Leaking Windows HELP!!

[Mike-the-red]

Hi,

 

I have a Swift Royale 620 V reg.

Recently three of the windows have begun to let in water, the main culprit is the large window by the front dinette.

This is exasperated when the van has a slight lean to that side and forward as the water runs off the roof of the van where it begins to rise up over the overcab bed in torrents onto the window.

The water seems to run over the sill of the window but then down the inside of the window, unless i cant see it getting in behind the plastic sill and the side of the van itself.

I am not the best DIY'ER in the world but any suggestions before I send my van into the moneypit that is my local dealer!

cheers

Mike

:'(

[mansell]

I think I would renew sealant before doing anything else, that is usually the culprit.

[henry]

There is a nice little chap in Norwich at Caravan Repairs, Roger Parsons, on Bessamer Road 016036 23102 very reasonable and does what he says. That is if you are anywhere near East Anglia!

 

Regards

Henry :-> :-> :->

[Clive]

I had all my windows removed and re-fitted with new sealing only to find that the culprit was water ingress through the cable holes for the rear high side and number plate lights. So just check such things before spending your cash.

 

To remove and replace all the windows is a good days job for a professional so it will hurt the wallet a bit, but it MUST be done if its the cause.

 

I used Colins Caravans at Woolhampton Near Aldermaston in Berkshire to do my windows. It was done properly and at less than half the cost of Brownhills quote.

 

Good luck

 

 

[Keith T]

A few years back we had an Autosleeper Symbol, which suddenly starting letting water in on the sling windy in the hightop. Fortunately we wer not too far from teh factory, and arranged to call in on the way back home. The fault was appartantly a screw hole, which was too large for the screw.......enough said. It was of course rectified at no charge by AS!

[Brian Kirby]

Mike

Leak chasing is not easy.  You say water is running over the cill, which is the lowest part of the window, but then running down the window, which would be above the cill.  Assuming you mean the water is running in at the head of the window, and then running down the window to the cill, there are two possibilities. 

Either the leakage is at the top of the windows, or it is at the joint between wall and roof (or if there is one, another joint) above the windows.  Most likely is the window heads.

To stop the leaks the entire windows, their top hinge strips, catches and stays and the neoprene external seals/trims all need to be completely removed.  The window openings and all components then need to be thoroughly cleaned of old sealants and dried out, new flexible sealant applied to bed the neoprene sealing strips and the head/hinge strips, paying careful attention to all screw holes, and the neoprene strips re-fitted together with the window head/hinge strips and all fittings etc.  Then clean up any surplus sealant.  In present weather, this is not a DIY job for outdoors!  However, if you could get the van into a large shed/barn that allows you working space, you could reasonably tackle it yourself.

No secial skills are needed, although you would need to take a bit of care not to get the sealant over everything (and yourself) in the process.  All screws should go back exactly where they came from (unless they are rusting in which case replace with identical screws in stainless steel if at all possible, otherwise use bright zinc plated).  If your 'van has aluminium sides or if the head/hinge moulding for the window is aluminium (virtually guaranteed), do not be tempted to substitute brass screws to replace the existing, they won't rust, but they'll eat the aly in no time!

However, if the leakage is not from the window head the roof/wall joint cover strip will probably have to come off and be re-bedded.  That would be an urgent repair, since the wet will already be in your walls, and just running out at the window openings.  In this case I'd say it is even more not a outdoor job, but it needs urgent attention, and it is not really a single handed DIY job, if DIY at all.

Hope this helps.

[Rowan Lee]

I asked for help on exactly this subject a few weeks back. Ours are Seitz windows and whilst at the NEC show I spoke to the window expert on the Dometic stand. He was very dubious about my ability to tackle the removal and resealing of the windows and I think he was perfectly genuine in his concern. It seems they are quite easy to unscrew but removing them from the old sealant and cleaning it all up is a nightmare. Resealing and getting them back into position is not easy either but strip sealant is best. He also warned me to retighten the screws in rotation - keep going round to get the seal even and don't overtighten or the blinds won't work.

 

Still haven't plucked up the courage to try it yet, and won't think about it again until the Spring. In the meantime, I have put some gaffer tape along the top edges and this has solved the problem temporarily even if it is not particularly lovely to look at. Then I might try just brushing out the debris from around the windows and adding a bit of sealant all round before going for more drastic action.

[Brian Kirby]

Rowan Lee - 2006-12-05 3:43 PM  .............Then I might try just brushing out the debris from around the windows and adding a bit of sealant all round before going for more drastic action.

Rowan

Do not do this!  If the seals have gone, they've gone!  You'll only win temporary respite at best, at worst you'll just divert the leakage inside the wall panels where it will initiate rot.  The problem is that the the window components are bedded on sealent, not just surface pointed with it.  Comprehensive replacement of the sealant is the only sure remedy and for that, the lot has to come out.  Sorry!

[docted]

Rowan I would not consider the resealing job difficult to do. The removal of old sealing is time consuming but a little patience will get the job done. I have in the past done a couple of roof vents and the only hard thing was getting my larger size into the opening to get the job done.

Good luck when you do it but if you are going to do it do it properly new sealant on top of old does not work.

Docted

[Rowan Lee]

Docted, Brian,

 

Yes, I hear what you say. My own feeling is that if a job is worth doing, etc. etc. However, my earlier question on this subject prompted only replies advising me not to tackle it, but to try adding more sealant if you see what I mean.

 

 

Mike-the-red,

 

Apologies, I seem to have hijacked your thread, but I hope the discussions have helped your problem too.

 

Thanks everyone, I shall use the next few months to consider the problem. Fortunately there is no sign whatsoever of any damp in the walls and I keep the van warm and aired - in fact we use it all the time anyway.