What's Hiding behind your Sliding Door Cover Panel??

[nevill3]

Lorraine complained this weekend when for the umpteenth time the sliding door caught/paused half way along its travel when she was closing it. So I decided to remove the sliding door cover to see if there was any grunge in the channel that was causing the problem...what I found was much worse



The guide rail for the centre runner was slightly warped because of the rusty panel behind it, causing the hinge to catch as it went past the bowed out section. The rust had set in and after sanding it all back the only solution for the moment was to straighten the guide rail, treat the area with vactan and filler it to cover the gaping hole. Not ideal but I don't have a welder but I am seriously thinking of investing in one.

After a few hours work it looked like this..



And so I refitted the cover panel and have saved lots of photos of the "Bodge" for future reference so I don't forget where the filler is....

Nev

[Cruz]

Would that hole be caused by water leaking in through the window seals?

[DavidPallister]

Take a look under the other side too, bet it's in exactly the same state, both mine were. The inner and outer skins are spot welded together at that point, and makes a perfect collection point for any rain that leaks passed the window seals above.
Luckily, my slider track side rusted through to the inside of the van so was quite easy to repair, didn't have to remove the slider track. The other side went through the outside, but with no track on that side, it was again quite an easy repair.

Dave

[jimpainter]

Take a look under the other side too, bet it's in exactly the same state, both mine were. The inner and outer skins are spot welded together at that point, and makes a perfect collection point for any rain that leaks passed the window seals above.
Luckily, my slider track side rusted through to the inside of the van so was quite easy to repair, didn't have to remove the slider track. The other side went through the outside, but with no track on that side, it was again quite an easy repair.

Dave

Exactly what he said.

[Cruz]

I have a bubbling patch on the non-slider side but I have no window

[jamesc76]

I have a bubbling patch on the non-slider side but I have no window

panel van with the pressed vent in that panel???

[DavidPallister]

Probably just as good at catching condensation running down the inside of the panel as it is at catching rain leaks

Dave

[Cyrus]

I repaired mine the other week before my door fell off, seems a common place to rot.

[Cruz]

I have a bubbling patch on the non-slider side but I have no window

panel van with the pressed vent in that panel???

No. Just the plastic air vents at the back. Unless there is something nasty going on beneath the high top