Don't even think of removing your body panels! I have discovered an easy, affordable way to prevent trim panel leaks in your Sprinter van. #onahumbleroad
Hi Greg I did chuckle when I saw you had commented here. I avidly follow you both. I’m getting a Transit L4H3 (Jumbo) to convert and your videos have being so well presented and full of truly useful info. Keep up the excellent work.
I purchased the 8020 silicone version of the gasket and used this on my van after watching your video. My understanding is that it does not have a UV retardant in it but it will be more UV resistant than the rubber version of the same profile gasket. I added this in about and hour and after 3" of rain on a Saturday the leaks were stopped in my cargo van. I had the luxury of being able to see inside the van since I had not insulated yet and the cargo factory panels were off. It works. The only change I made was to cut notches in the gasket where the gasket would not seat completely down into the track. I figured I can replace the gasket on a periodic basis if needed. Thanks for the great suggestion.
George, the other help would be Silglyde. This is technically brake grease, but used extensively for rubber and o rings, it is completely safe for rubber unlike other greases. I use to reassemble plastic clips and components for easier service later.
I already removed my panels and it went down exactly as you said...half the clips break and it's a pain in the butt. I was shaking my head by the end, wondering how the fine folks at Mercedes could have allowed this design flaw. I'm going to do the rubber flashing as well, as after a rain there's got to be water hanging out behind those panels, even though it likely can't get into the van. Thanks for the great tip.
Smart, inexpensive, fix, to prevent damage and larger expense, down the road. It reminded me of doing screen spline and I half expected you to use a spline tool😊
Such a smart thing to do. I’m surprised you have that problem with a Mercedes. On the other hand I wonder why I’m surprised. George, your van will be perfect. Thank you.
great video series. my sprinter van build is 95% done. only 30% more to go. :-) just finished installing the rubber strips. looks great. I added a uv resistant silicone. and will add silicone or sikaflex to the interior clips then call this waterproofing job done. thanks for the tip. took 3 hours.
There's an old adage that goes: Good, fast, cheap, choose two. This is a good, fast *and* cheap/affordable fix to a design flaw that should be remedied before applying insulation to the interior vertical panels of Sprinter vans! If it were me, I wouldn't remove the panel, or use silicone. Available in either a gloss black thermoplastic elastomer, or a grey silicone, the 15 Series Economy Panel Gasket will effectively seal the space between the body panel exterior and top of the rub prevention trim. At $0.53 per foot/meter, and ~$5.00 for a trim tool, this is a fix anyone and everyone can do. Probably for around $35.00 all-in! Great tip George. And it looks really good, too.
Tried this. Bought the 80/20. Jammed some in the side strip and it keeps popping out during driving - especially when going off-road. And it’s HARD to jam in!!
Perfect timing for me to find out how to waterproof the body panels. I’ll give it a go. As I said before, you’re the Al Pacino of van builds. I too am a old time member of The Actors Studio my mentor - Lee Strasberg. Thanks, Neil Brooks Cunningham.
Definitely a way to do a belt and suspenders approach here, but personally I'd strip the panels and use a marine sealant rather than silicone (or some equivalent) to seal the holes under the panels once and for all. And then this on top of that when the panels go back on. Pretty much all vans, not just Sprinters, have the side panels mounted through straight-up holes right into the van, and need to be sealed. The Ford Transit which is otherwise a great choice for this type build has four rubber-covered holes in the roof (!) too, something to do with the roof rack. Those need to be meticulously sealed also.
George made a bit of an issue about the panels on Sprinters catching water and causing rust in a recent post ( Sprinter? Promaster? Comparing these two vans , Jul 19, 2020). Though George did not refer to his potential solution of 14 months ago, I remembered it and gave it another view and a Like. With a '19 170 in conversion, I promptly ordered 40 feet of the gasket. Then I read the 135 comments. To sum up: No long term review (more than 8 months); gasket is not UV rated (touch it up with some Aerospace 303 every few month); it's cheap enough to give it a try (I have); and like windshield wipers, consider it a maintenance item.(I will). There is no car, truck, bike or motorcycle, no boat, personal water craft, airplane or house, that is design defect free or, that does not require maintenance; preventative or repair. This goes for vans too. Thank you George, for reminding me to give the 80/20 gasket a try. I too suspect it will be a 90-95% solution.
All the vans that have plastic side panels have them mounted through straight-up holes in the side of the van. I saw a couple converting a Ducato (Promaster) who used spray foam and they foamed everything up very enthusiastically. Including the drain holes in the very bottom of the van walls. Didn't take very long before they had an indoor pool.
