How do you make a truck bed drawer system waterproof

[Rmckinney]

Thinking about building my own drawer system in my Silverado it has a cover but it’s worn out and water still gets in the bed not a lot but still want to make it water proof thinking of issuing plywood just don’t know how to make it waterproof

 

[smritte]

It's not difficult. To understand what you need to do, look at the seals on your car door. On your drawer, you want to install a weather strip along the inside. I prefer the hollow bulb type, not solid. The next trick is tension. The door has to crush the weather strip snugly. Too tight and it pinches too loose and it leaks. This is where you need to be able to adjust the latch. When I adjust door seals, I close a dollar bill in the strip. When I pull the bill out, it should have a little bit of drag. If the drawer is sitting under water for a length of time, theres not alot your going to do. Done correctly it will withstand up to a direct pressure wash.

Considering your building one, you can design the weatherstrip into it. On mine, I would have to remake the drawer to give me a flat surface for the seal and what it sits against.

EdiT: Misread what you asked. You want to seal the wood. There's a ton of wood sealant out there as well as nice paints that seal.

 

[Rmckinney]

It's not difficult. To understand what you need to do, look at the seals on your car door. On your drawer, you want to install a weather strip along the inside. I prefer the hollow bulb type, not solid. The next trick is tension. The door has to crush the weather strip snugly. Too tight and it pinches too loose and it leaks. This is where you need to be able to adjust the latch. When I adjust door seals, I close a dollar bill in the strip. When I pull the bill out, it should have a little bit of drag. If the drawer is sitting under water for a length of time, theres not alot your going to do. Done correctly it will withstand up to a direct pressure wash.

Considering your building one, you can design the weatherstrip into it. On mine, I would have to remake the drawer to give me a flat surface for the seal and what it sits against.

Seals are for sure needed but what about the wood outside I don’t want the wood rotting thanks for your input!!

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Stain it. Shelaq it. Make sure to get the narrow edges.

Plywood is used all the time in constructing decks on jon boats for fishing.

Also...what kind of covers is on your Silvy? Is it a tonneau cover or a cap? If it is a cap, and the water sneaks in between the bed rail and the cap, remove the cap and add more weather stripping. Leaks from around the windows can be sealed up with silicone

 

[Rmckinney]

Stain it. Shelaq it. Make sure to get the narrow edges.

Plywood is used all the time in constructing decks on jon boats for fishing.

Also...what kind of covers is on your Silvy? Is it a tonneau cover or a cap? If it is a cap, and the water sneaks in between the bed rail and the cap, remove the cap and add more weather stripping. Leaks from around the windows can be sealed up with silicone

It’s a tonneau

 

[ThundahBeagle]

It’s a tonneau

Ah. I suppose that depends on how it attaches