How do i get to back of this seam(pic)

[purplecrocs]

How do I get in behind this... (horizontal seam near bottom)



I'd like to spray some waxoyl or something behind there before cleaning it up from the outside.... I'm hoping your not going to say to take all the cupboards, fridge, cooker out as all the pipes scare me a bit! Is there a way of just getting in there to squirt something down?

Thanks

[irishkeet]

This is the back of the fridge & cooker unit.
you can repair from the front but it will just return eventually
the rust may be caused partly by condensation from the fridge
your best bet is to remove the fridge & cooker unit, pop off the panel and treat from behind
if its not caught it will eventually be a new bottom panel
its a not a hard job to remove the unit, take lots of pics so you remember how to put it back

cheers
irishkeet

[Cruz]

There are no quick fixes with these vans. Any corner cuttings will come back to bite. Over the years condesation will have run down that panel and collected behind the fridge. Eventually it will creep right along the entire seam like my van.

Take the cupboards out and bottom it. Anything else will be a bodge and will/could cost even more ££££'s in the future as more and more panels are becomming obsolete. The inner sill from that side is obsolete in the UK and needs ordering from Germany through vw classic parts.

You may be lucky and the damage may not be as bad as some, BUT it could be worse like mine was (blue van on wiki link below) where the floor had caved in letting the condensation into the inner sill allowing it to rot away from the inside too.

See the wiki for some examples and fixes https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ar ... chen_panel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also see the topic about Covkids fix https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... =side+sill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also look into covering then panel with roof flashing and thermawrap insulation whilst your in there to prevent condesation dripping down the panel. Irishkeet had a topic on that somewhere that helped me.

[CovKid]

And in particular:

https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ar ... outer_sill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Put it this way, mine looked exactly like yours from the outside but was a much bigger job once I got stuck in. Usually, by the time you see seam rust on the horizontal line, water has already taken out part of that section from inside. We did it in 2-3 days with no prior experience so it can be done but simply rust-treating won't last more than a few months. You have to get in there and do it properly.

[purplecrocs]

hmmm... i'm just a bit worried about getting the cooker/fridge out etc becuase of all those gas pipes/water pipes/wires... it looks a bit tricky?!

[CovKid]

Bit at a time. Hopefully someone with same layout can advise on this.

[irishkeet]

hi

below are links to some photos of when I took my interior out, hope they help

http://www.irishkeet.phanfare.com/33655 ... D=59996612

http://www.irishkeet.phanfare.com/33655 ... D=59997766

irishkeet

[purplecrocs]

cheers. How bad was yours irishkeet - did you just rust treat it and re-insulate it... or did it need welding? And what is that foil insulation, is it a self adhesive?

[Oldjets]

No easy way to say it - without taking the fridge out you wont get to the seam behind it. I can reach about 400mm of the seam via a cupboard:

[/url]https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=55398

But there's a limit to what you can do without removing the interior, which I haven't done yet. Mine is just starting to show rust in the floor to outer panel join on the inside. The side panel and its seam appear to be ok at the moment, but there is probably something nasty hiding under my fridge too. Luckily, on my van, Autosleepers skimped on the insulation behind the fridge and side cupboards (none!), so at least there is nothing holding condensation against the side panels, unlike the Westfalias shown in some of the threads. I may be colder in bed but my bodywork should last a bit longer.

If you do take the fridge and furniture out, perhaps you could post a few pics to help others out.

Oldjets

[irishkeet]

cheers. How bad was yours irishkeet - did you just rust treat it and re-insulate it... or did it need welding? And what is that foil insulation, is it a self adhesive?

I had a small bubble at the front and I knew it could be worse behind, hence removing everything
turned out that the inside was protected and in good nick

I treat the rust with vactan http://www.paco-systems.co.uk/vactan.html
there are loads of different rust treatments out there, I've always found this to be good.

no welding needed
the self adhesive was expensive sound proofing, if I did it again I'd use cheaper roofing flashband

the insulated bubble is thermawrap from B&Q they had a special 2-4-1, 3 did the van easily, its about the time of year for insulation offers

cheers
irishkeet

[purplecrocs]

thanks. Yes, I have some Vactan - purchased recently so lets hope I can get away with just that. Did you find disconnecting/reconnecting the gas pipes easy and straightforward?

Might be a job for me to save to it gets a bit colder and we're not likely to want to go out in the van...!

[irishkeet]

thanks. Yes, I have some Vactan - purchased recently so lets hope I can get away with just that. Did you find disconnecting/reconnecting the gas pipes easy and straightforward?

Might be a job for me to save to it gets a bit colder and we're not likely to want to go out in the van...!

no it was easy enough just 2 nuts, back of fridge & floor
I've had the fridge out a few times now (unfortunately)

[Cruz]

Cheap roofing flashband can be purchased at local screwfix branches and keep your eyes peeled for sales on thermawrap at b&q, tesco etc

[Fritz]

Waxoil is best applied to seal any repairs once they have been completed,,,,,,,,,If Waxoil is applied before the job is started, it may contaminate the area to be painted by bleeding through any rotten/perforated panels or seams.


Regards


Fritz,,,,,,,,,,,,