Great video and tip as always. Thank you for taking the time to share this. Be careful with some type of Silicone. Some create corrosion over time on metal
Brilliant idea. 10/10 !!! The product you are using appears to be very similar to that used in assembling Aluminium window frames. I would have to assume the window assembly variety, has good longevity, with regards to exposure to the elements. Please keep these inventions flowing, thank you.
Good idea to stop water running down but when you are driving it will be spray. As the vehicle is moving there will be pressure difference between inside and outside. At times of suction, say when you open the window, this will draw the spray in through any holes. The only true way to stop it is to pop the trim and seal em with Sikaflex. As I've posted before, it's built in obsolescence coz VW/ Merc want em to rot so they can sell new vans.
I will try this on my Ford Transit 250. or I will use zip away sealant. Because it is removable. I would never use silicone Rubber. UPDATE: Turns out your method is a temporary solution. Problem is over time using your method, Plastic warps and starts to leak again. My Zip Seal' N Peel method is permanent and works very well
Why not do both? My lady and I took the trim pieces off, Sikaflexed all the clips and put them back on in an hour and a half. But I like this added insurance.
+1. .. Humble Road,,, .. You are da Man! .. "Intension vs method" grandmother Covey once said. .. Luv the determination. .. I see the position of shop General Manager or that of Partner over at mother ship, Advanced RV. .. I'll go downtown and allow Madam X to read my mind. .. Cheers, Mike & Ingrid
I admire your work so much. Creative, top quality, craftsmanship, etc. - all presented with humor in an entertaining way. Question: is that rubber made to live in the sun and weather? If it is, seems like another creative, innovative solution to a known issue (makes you wonder how the manufacturer would let the known problem continue to exist, doesn’t it?). As always, big thumbs up!! 👍
Thank you. This product is not necessarily made to live in the sun: "either a black thermoplastic elastomer or gray silicone rubber." I've had a piece of it on the van for 8 months now with no signs of fading, nor cracking. But I can't tell you how long it will last, think windshield wipers...
Seems like a no brainer. Especially given your projected cost of the fix. Plus a great product for its designed use. 5 Star OMG my 2 hereos. The Mighty George and a message from the Mighty GregV below. Their concepts and attention to detail are both equally brilliant. I subscribe to both of their RUclips pages.
Looking for a solution for my van ,this seems to to be the answer at first glance. I think I solved the problem ...I added vinyl film or car wrap by a professional pick out a cool picture they wrapped the mid to bottom of the van exposing the camera and sensors only that trim piece is wrapped so water should not get there I have a 170 extended for $1500 they wrapped my hood and lower all the way around a full wrap was $7000 -$10000.
Here’s why NOT to remove those trim panels: I removed mine with a plastic tool. I leveraged off the body to pop each connector loose. Was a cloudy day. The next day, the sun was out, and each of my ~50 tiny dings in the body was clearly visible. It hurt to see that. If I had it to do over again, I’d leave the panels on, but seal each and every clip from the INSIDE, using Sikaflex.
Did you have any luck? I got some weatherstrip from Screwfix and ran a blade down it to separate into two. The L shape I was left with worked okay but is a little thin for my liking. Id be curious if you stumbled on a solution over here in Blighty.
You can also solve the problem by giving the water a bit of a playground and cut out stripes under every plastic-pin... this way water can come in but it'll leave the "natural way"... Since the Van isn't insulated in these areas you can top up the insulation with a a little bit of thinner material over it... so the water is behind it. I also like you're idea but I know a lot of problems for example with the Fiat Ducato (which is your Promaster in the US) and you're not even think about what can happen in the future... Take for example the Promasters little "rain gutter" over the backdoors... it's a horrible construction-failure by Fiat because if you're Van is standing in the snow and water freezes up there in the rain gutter it can damage your upper layer of paint and we all know what will happen if the paint peels off on the roof... it's getting expensive! ;) So I hope I gave you a new information here about your future Van-Builds since this was my most painful lesson in the past. I simply love your attention to detail on your Van-Builds... awesome work... speaking from photographer to photographer! :) ;)
No long term results, I just thought of it! Some viewers have commented that they tried it and it works like a dream. For $35.00 US it's worth a try, right?
Great idea! Thanks George! BTW, what plexi are you using for your 80/20 cabinets these days? I built an 80/20 enclosure for my power system, and would like to use plexi to create the walls, but still allow for me to see in and admire my work;) Cheers from Napa!
