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Do all AV beds have water?

H

hockeydad

GUEST
I am very close to buying a new 2004 AV. However, every AV I have looked at had water under the bed mat. Not much, but just enough to make me concerned about rust problems down the road.

Current AV owners; what is your experience with water under the bed mat? Also, has anyone had problems with water on top of the bed mat?
 
A little water or condensation under the mat is normal. You should not have water on top of the mat. Since I've owned my Av (15 months) I've had 2 occasions that I had a water leak between the covers. I have found that if you put the covers on at a 45 degree angle and push them into each other as you lock them into place they seem to work better. This may not work for everybody but it seems to work for me. BTW, the 2 leaks that I had we not under extreme rain. About 2 weeks ago we had some very hard rain, I think we got a few inches in about an hour. I expected to look in and see a river and it was bone dry when I opened it.

One last thing, my personal feeling is that I would never keep anything back there that would be ruined if it were to get wet.

-Mark
 
Current AV owners; what is your experience with water under the bed mat?
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My experience is that it is almost always there. However, water under the bed mat is 100% determined by humidity/temperature differentals to which your Av is exposed. I'm in FL. Perhaps folks in Az don't get so much water under the mat. You will likely never eliminate it.
Also, has anyone had problems with water on top of the bed mat?
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In driving or just hard rain I will get some in the back corners. There is nothing abnormal about this either according to the manual.

If water as described here and in the manual worries you, perhaps the Av isn't for you. You'll be missing out on a very nice, versitile vehicle, though.

Good luck w/ your decision.
 
Check the owners manual as this is normal for water under mat....there are instructions to wash out once in a while too....

2 years here and no rust...
 
I waxed mine before I put my Bedslide in!! But after I washed it, the Bed was clean and had no signs of rust after 1 year of Pennsylvania Winters.

Agent M.
 
I have had mine for 2ys this week and a little water on top of the mat but only in major downpours or if it hit it with the hose at a close range when washing it. I expect that. '


I noticed the "water under the mat" So I took the mat out and went to my local wallieworld and got some do it your self paint in bedliner. Took the truck to FL on vacation and sat in my friends yard under the FL sun and painted the back of my truck. Let it bake for a day or 2 with the tops off put the mat in and never looked back.

I did notice that if you remove the black plastic drain lip up by the midgate the water that does get in drains out better as there is no lip to prevent it from draining. I do not have any problems with the water coming backup threw the hole. I am sure if you put the truck to some serious off road water hole it would. But then any thing like that would cause you problems if you got the water that high...


Don't think you need to take your truck to FL ;) unelss you want to. ;D I just happen to be going south then and decide dit was a good time to do it. ;D
 
I have not had any water in the bed, condensation under the rubber mat, yes.
Similar to Agent Maxwell, I wax underneath the mat once a month and have yet to see any rust.
 
TNAV03 said:
...I wax underneath the mat once a month...
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:eek: :eek: :eek:

I wish I had time to wax the EXTERIOR of my Av once a month.
 
Yeah,

I get water under the mat and on once had water on the mat after an extreme downpour. I knew that hard rain was in the forcast so I parked the truck facing downhill to test the midgate and water drainage system, now this was a extreme case and normally I would park with the front of the truck facing uphill, well I was happy with the results.

As far as rust is concerned I wouldn't worry, I live in the northeast (NH) where the frequently salt the roads in the winter. The Avalance is all galvinized steel except the hood and roof (roof is if you have the sunroof) and resist rust very well. My 1990 scotsdale (I believe this was the first year GM galvanized the truck body) has been through 14 winters, has a plastic bedliner that has worn the paint off under it, always has water under the bed liner, and has no rust whatsoever. Now the rear bumper that's another story, there is a hole through where the road salt sprays from the rear tires!

Electric_AV
 
Never ever had water in bed area some condensation under mat but not a lot, with all the rain we had from the hurricane not a drop of rain in bed area as a few weeks ago i spilled some sackret on the mat and it was still dusty and dry
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
 
Water under the bed mat is completely normal. This is in large part due to condensation. Your owner's manual will recommend to remove the mat once every two to three months, wash, dry, and wax the metal and replace the mat. I've found a good scrubbing with Simply Green and a good rinse returns the top of the mat to it's glorious like new black state.

