Are Soft Tonneau Covers Waterproof?

You’ve got a ute, you want to protect your gear, but you need to know if your tonneau cover is water proof first. If the last few years are anything to go by, rain is a permanent and seemingly increasing part of Australian life. Especially with macro weather cycles and populations tending to coastal areas. With the top selling vehicles in Australia being Utes, you need to make sure your ute accessories are built to withstand heavy rain.

There are a few options when it comes to selecting the right ute cover. We should expand the definition of tonneau covers to include hard covers, roll covers and of course soft tonneau covers. All these units will have degree of water protection, but some are more prone to leaks than others.

Hard tonneau covers or ute lids will be the best option to waterproof your ute tub. The fibreglass is impenetrable to water, and there’s limited seals, gaps and moving parts that water can leak through. Where there are seals and channels, you need to make sure the parts are well designed and manufactured to ensure weather protection.

HSP Ute Lids have greater channel depth on the infills to support water protection. This is depth is on average twice as deep as the rest of the Hard Lid manufacturers. This range also use twin seals on water prone areas to reduce water ingress. Lastly, HSP have used a specific design on the hard lid to ensure water to flows off easily.

Roll covers are the premium choice for ute covers. They’re functionality and security make them an increasingly popular choice for ute owners. But are roll covers waterproof? The biggest concern for ute owners is the amount of moving parts that require seals and channels to protect the tub.

The most impressive thing about the HSP Roll Covers (KW and Link) is water issues are a thing of the past. The new series 3 HSP Roll R Cover has a 6 point water flow system that drains at 60 litres per minute out of two oversized drainage points. It also has a full-length gutter system and custom designed seals ensure your tub and equipment remain water free.

The most common choice for ute covers are traditional tonneau covers, usually made from a vinyl or similar material. There’s normally seams around the edges and sports bars, opening the opportunity for water to enter. So how waterproof are tonneau covers?

Our range of premium tonneau covers made in Melbourne by Tuff Tonneaus are industry leading for material selection and manufacturing quality. This is the foundation for creating a tonneau cover that is waterproof. These tonneau covers are very durable, using vinyl with a polyester weave to increase the tensile strength. Because it is a soft, permeable surface, we can’t say it is 100% waterproof, but weatherproof, meaning most rain events will come and go without issue. But a serious downpour, pooling or submersion could lead to water entering the tub.