offside upper repair panel.

[bigbadbob76]

Having a brain fart here so would appreciate some advise.
My camper is a converted panel van with a sliding window behind the drivers seat, window made by Leisure Windows and isn't recessed.
The panel around the window is pretty rotten so I have the choice of trying to patch around it or replace the panel.
If I replace the panel I need to find a panel-van panel and cut a new window hole in it.
Trouble is I can't find anywhere that sells these panels (offside, NON sliding door, above waist).
If I patch around it I'll likely end up with a leaky window where the patches overlap.
Third option is to cut a window hole in a sheet of steel and weld it in as a big patch.

Has anyone else suffered the same problem? I'd like to hear how you solved it.
Searching to forum shows a fair few posts about fitting conversion windows which helps, but I'm still swithering.
TIA.
BBB.

[Plasticman]

err, post a picky up, there are many ways to do it, hence a picky
but if its salvageable to the seam then cut out the bad area and swage the remnant then let a sheet in with an area a few inches smaller , tack it up good then cut the hole to suit,
mm

[bigbadbob76]

Thanks MM.
Will post a picky when I get a chance in daylight.
Yes, it's salvageable to the seams so I can cut it out, joggle the edge and let a panel in, I'll need to do a bit of bending though which is where my skills let me down.
I measured up last night and one option would be to use the top half of a sliding door outer skin if I can get one.

[Plasticman]

You don't need bending skills ,cut back , swage the edge ,do as I suggested ref hole in sheet ,and use plenty of grips,the curvature is so slight it won't effect you ( if you didn't pre cut a hole then it may have)

mm

[bigbadbob76]

Unfortunately the rot above and below the weld goes beyond the horizontal bends.
Will try and get pics tonight in the dark.
Just to clarify, when you say swage the edge..... do you mean the same as I do when I say joggle? ie- put a step in it with a joggler.
And am I right in my understanding of your suggestion, to roughly cut a smaller hole first so you can get the grips in and out, then cut the hole to size after tacking?
Thanks for your help mm.

[Plasticman]

yes swage/jog.....
i make the lower sections that incorporate the lower window area,swage then down behind door runner to top of rear wing and think i still have a few upper sections(swage from under gutter to part way down side
mm

[bigbadbob76]

Ah.... you do it in sections.
I guess if you have a customer with rot above or below but not both that makes sense.
I have rot all round.
Might be interested in an upper section though if you've got one you'd sell.
Could you send me a pic when you get a chance.
In the mean time... here, have some cheese. sorry there's no trifle.

[bigbadbob76]

Pics in the dark, parked against a bush but you get the idea.








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[bigbadbob76]

Fibreglass is temporary to stop the torential rain pouring down a hole.




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[boatbuilder]

Its a matter of cutting back to good metal and remaking from new flat sheet metal.
Measure your glass and make the new opening the same as the glass plus 2 times the thickness of the "root" of the seal you're going to use, plus 2mm.
You can joggle if you like, but I butt welded mine and ground the welds flat. Lots of tricky hammering the keep it straight but it only took a thin skim of filler in the end to make it "flat enough"

[bigbadbob76]

Its a matter of cutting back to good metal.

Hopefully I can find some good metal under there somewhere, I'll need to joggle it under the gutter and form bends above and below the window.
That's the bit I'm no good at. Will see what my mate with the bender can do.

[Plasticman]

Errrrr ,not quite, its 1 x the root plus 2mm all round, and measure root with the seal in your hand not a website measurement
mm

[bigbadbob76]

[bigbadbob76]

Well... I went up to a mate's workshop yesterday and we made a new panel in 2mm steel.
Window out, check out that rot!!!

new panel ready for welding in.

It's in and getting a smear of filler.

Mr Hotrod putting on a coat of primer, finally there's paint going on instead of being scraped off.


Hit a deer on the way home so now need a replacement lower grill.
No other damage to the van luckily but I had to give the poor thing the last rites with a lump hammer.

[bigbadbob76]

And a couple of coats of dark metallic green. This will be the van's final colour.
Window went back in fairly easily, I pushed the seal edge out from the inside with a blunt scraper and Charlie eased it over the rim with another scraper on the outside while pushing like crazy.



Deer damage.