Fantastic I shared it on self build campers having helped a friend do that job. Congratulations on how many people you help save their vans from rust. Your style of instruction and presentation makes you an excellent instructor and a pleasure to learn from.
Thank you so much for doing this. I’ve just retired and want my van to last as long as I do. We will be going everywhere together. I will do this asap as it’s 12 years old ❤️
O.K. valid issue and your video is great in showing these problem areas in perfect detail. 👍 A few issues if I may though: I absolutely cringe 😖, when I see these sidepanels being removed with a bare metal screwdriver. You'll be putting scratches in the paintwork causing other corrosion issues. You should also remove the trim clips from the bodywork using similar PLASTIC tools meant for the job. And PLEASE: Remove the markers PRIOR to removing the panels to avoid damaged wiring whilst pulling the panel. The markers have an etched in arrow on one end of the lens, push them in that direction, lift them out and remove the bulb socket with a twist (as shown). Replace ALL (125 on our LWB Crafter) clips with new FACTORY ones (don't use cheap Chinese knock-offs, they are brittle out of the bag). Add a waxing agent, "Mike Sanders" fluid or similar to the INSIDE areas aroud the clip holes. And only use a clip sealant, that remains flexible over time (we used Dekaseal). We've done the lot on our 2014 Crafter and along with a Raptor coating on the side and lower panels, rust should not be an issue. 😎
Mate I'm in the early stages of my own Sprinter conversion and came across your video by accident. This is next on my ever expanding list but a van saver. Great presentation.
Great advice. One other thing I would add is to make sure that the narrow slotted drain holes are cleared with a piece of wire. One of mine was blocked & the panel full of water
Very good presentation, have a 2015 144 ex ambulance 906, ran a seal of silicone along the top of the plastic side piece all round and check drain holes regularly, works for me.
Thanks for this. I'm getting a van to convert on a budget so I'm gathering the skills for remedial maintenance that I'm going to need on the van I can afford!
Thank you for this one.We just looked at a 2015 Sprinter LWB for sale in Chertsey England.It has Satnav it had Aircon.It had been owned by a landscape gardener.It is still for sale £11250.Luckily for us the seller had removed the ply lining off the walls which meant we could look into the the depths of the walls of the van inside.It had a perfect tide scum mark from the front of the load area to the back of the load area with soil/rust at the bottom.We walked away from it.Thank you for this vid we could have bought a load of trouble
Stevie, I was looking at that van in Chertsey, the photos I saw showed damp on the ply lining, I just bought a 66 plate for less than that. good luck with your hunt.
Can't thank you enough mate, brilliant, simple solution to a potentially serious future issue. I just got a new one and it will be one of the first things I do. I plan on keeping my rig till they put me under so want it to last. Much appreciated from the other side of the pond.
Hard to believe this is a simple, undetected flaw, especially since it has been affecting sprinters over many years and fix is simple. On the other hand, these are commercial cars, so they tend to do high mileage and get beaten on the job.
Great advice, thanks for sharing. Im doing my 2nd van fit out and already planning my 3rd. These are the things you don't think about till its too late. Thanks
Superb video. Just doing my 2008 sprinter and the 50p discs are half off already. One has disappeared completely. Explains the surface rust on the inside of the box section! Thanks for this - the van may last another 10 years now!
Nice 1 Adam, after watching several other videos of Crafter and Sprinter owners sealing up their holes, yours is the first to highlight those larger 50p sized holes. I'm trying to think what they would of been for, but cannot think what, I first thought maybe for a 4x4, I know they have plastic trim over the rear arches, but this still doesn't make sense why those larger holes are there.
I'd probably use a marine grade sealant/adhesive on those holes. I can't see any reason for needing to unseal them anytime soon. I'm talking about the plastic round patches now, not the clips that really hold the trim in. For instance, 3M Marine 5200 adhesive sealant. That stuff will probably survive the apocalypse. Although, why not - 5200 is permanent as heck, so if you use that, those side panel grommets aren't coming off without violence. But the plastic might still come out, but replacing any of the grommets will probably be a bit more painful.
