How much sealer in drip rail?

Should I put the sealer in the drip rail pretty thick?

And do I run sealer all the way down the front part of the rail also?

I will be eventually be putting on a vinyl top, so I am wondering if putting putting it in there thick will hinder the install of the top? What I mean by thick is putting seam sealer in the channel and then running my finger along the top of the channel to smooth it out.

Also, was the original factory drip rail sealer something that stayed soft/flexible? or did they use a sealer that dried hard?