UZJ100 tailgate leak

[ELLTEE]

The freezing rain and sleet turned into two inches of just hard rain. So making a grocery run during a lull, I was unloading bags when I noticed a section of the cargo area carpet on the driver's side is sopping wet.
As best I can tell, the water came in around the bottom of the lower gate. But i can't see an obvious source -- no gaps in the gasket.
Anybody had this problem on a 100 series? :-\

LT
8)

 

[cruiserdan]

I do not have a specific answer to your leak but I have a diagnostic suggestion:

Climb inside the cargo area and close the gates. Have an assistant agreessively flood the tailgate-to-body seams with a fast flowing garden hose while you monitor it from the inside. That should be enough to cause a leak that you could trace.


D-

 

[BillWms01]

LT, I just went through the same thing with my 100. My carpet was getting wet all across the back door threshold. After using CruiserDan's method, and pulling trim, I finally traced my leak to the high, third brake light.

My light had a foam gasket with adhesive on both sides. I had to destroy the gasket to get the light out of the door. Can't buy gasket by itself from Toyota; evidently it comes with the light for $200.

I got some closed cell waterproof weatherstip from the hardware store and some silicone adhesive, and made a new gasket.

So far, so good. No more leaks.

Hope this helps.

 

[ELLTEE]

Thanks, Dan and Bill.
I'll get the truck dried out first, then try the car wash investigative technique.

Bill, where was the water coming into the cargo space from that third brake light? On mine, it looks like any water that got into the space around the light would flow into the metal cavity of the top gate, and that space drains through a hole that leads the water outside the bottom gate.

I've got the air wing over the rear, so the top brake light (they used to be called Dole lights, for Elizabeth Dole, the Transportation Secretary who wrote the law requiring them) has some protection top and rear when the truck's sitting still.

LT

 

[BillWms01]

My LC doesn't have the air deflector, so I don't know how much it'd help keep the water out of a leaky light.

I pulled up the rear portion of the carpet to dry it out. Sterting with a dry floor, I got inside while my able assistant worked the water hose. The channel running across below the threshold filled with water pretty quickly.

I then noticed water dripping out from the molding that surrounds the rear window. It's two pieces, one across the bottom (around the door latch, etc.) and another that goes around the other three sides of the window. I pulled that trim off (just pops off), and repeated the water hose routine. Then, I was able to trace the water upward to the light.

Good luck.