Fathom - Possible Midgate Patent - US 2025/0333118 A1

[chl]

I imagine a lot of the "will it leak" concerns would be addressed if the midgate closed on the interior of the truck "higher" than the back glass with a thick gasket. Like the door gaskets on the 4 doors. Then water from the bed would need to travel vertically against the wall of the bed (fighting gravity), then still make it past the gasket. How to prevent leaks at the sides and floor? Uhh.....I guess same thing probably. Beefy gaskets and liberal overlap with metal around the sides. Bottom "hinge" of midgate could be some sort of continuous but waterproof membrane that is part of the back few inches of the bed floor and continues all the way up the back wall of the bed? Who knows.

I could also see some sort of drain system at the interface of the bed floor and midgate. A path than allows any water that collects near the midgate seal to drain out the bottom of the truck versus pooling there and trying to enter the cabin.

Yes, but...
Ford is notorious for...door leaks, alas.

Plenty of YouTube videos about them over the years, door filling with rain water, window switches getting wet and failing, etc.

We'll see...