I have had my 2015 SCREW since July and have had a topper (truck cap) on it since mid August. One thing that I have recently noticed is the bed is not sealed like every standard (non-step side) truck bed in modern times.

As a result, dirt, dust, gunk, crap finds its way from outside of the truck up into the bed, and consequently everything inside the bed.

Previously the inside part bed sides were welded together, they are not anymore. The bed bottoms are one piece, the sides are one piece and wheelwells are one piece. Not sealed, not even caulked.

This is BS, and I am going to caulk it. But you should not have to do this. You can literally see the gap it is so big.

Am I the only one who sees this as a BIG oversight?

I go camping often and live out of my truck for a couple weeks at a time, and on a recent trip I get to my site and everything is a dusty mess. I was PISSED.

 

Wow! That is an oversight by Ford.

 

My truck came with the spray in bed liner from Ford so that may have sealed the gaps. I have a tonneau cover on it and have not had any dust issues so far but have only had the truck about a month now.

 

Not sure if it was sealed on the bed sides or not, but I remember my '04 F150 had gaps at the front of the bed. I assumed they were to let water drain out. I used to try to clean them out when I washed it. Not sure why the new ones would have gaps on the sides and at the wheel wells. I'll see if I can shine a flashlight under the drop in liner and see if I have gaps there too.

 

It's the same on my 2014.

 

At the head gate (cab side of the bed) in my 2005 there was not a visible gap. It was not SEALED per se, like every other joint in the bed, but it was also not a visible gap.

If you look at a 2015, there is a visible gap, i'm talking a 1/16" gap at most mating surfaces. That's between the wheel well and the sides of the bed, the wheel well and the bed floor, and the bed floor to the sides of the bed. At the headgate, it's actually the same very small gap as from what I remember from my 2005.

Put it to you like this, the gap is big enough that you can see down to the street and light reflecting back.

I'm going to use silicone caulk and caulk the hell out of it this weekend.

For the seal at the tailgate, I use this:

 

I would avoid silicone if it were my truck...silicone draws moisture to it...perhaps look for a clear seam sealer from 3M, SEM, Wurth or other automotive sources...
3M made a 2-part seam sealer for the Aerostar van roof dams that worked pretty well...

FWIW!

 

It's not going to rust...

 

Aluminum does rust (oxidizes). It doesn't look red when it does. I've seen aluminum wheels that were eaten up by corrosion on cars that stayed close to the ocean.

 

On my 13 there is gaps in the front corners of the bed so large that I can see day light coming thru. On side is so large I could actually see the concrete of my driveway looking thru the gap. I have pics somewhere, I'll see if I can find them.

 

I looked under the drop in bed liner as much as I could, and I see how they are separate pieces (the sides, wheel wells, and bottom). I couldn't get the bed liner out of the way enough to see if there were gaps though. Guess it won't be a big issue for me since I have the bed liner.

 

Yeah, if you have a bedliner, it should not be an issue. I have a rubber bed mat, I prefer that over the bed liner, can't use the spray-in things like line-x, as I am in and out of the bed a lot, and those spray-in liners are like sandpaper on skin, no thanks...

 

Back in 2001 with my new Screw, going from Mexico to Canada off road. Truck outfitted with a spray in and a very well sealed ARE top.

First really dry day was travelling from Harquahala mountains to Yuma. Lots of time in the dust at 80-100 mph. The RS9000s were so hot I had to adjust them full hard.

Upon arrival in Yuma I was shocked when I stopped for provisions and opened up the back. Everything back there was covered in dirt and it was over 1" deep on the floor. I spent the better part of the evening cleaning the bed and equipment with my CO2 tanks. Afterwards, I stopped by the local hardware store and bought some foam tape for the nearly 1/2" gap around my tailgate that I hadn't noticed before.

You won't find a pickup bed anywhere that is sealed well enough to keep out large quantities of dirt offroad. Rather than being pissed, put your energy into sealing.

 

You may have missed my previous post, but my 2005, this was a 100% non-issue. I had to seal the tailgate with the foam rubber seal strips, as previously mentioned, it was pretty much dust proof. I do a lot of off-road backcountry camping and lots of mileage on dusty dirt roads, and this was never a problem with my 2005.

I will seal it, but it seems dumb to have to go through all this effort

 

All a mater of perspective I guess. Seems to me that when you buy a vehicle with an open back and want make it dust free, it's kind of dumb not to.