A TINY amount of water on the top edges of the mat is possible under extreme conditions. Water that comes down the inside of the tailgate is unavoidable when you open the tailgate. The water sitting on the seal will dribble down, but this again is a very small amount and wouldn't get your cargo wet unless it iwas flush right up to the tailgate - and even under that situation it would then get wet regardless of the cover you had.

Water BETWEEN the hard covers at the seams, where the hard cover meets the Midgate, and when closed where the cover meets the tailgate IS NOT NORMAL.

As noted putting them in at an angle, pushing them together, and believe it or not locking them from left to right will solve 99.9% of your water problems.

A long, long, long time ago I put it this way and I know when this question has come up others have linked to my post:

Would I haul the Mona Lisa in the bed of my Avalanche 100 miles in a pounding rain storm? Yes, without fear or hestiation.

Would I leave four 100 pound bags of cement mix in the back of my Avalanche for six months without ever checking on them? Not on your life.

Hope this helps!
 
Other than condensation under the mat (not present every time I pull the mat up, but on most occasions), I have had no leaks, or water in the bed of the truck, or in the cab of the truck. I even have a CB wire running through the midgate, and panel #1, with no water problems.
 
Also most dealers that get an Avalanche in off the truck also wash out the bed so there will be some water too.
 
I use my truck bed pretty hard.... My covers come off and on frequently. I get a little dripping occasionally from between the bed covers and have condesation under the bed mat always. Have had no problems with clogged drains.

However, as time goes on I give serious consideration to Rhino lining or Line X. Although there is a 10 year 100k warranty on corrosion protection, it seems wise to seal that bed floor to avoid any problems.

Question: Has anyone put any type of protective cover on the tailgate? Mine is getting a little scarred up beyond what a vinyl protectant can fix :rolleyes:

 
I always get water on top of my mat at two locations after a rain. When I travel with stuff I always rap w/ garbage bags. It sucks
 
Never water on the mat. Almost never any water under the rubber mat, but occasionally a couple drops under the mat in the corners closest to the tailgate. 1yr on the Av so far.

Mike :B:
 
i say either get a BedSlide and toss the mat. or, you could toss the mat and get the bed Line-Xed. of course you can put the mat on top of the sprayed-in liner if you feel it neccessary.
 
Mine's an '02 that I purchased new in 6/02 and with the exception of Hurricane Isabel rolling through, it's sits outside most of the time. I think central VA has had 60 plus inches of rain in a little less than a year and the AV has set out through all of this including a couple of 5" plus downpours. I've never had an water get on top of the mat nor in the cab. Just had the mat out yesterday to clean under it. No sign of any problems. In addition to the condensation that other members refer to, the water management system directs rain, wash water, melted snow, etc. through the bed drains. When you're moving, I suspect water moves front/back & side-to-side under the mat and goes out drains as directed by centrifical force.
 
GPM1972 said:
Mine's an '02 that I purchased new in 6/02 and with the exception of Hurricane Isabel rolling through, it's sits outside most of the time. I think central VA has had 60 plus inches of rain in a little less than a year and the AV has set out through all of this including a couple of 5" plus downpours. I've never had an water get on top of the mat nor in the cab. Just had the mat out yesterday to clean under it. No sign of any problems. In addition to the condensation that other members refer to, the water management system directs rain, wash water, melted snow, etc. through the bed drains. When you're moving, I suspect water moves front/back & side-to-side under the mat and goes out drains as directed by centrifical force.
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that's true. however, the condensation that builds up under the mat does not accumilate enough to run out the water management system. instead it just stays there under the mat. i came up with this theory sometime ago that the condensation may come from a combination of the tightly sealed bed and the drain hole over the exhaust. when the vehicle sits, i.e., at a light, warming up in the morning, i think the exhaust rising from the pipe enter the drain hole causing the condensation in the bed under the mat. just a thought.
 
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