Accidentally came across this video and I'm glad I did.When i checked there were water marks , dirt inside the panels and also a few rust circles round some of the clips. Thanks
Thanks for the video. I have a leak and rust on the inside wall behind the driver seat. This is probably the culprit. I will pull the panel and reseal.
Thanks so so much we are just starting to convert our VW Crafter 2011 lwb, i am going to sort ours out in the next few weeks great video, its people like yourself sharing your knowledge and ideas that make it all worth while many thanks again...
Liked, subbed and rung the bell! Invaluable info for people like me driving camper conversions over 10 years old with very low mileage, thinking that your maintenance regime will keep it looking and driving great indefinitely, only to find Mercedes themselves are shafting you. "kin pee's me off! The only issue I have had with my bodywork has been due to the installation of a window prior to delivery when new. It developed problems a few years later which shows that they couldn't even be bothered to seal the bodywork properly when cutting into a new £35k van. Would have taken less than a minute. Everything else as long as you keep it clean and serviced has been spot on. Although I am now dreading taking these panels off and finding anything. Great video, thanks. (Enjoyed your humour too!)
great tip and note the same sikaflex is used to bond windscreens it sets in about 4 hours like rubber and will never let water through... its murder to get off your hands or parts of the van but does come off with the use of WD40 ... best not to get messy with it in the first place..... great tip though & something id never of considered without you pointing it out cheers bud
Also clear the drain holes at the bottom of the panels (Regularly!) If you don't you could be driving around with a buckets worth of water rusting away
Going to do this on my Renault/Vauxhall van also. Water also came in and rusted inside and side panel of my van exactly because of this design fault. Thanks!
Great vid, word of advice to fellow van converters, some of the panels look very similar, such as the one on the sliding door and the one opposite, but they are slightly different, the clips are in a different location on each by about 1cm, varely noticeable until you got the thing covered in sikaflex and it won't go on😂
My Crafter leaks. It's 2nd hand 13 plate and I noticed water run marks from the trim clips and damp inside. This explains why! What a poor design - mind you VW/Merc want it to rot so you will buy another. 🤔 On the back of your fix, I would advise anyone buying a 2nd hand Crafter/Sprinter to do this as a matter of course. The 1st things to get damaged in a scrape are the trims. (It's what they're there for). If (When - I defy you to show me a 2nd hand van without a bump) your van has had a scrape, the repairer might not have put everything back right. Even to the point of not replacing all the clips? Thanks for a good fix tip👌 Another rot point on Crafter/ Sprinters is the side door track between the stainless steel runner and body. (Mine has it's own little eco system growing there.) Give it a good drink of water displacer (WD40 or alternative). It looks messy but at least you will have something left to clean and polish. May 2022 update - Finally got round to sealing the trim clips. I found that some of the clips were destroyed on removal so replaced with new from eBay along with Sikaflex. They were mostly flithy where the rainwater, salt and roadmuck had gotten behind them. Got me thinking why? Then I was struck by a revelation - as you are moving, there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the van. so wherever there is a small gap there will be at times a suction pulling water in.
Thank you for your videos! They're so clear and well-filmed. I really appreciate you sharing all this knowledge. And now I know what my next job on the van is ;)
I guess Im asking randomly but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost the login password. I love any tips you can give me
@Deshawn Enrique thanks so much for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
I think the side rail is also to be checked for leaks, and in my case, the back door rubber seal at the top was letting water in the crack between 2 body parts that were not sealed properly (gummy material was missing). Reapplied silicon all along the body parts hidden by the seal. Hopefully no more leaks
Another MOPAR van; the Fiat Ducato aka Ram Promaster ALSO requires this fix and needs to be sealed up along the wheel wells and on the back panels it also had a very badly designed air escape vent. All leak into the bottom of the walls / frame.
