How to make your wellside dust proof

There’s nothing worse than arriving at your favourite camping destination only to find the gear in your wellside is covered in dust. This can add unnecessary stress to your trip and damage your gear. To avoid situations like this, it's crucial to ensure that your ute wellside is properly sealed.

Where does dust come into the wellside?

1) Gaps in the tailgate
2) Factory holes at the front of the wellside
3) Lack of sealing on your Ute wellside accessory

In this article, we'll take a look at the best ways to seal your wellside so you don’t have to worry about your next adventure.

How is the dust getting in my tailgate?

Ute wellsides come standard with gaps in the tailgate which are designed to
prevent the wellside from filling up with water.
However, these gaps allow dust to enter the wellside when driving due to the flow
of air as shown in the diagram below.

Without positive air pressure in the wellside, the gaps mentioned above allow dust to enter through the tailgate. This is why it's important to seal the wellside using a “tailgate seal kit” which prevents the vacuum effect where air is drawn into the wellside.
A tailgate seal kit is made from rubber material and is designed to fill the gaps in the side of the tailgate and along the bottom.

Here are some things to consider when purchasing a tailgate seal kit:

Factory Holes

Some models of the Next Gen Ranger such as the Raptor do not come standard with a plastic liner, this leaves large gaps exposed at the front of the wellside which allows water and dust to enter the wellside if not sealed properly.

Utemaster have a spray liner seal kit designed to work with their products, it prevents dust and water from entering the wellside. The diagram below shows where this is placed:

Sealing your Ute Wellside Accessory

Wellside accessories that are not tailor-made for specific ute models often have gaps or do not seal perfectly to the vehicle.
To ensure that your ute wellside remains dust-proof, it's essential to ensure that any accessory you plan to use is designed for your specific model of ute. It's also important to do some research into the weatherproofing systems of your wellside accessory.

Load-Lid Weatherproofing Methods

The Load-Lid is designed with a high-quality automotive bulb seal that provides a seal between the wellside of your ute and the lid. This helps to prevent dust from coming in. The Load-Lid is also model specific so the shape and form of the hard lid fits perfectly with the wellside.

Centurion Canopy Weatherproofing Methods

The Centurion Canopy also features an automotive bulb seal.
In addition, each canopy is designed to fit the unique dimensions of each ute model, so the canopy's shape seamlessly matches the wellside.

Conclusion

A good adventure should be hastle free!
With the right combination of tailgate seal kit and ute wellside accessory you can effectively prevent dust from entering your wellside.

To find out more on Utemasters products head to the link below:

Utemaster Load-Lid 

Utemaster Centurion Canopy