Drip rail - removal?

[AzDon]

73 and later Burbs and duallies were made without driprails over the doors, but Chevy actually put four screw-on driprails over the doors because they didn't seal that well.

On 72 and older trucks, it's important to understand what the driprail represents in the overall construction of the body..... It is the heavy-gauge structural flange that the roof skin is laid into and the spotwelded to the top of the truck..... If you cut off the driprail, you will also be cutting away the outer flange of the roof skin and when you are done cutting the roof skin will no longer be attached.
The front corners of the raingutter often leak under the roofskin as the factory calking degrades because water can stand on this joint (in the gutter) rust the metals and start leaking.
On mine, I actually filled the raingutter six inches on each side and across the front after repairing the metal and also welded and filled the two seams that run down under the windshield rubber. To me, these trucks look to be designed to not be all that water repellant. The external top hinges on the liftgate look like they are designed to leak!
I'll take some pictures and post up later