Thanks for a great fix-tip and video. I don't own a Sprinter/Crafter van myself, but I have heard terrible stories about that flaw for a while now, and wants to share another one. The seal on the rear wheel arches (between the wheel tub and the outer panel) are so bad/sometimes even missing on some vans, that You need to re-seal it to keep the inside of your van free from water. There is otherwise a serious spray of water coming in to your van from the rear wheels. And like You say and many people have said, it's a shame that they get away with such idiotic constructions and sloppy works. Why don't people sue them :/
@@vangeezerexperience Do you always go around slamming company’s products based on unsubstantiated innuendo and without going into detail? BTW, I didn’t see any rust or rusty water in this video.
Great job, I subbed. It's shocking to see how they've done it, until you see how much time is needed to do it correctly; as it was, it was done in less time, will ruin the van, customer'll have to buy a new one. Mother lovers !
14:06 and when i'm that far with my sprinter, then i will seal off the plastic trim all around so no water can run behind it. And for the side lamp i would use a silicone based sealant because that's easy to remove in case a new light bulb is needed.
I think that thin plastic disc would be better to cover the hole, the hole was probable a need in production line for something thats my guess, I am after crafter not sure if it will be like that. Thanks...
Please can I ask which number sealant you used as I just looked online and there's lots of different numbers for the sealant you say use. Thank you For any replies. Best wishes.
I think the clips are intended to come off with the panel but don’t necessarily. What happens if one breaks as clips do especially once they age a bit? I’ve been working on cars for 40 years and have seen many clips deteriorate or harden in a few years. If you use a sealant that dries hard then it will hard to get out of the body and several will break upon removal. Use a softer drying (for lack of a better term) and the clip can be swapped out easily. I just took the same kind of panels off of a Dodge Promaster 2015 (here in Canada) and at least 1/3 of all the clips broke in one way or another with some completely broken and they were not glued with a sealant. If they were they would have ALL broken. My suggestion makes sense as the cost is hardly any difference and doesn’t glue the clips with a “hard” sealant.
Is this the only thing that causes sprinters to rust? Obviously sprinters manufacture changes over time but the transit lovers have to hate on sprinters to justify their purchase because they don’t want anybody to think they couldn’t afford a Sprinter and one recently claim that sprinters “rust out”. I have a 2020 sprinter that I bought less than a year ago and a big sheet of aluminum blew against my van when I was wind gust came up and put a deep gash in a rear door and a few months ago when I was driving down the freeway somebody either threw a big chunk of metal or a piece of rebar from road construction flew up and hit my passenger door and made a really deep gash there but despite record rainfall neither one of these two gases that I haven’t had repaired is rusting so that tells me the undercoat/primer on my 2020 sprinter is amazing, So I don’t know about older models but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the rust proofing undercoat on a 2020
My 2008 looks exactly like that one. I'll go a step further and say the problem starts right away, no need to wait for those snap in fasteners to get old and brittle, they're just not water tight to begin with. Do you have any recommendations after attempting to mitigate this rust, inside and outside and completely filling in ALL of the holes, for finishing the entire area without re-using the plastic panels? Wood? Some other kind of thick epoxy coating, sculpted to the contour? Anything? Great video. I finally found someone who understands just how maddening (and criminal) this cover up job really is.
Actually the large holes on my van didn't even come (brand new) with the tape over them. Just open, gaping holes. My problem is I have advanced rust nearly all the way thru now.
Thanks for the video. Under my sprinter panels was an absurd amount of rust holes which caused major leakage into my vehicle. I have fiberglass patched all of the rust holes but I would like to apply a sealant to the top and bottom of the side panels on the outside of my van. Would you recommend this and if so, what type of sealant would work best? Thanks!
Those holes are actually there for releasing moisture from the walls of your van. Now moisture can't get away. Rust and mold will appear if there is no ventilation. I do find the place of the holes odd, would be better to have them on the bottom, so that excess moist can drip away easier.
I dont think that is correct mate, the newer crafter and sprinters have rubber grommets installed as standard as they knew this was a major design fault so it makes your theory invalid.
@@blackrockoutfitters78 If that is true, I stand corrected. I have kept them open for the reason I mentioned. Since I made a moisture barrier on the inside of my van, those holes are (to my knowledge) the only holes in the metal that will let moisture out of the panel wall.. I'll tear it down next winter to have a look.