George, Nice idea, but seeing this is outdoors in the sun, is that 2115 panel gasket UV stable? 80/20inc has no specifications listed for it. One things for sure, it will reduce the vibration of the panel against the painted body panel, therefore stopping plastic panel from rubbing through the paint job exposing the steel body panel to water and road salt as well as dirt.
M Rose most likely not UV stable. They offer a 150 ft roll for $70. If you share that with other Sprinter owners, it becomes more affordable. So have a gasket party every 3-5 years!
Great website. There is similar holes in a ducato so I suspect they also exist in the promaster. These holes have two purposes , 1 to attach the panels and 2 to allow paint to drain out during manufacturing. There are often little rubber plugs in the end of the frame that you can pop out.
Looks great George - I'll be interested to see how it works out. We recently bought a 2019 Plateau FL and I enjoy it a lot - was not aware at all of this problem with the side panels. Seems like a good idea and maybe something I should do to pre-empt problems. Unfortunately, it seems it is available only in black and grey (and the materials are different - that may not matter, not sure.) However we paid etra for the colour matched bumpers and panels on our van (Mercedes grey white which to me is an attractive cream colour. I'm not sure how these weatherstrips would screw up the apprearance. I suspect the grey might look better. Any thoughts? ........... Brian in Burlington Ont.
As much money as these corporations gouge out of us for these vehicles, you shouldn't have to spend even more to overcome there incompetence's. Vehicles should be water tight, crazy talk I know. Not the type of overkill I am coming to expect from you though George...are you sure we can't redesign the paneling with 80/20. :-)
Thanks for the tip. As a new Sprinter owner, I was not aware of this issue. I wonder how the black rubber will look with the all-white body panels painted by PW? Better than having a leakage problem.
Are there any other spots to watch out for where a leak can occur? I've heard it can leak through the antenna, and from the heating matrix, but I once had a leak in the passenger side from the foot well down into between the seats, but never knew where that came from as someone cleaned it for me. So if anyone can give a y pointers with that it would be great.
owl vans sells a rubber kit just for this purpose so I'm wondering of its better than the 8020 and want to find out the difference in price, anything marine or Van conversion s brings a Hefty over priced item, oh by the end of the video George mentioned the price so about $25 for a 170 and Owl Vans is $59 SO my decision is made, thanks
I know for a fact that after I posted the video, “products” started popping up on line. They were simply buying the lengths from 8020, repackaging and selling as a special kit.
5:06 Hey George, any long term feedback on your experience with this process? Was it effective? Do you still suggest doing this as a possible way to minimize water entry? Thanks again for all the great videos and information!
The two sprinters I did this to our long gone out of my possession. I can only guess that it worked just fine. It’s an inexpensive enough fix that. I would certainly give it a try. The success depends completely on how well you install it.
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?
Hi there humble road experts, I’m a recent subscriber of your channel. When I was looking to seal the side plastic panels of my van, I came across this Video and I would like to get the rubber gasket you have used here. Is it posible for you to send me the link where I can order it? I’m in Australia but, here they don’t have that particular fit for the job. I’ll be greatly appreciative if you can send this link to me. Thank you for the great advice many of us get from your works. Joseph
I installed this on mine, made sure to press it in firmly, but it started to pop out. At some point I lost a whole strip while driving on the highway... The heat/cold seemed to also expand/contract the rubber lengthwise, creating extra tension making the strip pop in/out in some places. I should probably do it again, but have almost given up on this product... I'm sure there's a correct way to apply it, but I really made sure to stick mine in properly. I'm thinking perhaps some grease or soapy water is necessary (yes actually necessary) to remove any lengthwise tension in the strip? thoughts?
You will have trouble wherever you come across one of the Sprinter panel mount Christmas trees. You can try cutting away some of the barbed flange on your rubber to fly over the Christmas tree.
I feel like you have to push it far enough down to have the seal get behind top lip of trim otherwise the seal just flys off when on the road. This makes the seal sit more "flat" than create flashing, is there a better way?
George would love a link to purchase the 80/20 gasket as well as the tool you use. I want to do this asap! I see the part number of the gasket, but don’t know where to order it, and I can’t quite catch the name of the tool you used.
So what you’re saying is I’m going to pay $50,000 plus to buy a van that leaks rolling off the assembly line. Definitely going with a promaster when time comes.
Humble Road yup. Higher cost of diesel fuel. Higher cost of of maintenance. Diesel mechanics fewer and further between. Cost of def on top of fuel. Lol. Great looking van. Not sure I’ll go with a sprinter when time comes and mine wears out.
