Quote:
Originally Posted by Muddypaws
I've had the windshield sealed, removed and re-installed, re-sealed, and re-sealed again. All in just over a year. So far I've got around $1200 in it.
Yep, you guessed it. Leaking again.
This time I'm going to do it myself. I know I probably should use a urethane adhesive/sealant. Preferably one that flows into the leaking area before it hardens.
Any recommendations?
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I faced the same problem a couple of years ago. My problems began when I had the left windshield replaced. The windshields began moving around in the rubber gasket. The left windshield came about 1/8" out of the rubber gasket on the left side. Boy, did that cause a wind whistle! We repaired that one on the road with silicone, which let us enjoy the rest of our trip.
The final diagnosis was that both windshields would have to be removed and reset into the rubber with a urethane sealant. It was going to cost me a lot of money.
Thinking I had nothing to lose, I decided to see if I could caulk the windshields in place. I found that silicone doesn't work, it won't adhere to the rubber gasket. I found a product made by Permatex or Loctite called 'The Right Stuff'.
http://www.permatex.com/products/aut...sket_Maker.htm
It is available in a small tube that fits in a standard caulking gun, and also as a pressurized can. Both work well.
I cleaned the rubber and the windshield with a little acetone. I used masking tape to tape a line on the windshield and the rubber. Using 'The Right Stuff', I made a wide rubber gasket which overlapped onto both the windshield and the rubber about 1/4". I even caulked the windshield to the rubber gasket on the inside where the windshield had slipped 1/8" out of the rubber gasket. In effect, I was making a new rubber gasket in that area. I used my saliva on my pointer finger to smooth my caulking until it looked like a professional rubber gasket.
When I had finished the job, I stood back and looked. It looked very professional. But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. It's been two years now. We have enjoyed several long trips, and multiple leveling sessions in the process. We have driven in wind and storms that made us wonder if we should be out on the road. Through all that, the windshields have not moved at all! They are rock solid in the rubber gasket. They do not leak, and it looks like they are not going to!
I just inspected that windshield repair, and it looks today exactly the way it did two years ago. So, I recommend you try it for yourself. If it turns out you actually do have structural damage that needs to be repaired, all you're out is a little work and a little bit of caulk.