Wouldn't it be much a more guaranteed seal/easier fix if you just caulked the perimeter of where the plastic panel's edges meet the metal body of the van?
Great video, I have a 906 2011, it gas virtually no rust, I want to keep it that way, for years. Its low mileage. Sikoflex is the product I ysed to install monumental scilpture we bonded really heavy items with it. Are there any drain holes I can empty any possible water from my sills
Brilliant mate. Talk about a light bulb moment. Ive just got an 06 sprinter and one side panel is rusted out behind the plastic trim...b#$@rd, lol. How do I replace a whole side panel!? Good on ya mate. Subscribed!😄
Do the wheel arches come off the same way, with the t20 for the screw and then the snap fittings? Great video. I don’t have one yet but looking at a one or two year old used one in the near future.
What’s best solution when all your holes are so rusty u can only keep trim on with white duct tape ???…. Maybe worth making small 10cmX10cm plates up with the hole in the middle ?? … chop little 10cm squares out and weld plates in ??…. Maybe worth a metal fabrication Co doing it by laser and computer even ??…. Thoughts appreciated :-)❤
Fantastic I shared it on self build campers having helped a friend do that job. Congratulations on how many people you help save their vans from rust. Your style of instruction and presentation makes you an excellent instructor and a pleasure to learn from.
Yupp 👍😎❤️👌👍
Thank you so much for doing this. I’ve just retired and want my van to last as long as I do. We will be going everywhere together. I will do this asap as it’s 12 years old ❤️
O.K. valid issue and your video is great in showing these problem areas in perfect detail. 👍
A few issues if I may though: I absolutely cringe 😖, when I see these sidepanels being removed with a bare metal screwdriver. You'll be putting scratches in the paintwork causing other corrosion issues.
You should also remove the trim clips from the bodywork using similar PLASTIC tools meant for the job.
And PLEASE: Remove the markers PRIOR to removing the panels to avoid damaged wiring whilst pulling the panel. The markers have an etched in arrow on one end of the lens, push them in that direction, lift them out and remove the bulb socket with a twist (as shown).
Replace ALL (125 on our LWB Crafter) clips with new FACTORY ones (don't use cheap Chinese knock-offs, they are brittle out of the bag). Add a waxing agent, "Mike Sanders" fluid or similar to the INSIDE areas aroud the clip holes. And only use a clip sealant, that remains flexible over time (we used Dekaseal).
We've done the lot on our 2014 Crafter and along with a Raptor coating on the side and lower panels, rust should not be an issue. 😎
Mate I'm in the early stages of my own Sprinter conversion and came across your video by accident. This is next on my ever expanding list but a van saver. Great presentation.
Great advice. One other thing I would add is to make sure that the narrow slotted drain holes are cleared with a piece of wire. One of mine was blocked & the panel full of water
How many narrow slotted drains per side budd ??… on an 07 plate
Soz xlwb 07
Very good presentation, have a 2015 144 ex ambulance 906, ran a seal of silicone along the top of the plastic side piece all round and check drain holes regularly, works for me.
Thanks for this. I'm getting a van to convert on a budget so I'm gathering the skills for remedial maintenance that I'm going to need on the van I can afford!
Thank you for this one.We just looked at a 2015 Sprinter LWB for sale in Chertsey England.It has Satnav it had Aircon.It had been owned by a landscape gardener.It is still for sale £11250.Luckily for us the seller had removed the ply lining off the walls which meant we could look into the the depths of the walls of the van inside.It had a perfect tide scum mark from the front of the load area to the back of the load area with soil/rust at the bottom.We walked away from it.Thank you for this vid we could have bought a load of trouble
Stevie, I was looking at that van in Chertsey, the photos I saw showed damp on the ply lining, I just bought a 66 plate for less than that. good luck with your hunt.
Can't thank you enough mate, brilliant, simple solution to a potentially serious future issue. I just got a new one and it will be one of the first things I do. I plan on keeping my rig till they put me under so want it to last. Much appreciated from the other side of the pond.
