Date: Sun, 27 Oct 1996 22:01:59 -0500 (EST)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: ERIC ZENO <emz@viper.nauticom.net>
Subject: Re: Water under back seat
On Sun, 27 Oct 1996, wsilva wrote:
> Thanks everyone for you help with my propane tank problem and sticky
> locks. Now another.. I have water under my back seat ('85 Westy")&
> can't figure out where it's coming from. We recently replaced all the
> roof seals (Bus Boys-great seals!) I'm sure it's not coming from there.
> There is just a little in each channel along the sides. Any thoughts?
>
I posted this a good while ago maybe this will help!
To all Vanagon owner:
Subject: Water Leaks
This is something I have not seen discussed yet. I have seen
several Vanagons with water leaks in the same spots. The first
is around the from windsheild. Hard to notice leak, you will
find a small amount of water on one or both sides of the front
floor. This water can easily be misstaken for water from your
feet getting into the vehicle in wet weather. If you look under
the flooring (carpet and 1/2" thick sound insulation) you may
find a lot more water. The fix is cheap and easy. On a dry day
use a air gun around the entire outside windshield seal,
between rubber and glass, and then between the rubber and body,
until you see no more water or dirt coming out. Then use clear
silicone seal from a caulking gun around the hole window,
both rubber outside edges. You may need to stop on the outer
corners to fill up larger gaps. Spend the time needed to clean
up. This stuff makes a mess.
The second leak I have found is a
vertical body seam on drivers side, between quarter and middle
panel. Once again by removing the flooring and finding water
in the bay area, you can be tell if you have this water leak.
To fix this, remove the driver side inner panel. This leak also
means rust. You need to spray a rust inhibiter acid from the
inside out. Force it into the seam with a air gun. Then clean
any of the acid that may have made it's way to the outside, off
your paint. Once dry use a good paint on the inside. This is
usually enough to stop this leak. If you use your van for camping
this is a great time for insulating.
The third Leak is an easy one. The middle slidding windows
The channel that the window runs on have small drains that
fills up with dry. Also the Aluminum is not a perfect fit to
the outer edge Aluminum. In maunfacturing there is a small
amount of Silicone seal add to fill the void. This after time
it looses it's adhesion and needs to be replaces.
ERic ZEno