I joined the leaky truck club today :(

[NJ4X4]

Didn't take long....7 months old and 3,650 miles. After 3 days of heavy rain in NJ, water dripping from the top of the rear window frame today. Time to pull out the garden hose and see if I can narrow down where it's coming from. No cracks in the frame yet.

 

[KKBB]

I am in SW Iowa and it doesn't seem to ever rain here anymore, so no idea if mine is good or not. Haha

 

[06 Dodge]

I am in SW Iowa and it doesn't seem to ever rain here anymore, so no idea if mine is good or not. Haha

Got family in Mason City area that will gladly send you some wind & rain in exchange for some of your non rainy days..

 

[Rlaf75]

The roof mounted antenna and the 3rd brake light are known culprits too

 

[Nick@GotExhaust]

3rd Brake light is one of the more common problem areas. I would check that 1st.

 

[NJ4X4]

3rd Brake light is one of the more common problem areas. I would check that 1st.

Thanks! I replaced it with a Recon LED light that came with what appears to be a REALLY good gasket. But. I'm pulling that off again and also adding silicone to the 4mounting screws. The shark fin concerns me too. Wondering if I can put a bead of silicone around that without dropping the headliner and removing the bolt?

 

[Dusty]

Thanks! I replaced it with a Recon LED light that came with what appears to be a REALLY good gasket. But. I'm pulling that off again and also adding silicone to the 4mounting screws. The shark fin concerns me too. Wondering if I can put a bead of silicone around that without dropping the headliner and removing the bolt?

Yes, you can.

Try putting left and right lateral pressure on the antenna and closely observe if the mating surface of the antenna lifts off the roof sheet metal. If it does it is probably not tight enough against the body.

If loose, you can reach through the opening of the third brake lamp assembly and tighten the hardware.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 89230 miles.

 

[Bandit1859]

Didn't take long....7 months old and 3,650 miles. After 3 days of heavy rain in NJ, water dripping from the top of the rear window frame today. Time to pull out the garden hose and see if I can narrow down where it's coming from. No cracks in the frame yet.

Back window in early builds are a problem you have a early 19

 

[NJ4X4]

Yes, you can.

Try putting left and right lateral pressure on the antenna and closely observe if the mating surface of the antenna lifts off the roof sheet metal. If it does it is probably not tight enough against the body.

If loose, you can reach through the opening of the third brake lamp assembly and tighten the hardware.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 89230 miles.

Thanks Dusty. I'll put lateral pressure on it and see if it lifts at all. The youtube videos I came across all mentioned removing interior trim and pulling down the back section of the headliner. One said he couldn't get his hand through the opening behind the 3rd brake light. Will a long box end wrench reach it from the opening or you need to get your hand in there?

 

[NJ4X4]

Back window in early builds are a problem you have a early 19

I've got a 2022.

 

[Dusty]

Thanks Dusty. I'll put lateral pressure on it and see if it lifts at all. The youtube videos I came across all mentioned removing interior trim and pulling down the back section of the headliner. One said he couldn't get his hand through the opening behind the 3rd brake light. Will a long box end wrench reach it from the opening or you need to get your hand in there?

I can barely get my hand through the opening, so someone with larger hands may have a problem. Techs with small hands prefer to work through the stop light opening.

The service manual calls for lowering the rear of the headliner, but you'll still be working blind sitting in the backseat. If you have a rear sliding window, lower the headliner and reach through from outside of the truck (standing in the box) through the window. I've been told that's real easy then.

I would think an open-end or box wrench would work for you, especially if you have a ratcheting type.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33-gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build Date: 3 June 2018. Now at 89259 miles.

 

[RamalamaDave]

I have a 2019 Laramie short bed, crew cab with 18,000 miles. I had the same problem about a month or two ago with all the rain here in Southern California. The most common problem from what I have been told is the gasket on the third breaklight but that was not my problem. The dealership had to replace my rear window as that was the problem. My truck was just a week out of warranty but they fixed it for me anyway at no cost. I am told that it was an $1800 job. I got lucky that it rained hard when it did, otherwise, I would not have known about the problem. Another friend of mine with the same truck is having the same problem now.

 

[NJ4X4]

I have a 2019 Laramie short bed, crew cab with 18,000 miles. I had the same problem about a month or two ago with all the rain here in Southern California. The most common problem from what I have been told is the gasket on the third breaklight but that was not my problem. The dealership had to replace my rear window as that was the problem. My truck was just a week out of warranty but they fixed it for me anyway at no cost. I am told that it was an $1800 job. I got lucky that it rained hard when it did, otherwise, I would not have known about the problem. Another friend of mine with the same truck is having the same problem now.

Thanks for the info. Glad to hear you got yours replaced under warranty....even a week out. I used a garden hose and tried to pin point where the leak is on mine. Water leaks are tough though! I' wasn't 100% certain. In the meantime, I replaced the gasket on my aftermarket Recon 3rd brake light. When I installed it a few months ago, the gasket seemed really good maybe even twice as thick as the OEM gasket. After pulling it apart, it seemed super compressed in some spots. I replaced the gasket with this, the same as I used on my 4th gen:



My shark fin antenna doesn't seem to sit flush with the roof either, though I don't think it's leaking from there. I did try to tighten it through the opening behind the 3rd brake light without success. I was able to just squeeze my hand in there and tried a long offset box wrench and a stubby ratcheting wrench. Between the roof sheet metal behind it and the antenna wire attached to it, it's not easy to get to. While looking at everything closely, also noticed more bad quality control on my '22. The entire rear window was installed super tight to the cab on the passenger side and has a big gap on the driver's side. I need to shoot water at it again and see if the 3rd brake light gasket fixed it. Good thing there's no rain in the forecast this week.

 

[woojyee]

Oh man, wouldn't water saturate and discolor/stain the headliner? That would suck.

 

[fireflymedic]

Well that's better than what I thought I was going to read from title of post. First thought I had was leaking oil.