You just ruined Mercedes-Benz' planned obsolescence...
Exactly. I have the '98 Sprinter with unbreakable engine. So they designed it with cheap steel otherwise nobody would ever buy a new van:)
I agree totally,,,, these alleged oversights are designed to fuck up your plan to keep a van for years,,,
Hard to believe this is a simple, undetected flaw, especially since it has been affecting sprinters over many years and fix is simple. On the other hand, these are commercial cars, so they tend to do high mileage and get beaten on the job.
Great advice, thanks for sharing. Im doing my 2nd van fit out and already planning my 3rd. These are the things you don't think about till its too late. Thanks
You remind me of Richard Hammond for some reason when he does top gear. Well done on showing us the fix!
Superb video. Just doing my 2008 sprinter and the 50p discs are half off already. One has disappeared completely. Explains the surface rust on the inside of the box section! Thanks for this - the van may last another 10 years now!
I’m just about to start converting a new van. Glad I came across this video before I started. Great vid. Thanks
Nice mate! just got a 2012 sprinter and starting my camper van convertion. first thing I will do ;)
Nice 1 Adam, after watching several other videos of Crafter and Sprinter owners sealing up their holes, yours is the first to highlight those larger 50p sized holes. I'm trying to think what they would of been for, but cannot think what, I first thought maybe for a 4x4, I know they have plastic trim over the rear arches, but this still doesn't make sense why those larger holes are there.
Maybe they are acces holes to ge to some hardware/bolts etc...
I'd probably use a marine grade sealant/adhesive on those holes. I can't see any reason for needing to unseal them anytime soon. I'm talking about the plastic round patches now, not the clips that really hold the trim in. For instance, 3M Marine 5200 adhesive sealant. That stuff will probably survive the apocalypse. Although, why not - 5200 is permanent as heck, so if you use that, those side panel grommets aren't coming off without violence. But the plastic might still come out, but replacing any of the grommets will probably be a bit more painful.
Thanks so much for that top tip, I have a planned Crafter build out for end of this year so these types of life saver videos are invaluable. Cheers!
Accidentally came across this video and I'm glad I did.When i checked there were water marks , dirt inside the panels and also a few rust circles round some of the clips. Thanks
Thank you for this video. This is the next step for my van when it comes back from paint .
Thanks for the video. I have a leak and rust on the inside wall behind the driver seat. This is probably the culprit. I will pull the panel and reseal.
Thanks so so much we are just starting to convert our VW Crafter 2011 lwb, i am going to sort ours out in the next few weeks great video, its people like yourself sharing your knowledge and ideas that make it all worth while many thanks again...
The sprinters ALL rust in the body... this is a great tip!
I just snagged a 2011, i will be checking this asap!
Liked, subbed and rung the bell! Invaluable info for people like me driving camper conversions over 10 years old with very low mileage, thinking that your maintenance regime will keep it looking and driving great indefinitely, only to find Mercedes themselves are shafting you. "kin pee's me off! The only issue I have had with my bodywork has been due to the installation of a window prior to delivery when new. It developed problems a few years later which shows that they couldn't even be bothered to seal the bodywork properly when cutting into a new £35k van. Would have taken less than a minute. Everything else as long as you keep it clean and serviced has been spot on. Although I am now dreading taking these panels off and finding anything. Great video, thanks. (Enjoyed your humour too!)
Thanks for sharing Bud - what a shocking design flaw! Unbelievable!
Thanks much, my Sprinter’s had a California life, little water so no such rust yet, but this is key for humid/rainy locales.
Brilliant work. I would suggest using butyl tape as it allows for expansion and contraction in cold and hot weather
great tip and note the same sikaflex is used to bond windscreens it sets in about 4 hours like rubber and will never let water through... its murder to get off your hands or parts of the van but does come off with the use of WD40 ... best not to get messy with it in the first place..... great tip though & something id never of considered without you pointing it out cheers bud
brilliant, thank you! I had found out about this, but your video is the absolute best at explaining it all really easily.