+1. Silkaflex (polyurethane elastomeric) vs generic silicone for this application. .. Current project is a '94 MB coupe renovation (historically 911's) for use as the next daily driver. .. Silkaflex works wonders securing stretched leather headliners. .. The Silka-poly expands and contracts with ease. ..Be it a cold Vail winter or a Manasquan shore/beach sunbaked heat. ..
I just ordered the gasketing George recommended as was curious about the same thing. As an FYI; they now get .78/foot so 34' with UPS ground shipping came to 48.57 but still a good deal. As some others here have reported, I intend to seal the inside of the clips with sikaflex as well. Hoping this will eliminate any future considerations with leaking at these locations. Thanks George!
The ad before this video just cracked me up! It showed someone gluing down weatherstripping to a Sprinter with Gorilla Glue. I kid you not! I hope every sprinter owner sees this video. How much does that stuff weigh anyway? :)
If you don't understand it, then you don't have the problem. Sprinter body panels leak into the van. This is a simple, effective way to shed the water away from leaking into the van.
Terry Plesia I’m not hawking a product here. Just offering up an idea. You think pulling the panels is the better way? Pull the panels. Beauty of life; we each make our own choices.
In theory yes. But let’s consider how the silicon will discolor and attract dirt and near impossible to remove. This rubber strip is so easy to push in and cheap enough to replace every five years..
Rustic Nature Reimagined this leak issue is not new. Goes back many model years, so my guess is no, not addressed in the 2019. Only a guess though, I haven’t had the opportunity to see a naked 2019 as of yet.
@@simondigiwiz4810 You can get it in either material and color. I purchased the gloss black thermoplastic. A test piece has been on the van since last October. Drove it from NJ to Elkhart, Indiana and back, sat outside for months, no signs of wear or degradation. And let's face it, at less than $30, I'm happy to replace it every few years for the protection it affords me every day! Black or grey, you decide. 👌
Humble Road - my Sprinter is a 4x4. When I go ‘off-road’ I think there is torque on the body that makes the strips loosen. I am trying to get them jammed in again.
That rubber weatherstripping he mentions…DOES NOT WORK. I bought a spool. It doesn’t stay in place with driving vibrations and wind. Total waste of money. Just caulk it with gray butyl caulk tube and power caulking gun.
Oh no! I I drove my van from New Jersey to Florida stayed a month and drove back to New Jersey without a problem. I continued to drive the van for a few years before I sold it and I didn’t have a problem. I just pushed it in and it worked fine.
Wow, did you know a roll of toilet paper can fit in an empty 30.5 oz. Folger's coffee can, along with some wet wipes? Snap the lid on and it will stay clean and dry for years !!!!
A very clever solution George, thanks for putting this video out there. 👍🏼😃
Hi Greg
I did chuckle when I saw you had commented here. I avidly follow you both. I’m getting a Transit L4H3 (Jumbo) to convert and your videos have being so well presented and full of truly useful info. Keep up the excellent work.
Patrick McArdle thank you, George is very much like myself, great factual content and well presented
Funny to see you follow George too Greg. You both are my source of wisdom, and also ourkaravan.
Hello Greg, fellow UK Sprinter owner. Have you had a go at this??
Richard Sumner I’m not sure we can get that trim in the UK need to make more enquiries.
I purchased the 8020 silicone version of the gasket and used this on my van after watching your video. My understanding is that it does not have a UV retardant in it but it will be more UV resistant than the rubber version of the same profile gasket. I added this in about and hour and after 3" of rain on a Saturday the leaks were stopped in my cargo van. I had the luxury of being able to see inside the van since I had not insulated yet and the cargo factory panels were off. It works. The only change I made was to cut notches in the gasket where the gasket would not seat completely down into the track. I figured I can replace the gasket on a periodic basis if needed. Thanks for the great suggestion.
DISCLAIMER: I have not paid Kathryn Dydo for her review and she does not work for Humble Road 😜
Great review! Thank you Kathryn!
I just cleaned behind the trim as best I could and ran a bead of silicon. It's kept the panel space dry for years.
George, the other help would be Silglyde. This is technically brake grease, but used extensively for rubber and o rings, it is completely safe for rubber unlike other greases. I use to reassemble plastic clips and components for easier service later.
I already removed my panels and it went down exactly as you said...half the clips break and it's a pain in the butt. I was shaking my head by the end, wondering how the fine folks at Mercedes could have allowed this design flaw. I'm going to do the rubber flashing as well, as after a rain there's got to be water hanging out behind those panels, even though it likely can't get into the van. Thanks for the great tip.
barbjoz63 this is a great tip, but if you guys are breaking half your clips you’re doing it wrong. I don’t think we broke even a single one.
