Leaking seal between luton and cab?

[jayjay]

Hi Ant,

Just wondered if you could give me some advice. I sorted out a leaking window, but noticed a wet large pillow the other week.

At first I thought this might be a leaking skylight, but now I'm wondering if it could be the seal between the van and the luton. It's a very small gap which now appears dry (and appears to be sealed). I felt around it with my fingertips (very dirty and sooty) and thought I felt a tiny draught.

The weather we had here last week was very wild - rain and gale force winds. I'm wondering if that's how the rain got in, never had any trouble before and wondered if it had got in under pressure.

I shall have to borrow a pressure washer thing so I can see if it is that, or perhaps the skylight (wet cushion didn't seem to correspond with where water from a leaking skylight would have fallen though.)

Photo of window aperture below. There is one in the cab (which I was about to take out so as to communicate with dog/passengers) and on the romahome side no window glass, just the aperture. I was told by Tim at Bedford Rascal that the Romahome didn't usually come with a cab window fitted, but just an aperture on the original kit.



Edited to add: I've found the trouble, and it's as I thought - there's a tiny gap at both ends of the lower seal between the two window rubbers. I think I should be able to fix with sikaflex??

[ant]

Jayjay.
Just check the body hasn't moved on the rascal bed, it was quite a common cause of hatch leaking as the rubber was left short of the cab.
Water pipe insulation tubing was an effective way of making up the gap without sealing it all down never to be moved again.
Ant

[jayjay]

ant said:

Jayjay.
Just check the body hasn't moved on the rascal bed, it was quite a common cause of hatch leaking as the rubber was left short of the cab.
Water pipe insulation tubing was an effective way of making up the gap without sealing it all down never to be moved again.
Ant

Thanks Ant!
Just been out and measured the gap outside from above side indicators on cab to fibreglass body - right hand side is 1.5cm, left hand side is 3cm approx, so it is slightly off centre. However, all the bolts, etc which hold it on are ok so yes, it's moved on the bed... I wouldn't expect anything else after 20 years tho. The two window apertures are slightly different shapes as well, so don't correspond with each other and on the inside there is more of a gap on one side than the other.

Should I just get some water pipe insulation tubing and push it into the gaps? The stuff I'm thinking of is not made of rubber, but a sort of polystyrene foam stuff - will it do the same job, or can you suggest anything else that might work? I only need to bridge a gap of approx 1cm or so.

Thanks again for all your help. Daisy is a Bl**dy Rascal!

[ant]

Jayjay.
Pipe insulation is fine, it moves with the movement of the van and body without making too much noise.
Ant

[jayjay]

Thanks for that, Ant! ;D ;D ;D Will go get some tomorrow from B&Q and let you know how I get on.

My sis said that maybe the body had been put on slightly off centre in the first place - it just sticks out slightly more on one side than the other.

I would never have thought of pipe insulation to plug the gap! Just glad I asked and didn't try to work out a solution myself as I was thinking along the lines of silicone sealer!

[jayjay]

Have been and got the pipe insulation. Now - do I stick all the pieces together first then sort of thread it in around the outside? They are about 1m each, so bought six. But I thought they may not be waterproof if not joined with glue or no more nails as it only takes a tiny pinhole to produce a large puddle as I've found out in the past! Or do I just need two pieces on either side of the bottom edge where I can see daylight/feel draught on the inside??

[ant]

Jayjay.
I'd go all the way round. start at the bottom on one side, then when you need to start another stip of insulation overlap it by about 4 inches and push the double bit in a bit more. Then go to the other side and start from the bottom again and repeat process. make a "butt" joint somewhere in the middle where its at its tightest. The reason for the overlapping is to create a tiled effect like on a roof, this minimises water creep. You can glue the "butt" joint but I wouldn't bother with any other joints as you'll need some scope for movement while the van is being driven.
Ant

[jayjay]

Well - I've done me best!

Didn't go exactly as planned.. it was easy on the side with the bigger gap, but very hard to push in at the other side. I did manage it though and I think it will work... there's some gales and heavy rain on the way tonight and tomorrow morning, so I'll find out soon and report back!

Thanks once again for all your help, Ant - you're a star! ;D

[jayjay]

No leaks!

through hail, gales and now snow!!!

So that's another thing off the list! ;D ;D ;D

Thanks, Ant.