Hiya just done my plastic sides took about 2 hrs good job done thanks
Ian Trowsdale Nice work, glad the video helped and thanks for watching!
One off the best vids THANKS PAL JOBS A GOOD EN
Must do mine ! Fortunately I’m in Spain and my sprinter is mint but moving north soon 🤔Thanks , subscribed 👍🏻
Fantastic advice thank you I am looking to get a an old sprinter early next year guess what I am doing first . 😊 thank you .
Just started a crafter, 16 plate, gonna do this straight away, thanks great video
Also clear the drain holes at the bottom of the panels (Regularly!)
If you don't you could be driving around with a buckets worth of water rusting away
never thought of those trim pieces doing that... plan on a ram promaster but i bet that one would have the same issues too. thanks again for the tip
Going to do this on my Renault/Vauxhall van also. Water also came in and rusted inside and side panel of my van exactly because of this design fault. Thanks!
Great vid, word of advice to fellow van converters, some of the panels look very similar, such as the one on the sliding door and the one opposite, but they are slightly different, the clips are in a different location on each by about 1cm, varely noticeable until you got the thing covered in sikaflex and it won't go on😂
Good video. Recently found out about this issue. Which is after I'd done my conversion. Definitely on my things to do list
Ive just bought 15 plate crafter so thsnks for the warning mate ill look into this
Having just brought my crafter this is great
Brilliant video thanks for sharing. I'm glad I've watched it.
Will share it with my friends 👍
Feel better that I have a TN1 with no cladding .Stickers for hole covers??? Crazy good info
Superman save’s the day 👍👍
My Crafter leaks. It's 2nd hand 13 plate and I noticed water run marks from the trim clips and damp inside. This explains why! What a poor design - mind you VW/Merc want it to rot so you will buy another. 🤔
On the back of your fix, I would advise anyone buying a 2nd hand Crafter/Sprinter to do this as a matter of course. The 1st things to get damaged in a scrape are the trims. (It's what they're there for). If (When - I defy you to show me a 2nd hand van without a bump) your van has had a scrape, the repairer might not have put everything back right. Even to the point of not replacing all the clips?
Thanks for a good fix tip👌
Another rot point on Crafter/ Sprinters is the side door track between the stainless steel runner and body. (Mine has it's own little eco system growing there.) Give it a good drink of water displacer (WD40 or alternative). It looks messy but at least you will have something left to clean and polish.
May 2022 update - Finally got round to sealing the trim clips. I found that some of the clips were destroyed on removal so replaced with new from eBay along with Sikaflex.
They were mostly flithy where the rainwater, salt and roadmuck had gotten behind them. Got me thinking why? Then I was struck by a revelation - as you are moving, there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the van. so wherever there is a small gap there will be at times a suction pulling water in.
We also used to run a bead of black silicone along the top of the black trim
Great advice buddy thanks 😆John york be crafter
Thank you for your videos! They're so clear and well-filmed. I really appreciate you sharing all this knowledge. And now I know what my next job on the van is ;)
I guess Im asking randomly but does any of you know of a tool to log back into an Instagram account?
I somehow lost the login password. I love any tips you can give me
@Yehuda Nehemiah Instablaster ;)
@Deshawn Enrique thanks so much for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im in the hacking process atm.
Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later with my results.
@Deshawn Enrique It worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much, you saved my account!
@Yehuda Nehemiah happy to help :)
great vid seen one were a guy just sicoflexed the hole trim sealed it all the way round
Awesome video and really easy to see what to do. I need to do this on my van and this video is perfect! Thanks so much!
I think the side rail is also to be checked for leaks, and in my case, the back door rubber seal at the top was letting water in the crack between 2 body parts that were not sealed properly (gummy material was missing). Reapplied silicon all along the body parts hidden by the seal. Hopefully no more leaks
Super detailed and positive-It makes doing this very possible-and as you say- you must. Thank you.
I just bought a 2016 crafter du recon this needs the same treatment cheers
I like when he shouted 'WRONG'.
Those stickers remind me of the packing tape sheetrock repair videos...
