Westy Hightop - Leak in Hightop Window

[davesm]

Hi All,

I've just bought a T25 Westy California hightop and the plastic double glazed window of the high top (front facing) has a rather noticeable amount of water trapped inside it. The van has been parked on a slight left to right slope for 2 years (hasn't moved) and I was wondering if it could be a build up of condensation perhaps; otherwise there must be a leak in the seal I guess. Has anyone come across this before and know how to fix it?

Thanks

Dave

[AdrianC]

If it's between the two panes, then the seal between the two bonded halves has failed, not the rubber gasket - that'd "only" let water into the van. Easiest stopgap fix is to drill a tiny hole so that the water can escape - probably in the lower face of the "bulge" outside.

Only proper long-term fix to get the insulation efficiency back is to replace the window - Gunzl. Whether it's worth that is another question...

[davesm]

hmmmm, just checked the price of a replacement pane on Gunzl's site and they aren't cheap. We won't be sleeping up there nor using it in the depths of winter so the stopgap fix is the way forward. Silly question, do you mean just drill a tiny hole through the pane itself and not the rubber seal? And do you seal up the hole afterwards?

[AdrianC]

Yep, through the pane, where water can get out and not back in. It's got in there somehow, and it's unlikely it'll stop doing so, so let it continue to drain.

[aerovolito]

I had the same issue with my top screen. When I removed it I noticed that the two halves had come apart allowing water in. I used Sikaflex to glue them back together (not sure how they where originally bonded) and replaced the seal. Mine also had a small hole drilled at the bottom already. Not sure if that was done at manufacture or by a previous owner. Anyhow, it no longer mists up.

Also, I recently bought a new d/g window for my sliding door (victim of a small boy throwing stones at passing cars) from Gunzl and his window halves are bonded using double side foam tape. The same stuff used for fixing trim on cars.

Hope that helps.

[AdrianC]

Mine also had a small hole drilled at the bottom already. Not sure if that was done at manufacture or by a previous owner. Anyhow, it no longer mists up.

The hole must've been previous owner - the insulation of a double-glazed window relies on there being no airflow between the two sealed halves.

Also, I recently bought a new d/g window for my sliding door (victim of a small boy throwing stones at passing cars) from Gunzl and his window halves are bonded using double side foam tape. The same stuff used for fixing trim on cars.

We had a new upstairs window a couple of years ago - victim of a kamikazi pigeon at 60mph... - and the two halves were glued together.