I suspect you're getting some bad tape adhesion due to possible surface contamination, poor tape (use 3M only) or installed during cold weather?
Try re-taping the bottom ( not the sides) of the vinyl bed caps first (Install in a warm area), then install caps on to the clean painted surface of trucks bed rail top!


Good Luck!

:D

[ 12-21-2002: Message edited by: FisHn2DMax ]</p>

[Runaway]

I put a set of Wade bed rail protectors on my truck right after I bought it. Temps were around 40ish at the time, but I left truck sit in sun to help out a bit. I've have around 4300 miles on truck now, been in all kinds of nasty weather and ran thru car washes at least once a week and have had not problems.

Just make sure your surface areas are clean and if retaping, use the heavy duty two sided tape by 3M. Its the 3/4" stuff. ;)

[ChopperBill]

My directions said apply to sides of caps. The top seems more logical. Will try that if it warms up. Thanks for the replys.

[tonkater]

Mine are coming loose too. I did wipe with alcohol prep pads before installing , but was suprised tape strip was not full length.Will have to redo in spring. It wasn't 3m tape on them !

[MaxRock]

I purchased the factory bed rail caps for my '02. I wiped the bed down with alcohol before installing them. On the driver's side, the area between the front of the bed and the first stake pocket has come loose. I know that 3M sells lots of different types of tape. Do you know or can recommend the type of tape used? If I remember correctly, the tape had a red non-stick cover over it.

MaxRock