The boy who has to change the side light for the mot when it needs it will be cursing you trying to get that trim back off 😆
Great informative vid, thank you. I'm just about to tackle a few rust spots on my 2009 Sprinter and found your vid on a YT trawl, subscribed.
Another MOPAR van; the Fiat Ducato aka Ram Promaster ALSO requires this fix and needs to be sealed up along the wheel wells and on the back panels it also had a very badly designed air escape vent. All leak into the bottom of the walls / frame.
Great Video Only issue is when the side light bulb needs changing.....
Mark T The side bulb holder comes out on its own for easy access mate so no problem there.
@@blackrockoutfitters78 Thanks Pal
Thank you so much for this video iv got the problem now with water coming in....thank you
Nice one Adam, thanks for the great gen
Thanks for a great fix-tip and video. I don't own a Sprinter/Crafter van myself, but I have heard terrible stories about that flaw for a while now, and wants to share another one. The seal on the rear wheel arches (between the wheel tub and the outer panel) are so bad/sometimes even missing on some vans, that You need to re-seal it to keep the inside of your van free from water. There is otherwise a serious spray of water coming in to your van from the rear wheels. And like You say and many people have said, it's a shame that they get away with such idiotic constructions and sloppy works. Why don't people sue them :/
Were those terrible stories coming from transit owners who have to hate on the sprinter because they can’t afford one?
Why are you watching fix it tips for vehicle you don’t own?
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath Are You serious or just 12 y.o?
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath Because back in those days (2 years ago) I was looking for a new van. It is always good to do consumer research.
@@vangeezerexperience Do you always go around slamming company’s products based on unsubstantiated innuendo and without going into detail? BTW, I didn’t see any rust or rusty water in this video.
Or on the citroen relay. Got the same problem.
i've subbed mate, really enjoyed your presentation style
Great job, I subbed.
It's shocking to see how they've done it, until you see how much time is needed to do it correctly; as it was, it was done in less time, will ruin the van, customer'll have to buy a new one. Mother lovers !
14:06 and when i'm that far with my sprinter, then i will seal off the plastic trim all around so no water can run behind it. And for the side lamp i would
use a silicone based sealant because that's easy to remove in case a new light bulb is needed.
Excellent video “ people can actually see how you do these jobs “ unlike some ‘ which do time lapse ‘
Have you anymore videos on RUclips.
Thanks 🙏
6 years ago wen i was working for the mb dealership we sealed them with ducktape. Poor design equals cheap fix
Excellent tips! Thank-you. Why not seal the edges of the plastics as well with clear sealant?
Great idea.. bonded to the van forever…if not rip it off and take all the paint with it….
I think that thin plastic disc would be better to cover the hole, the hole was probable a need in production line for something thats my guess, I am after crafter not sure if it will be like that. Thanks...
Same with 2015
Very excellent video. Thanks mate
Great advice! Thank you
Brilliant! thanks man.
thank you , thank you, , from Poland !
Please can I ask which number sealant you used
as I just looked online and there's lots of different numbers for the sealant you say use.
Thank you
For any replies.
Best wishes.
Awesome video. Did you have any issues with removing the panel after sealing the clips and then putting it back on?
Thanks mate
thanks so much , l am in the middle of turning my 2008 model in to a camper and insulating it
Good job
Many thanks from MEXICO
I think the clips are intended to come off with the panel but don’t necessarily. What happens if one breaks as clips do especially once they age a bit? I’ve been working on cars for 40 years and have seen many clips deteriorate or harden in a few years. If you use a sealant that dries hard then it will hard to get out of the body and several will break upon removal. Use a softer drying (for lack of a better term) and the clip can be swapped out easily. I just took the same kind of panels off of a Dodge Promaster 2015 (here in Canada) and at least 1/3 of all the clips broke in one way or another with some completely broken and they were not glued with a sealant. If they were they would have ALL broken. My suggestion makes sense as the cost is hardly any difference and doesn’t glue the clips with a “hard” sealant.
Great to know!!! Thanks!!!
Fantastic video.. but i do have a question, how easy is it to remove plastic pannel at a later date??
