o'er the weekend i took out the sand bags from my truck bed, only to see but a dime-sized hole that has rusted through the entire bed. for the obvious, this is entirely concerning (it's an '06 and past warranty) and better still, little holes lead to ...
well, you know the rest. what can be done in the interim to make me a (somewhat) happy camper? i haven't a cap on it, nor a bed liner (have heard conflicting thoughts that these trap moisture and facilitate rusting), and i live in new england. eeeks.

I had a sheet of 1/2 exterior grade plywood, with some extra pieces for the corners, in the bed of my old Ford. Kept things from falling through for years!

I say use naval jelly (not navel jelly)(har har) to clean the rust, then coat it with silicon caulk to keep more rust from forming.

Hole in an 06?!?! arrgh!

I had the same thing happen on the roof of my F150 due to lazy canoe strapping. Worked for me. OBV since your is in an abrasion prone area you'll have to check it every so often.

Pretend you are a dentist and need to get the entire cavity...use a needle scaler or a grinder or anything else that will get you to the very bottom of any rust. Then use some of the products that folks recommend to prevent rust. Keep the bed clean. Unless you get to the "root" of the rust, it will come back. You are better off with a larger, rust free hole .
Ps. I do none of that on the bed of my little truck, but it's a work truck with a liner and rust is the least of my vehicular problems...

Kat nailed it.

Grind that "cancer" out carefully.

Have someone, or you, fab up a piece of scrap metal and weld it in place, grind the beads down and paint or coat with a rust preventative.

Edited by Eugeneius on 03/12/2012 13:13:59 MDT.

I'd watch out for using a grinder or anything else that throws sparks in the vicinity of your gas tank or fuel line especially if you can smell vapor . After a repair Rustoleum used to make a product which you brushed on that reacted with surface rust and turned black looking like acrylic paint. Better check the underside too up on a lift. Road salt or ocean can eat a body very fast.

Cut out, weld patch, prime it, take it and get a spray in bed liner (I like Rhino brand).

thanks all.
i'll have my dad help me.
i'm also thinking a good time to purchase a cap.
two words: SALT SUCKS.
lt