I've taken my off quite a few times. I can't decide if I like it better with or without. To fill in the holes on the trunk lid, I bought some little nylon plugs from the local hardware store. They are pretty flat when in the hole, so you can hardly see them. I've driven it in some pretty hard rain too and didn't have any leaking, but since there is nothing there to actually seal, I wouldn't leave anything in the trunk that shouldn't be getting wet.