Is this the only thing that causes sprinters to rust? Obviously sprinters manufacture changes over time but the transit lovers have to hate on sprinters to justify their purchase because they don’t want anybody to think they couldn’t afford a Sprinter and one recently claim that sprinters “rust out”. I have a 2020 sprinter that I bought less than a year ago and a big sheet of aluminum blew against my van when I was wind gust came up and put a deep gash in a rear door and a few months ago when I was driving down the freeway somebody either threw a big chunk of metal or a piece of rebar from road construction flew up and hit my passenger door and made a really deep gash there but despite record rainfall neither one of these two gases that I haven’t had repaired is rusting so that tells me the undercoat/primer on my 2020 sprinter is amazing, So I don’t know about older models but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the rust proofing undercoat on a 2020
My 2008 looks exactly like that one. I'll go a step further and say the problem starts right away, no need to wait for those snap in fasteners to get old and brittle, they're just not water tight to begin with. Do you have any recommendations after attempting to mitigate this rust, inside and outside and completely filling in ALL of the holes, for finishing the entire area without re-using the plastic panels? Wood? Some other kind of thick epoxy coating, sculpted to the contour? Anything? Great video. I finally found someone who understands just how maddening (and criminal) this cover up job really is.
Actually the large holes on my van didn't even come (brand new) with the tape over them. Just open, gaping holes. My problem is I have advanced rust nearly all the way thru now.
Thanks for the video. Under my sprinter panels was an absurd amount of rust holes which caused major leakage into my vehicle. I have fiberglass patched all of the rust holes but I would like to apply a sealant to the top and bottom of the side panels on the outside of my van. Would you recommend this and if so, what type of sealant would work best? Thanks!
Informative and Entertaining. Thank you from Canada!
Those holes are actually there for releasing moisture from the walls of your van. Now moisture can't get away. Rust and mold will appear if there is no ventilation. I do find the place of the holes odd, would be better to have them on the bottom, so that excess moist can drip away easier.
I dont think that is correct mate, the newer crafter and sprinters have rubber grommets installed as standard as they knew this was a major design fault so it makes your theory invalid.
@@blackrockoutfitters78 If that is true, I stand corrected. I have kept them open for the reason I mentioned. Since I made a moisture barrier on the inside of my van, those holes are (to my knowledge) the only holes in the metal that will let moisture out of the panel wall.. I'll tear it down next winter to have a look.
@@blackrockoutfitters78 Do you know what year they brought in those changes?
So if you want to replace the side light markers, you'll do what now?
Wouldn't it be much a more guaranteed seal/easier fix if you just caulked the perimeter of where the plastic panel's edges meet the metal body of the van?
Until you want to remove the trims.
Does anyone know if the 2021 Vans still have this issue??
Great video, I have a 906 2011, it gas virtually no rust, I want to keep it that way, for years. Its low mileage. Sikoflex is the product I ysed to install monumental scilpture we bonded really heavy items with it. Are there any drain holes I can empty any possible water from my sills
Great tip
Brilliant mate. Talk about a light bulb moment. Ive just got an 06 sprinter and one side panel is rusted out behind the plastic trim...b#$@rd, lol. How do I replace a whole side panel!? Good on ya mate. Subscribed!😄
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 good job bro!! I’m doing mine now 😃😎😍💪🏾👏🏾🙏🏾
Do the wheel arches come off the same way, with the t20 for the screw and then the snap fittings? Great video. I don’t have one yet but looking at a one or two year old used one in the near future.
sooooooooooooo glad i watched this, thank you! anyone know how many clips on a long wheelbase sprinter?
2019 has rubber gaskets around the circle, doesn't seem to need this treatment. Guess we will find out in 20yrs
What’s best solution when all your holes are so rusty u can only keep trim on with white duct tape ???…. Maybe worth making small 10cmX10cm plates up with the hole in the middle ?? … chop little 10cm squares out and weld plates in ??…. Maybe worth a metal fabrication Co doing it by laser and computer even ??…. Thoughts appreciated :-)❤