Smart, inexpensive, fix, to prevent damage and larger expense, down the road. It reminded me of doing screen spline and I half expected you to use a spline tool😊
Very interesting. The wheeled tool used to install window screen splines might also help with your weather stripping installation.
Who the hell would down-vote this? This is genius. Love your content. Thank you!
Keri exactly what I was thinking 🤔
bodymen /painters etc
Such a smart thing to do. I’m surprised you have that problem with a Mercedes. On the other hand I wonder why I’m surprised. George, your van will be perfect. Thank you.
great video series. my sprinter van build is 95% done. only 30% more to go. :-) just finished installing the rubber strips. looks great. I added a uv resistant silicone. and will add silicone or sikaflex to the interior clips then call this waterproofing job done. thanks for the tip. took 3 hours.
There's an old adage that goes: Good, fast, cheap, choose two.
This is a good, fast *and* cheap/affordable fix to a design flaw that should be remedied before applying insulation to the interior vertical panels of Sprinter vans!
If it were me, I wouldn't remove the panel, or use silicone. Available in either a gloss black thermoplastic elastomer, or a grey silicone, the 15 Series Economy Panel Gasket will effectively seal the space between the body panel exterior and top of the rub prevention trim.
At $0.53 per foot/meter, and ~$5.00 for a trim tool, this is a fix anyone and everyone can do. Probably for around $35.00 all-in!
Great tip George. And it looks really good, too.
John Coloe thanks John.
Tried this. Bought the 80/20. Jammed some in the side strip and it keeps popping out during driving - especially when going off-road. And it’s HARD to jam in!!
Perfect timing for me to find out how to waterproof the body panels. I’ll give it a go. As I said before, you’re the Al Pacino of van builds. I too am a old time member of The Actors Studio my mentor - Lee Strasberg. Thanks, Neil Brooks Cunningham.
Definitely a way to do a belt and suspenders approach here, but personally I'd strip the panels and use a marine sealant rather than silicone (or some equivalent) to seal the holes under the panels once and for all. And then this on top of that when the panels go back on. Pretty much all vans, not just Sprinters, have the side panels mounted through straight-up holes right into the van, and need to be sealed. The Ford Transit which is otherwise a great choice for this type build has four rubber-covered holes in the roof (!) too, something to do with the roof rack. Those need to be meticulously sealed also.
George made a bit of an issue about the panels on Sprinters catching water and causing rust in a recent post ( Sprinter? Promaster? Comparing these two vans
, Jul 19, 2020). Though George did not refer to his potential solution of 14 months ago, I remembered it and gave it another view and a Like. With a '19 170 in conversion, I promptly ordered 40 feet of the gasket.
Then I read the 135 comments. To sum up: No long term review (more than 8 months); gasket is not UV rated (touch it up with some Aerospace 303 every few month); it's cheap enough to give it a try (I have); and like windshield wipers, consider it a maintenance item.(I will).
There is no car, truck, bike or motorcycle, no boat, personal water craft, airplane or house, that is design defect free or, that does not require maintenance; preventative or repair. This goes for vans too.
Thank you George, for reminding me to give the 80/20 gasket a try. I too suspect it will be a 90-95% solution.
Nice work George. I’ve seen so many rusty Sprinters.... how could Benz let this go on for so many years.
All the vans that have plastic side panels have them mounted through straight-up holes in the side of the van. I saw a couple converting a Ducato (Promaster) who used spray foam and they foamed everything up very enthusiastically. Including the drain holes in the very bottom of the van walls. Didn't take very long before they had an indoor pool.
Croft Yes I saw that on a Day in Nature video, heartbreaking for them to redo work.
Great video and tip as always. Thank you for taking the time to share this. Be careful with some type of Silicone. Some create corrosion over time on metal
Brilliant idea. 10/10 !!! The product you are using appears to be very similar to that used in assembling Aluminium window frames. I would have to assume the window assembly variety, has good longevity, with regards to exposure to the elements. Please keep these inventions flowing, thank you.
Stephen Mann ahhhh! Yes! That’s worth a try! Nice!
Good idea to stop water running down but when you are driving it will be spray. As the vehicle is moving there will be pressure difference between inside and outside. At times of suction, say when you open the window, this will draw the spray in through any holes. The only true way to stop it is to pop the trim and seal em with Sikaflex. As I've posted before, it's built in obsolescence coz VW/ Merc want em to rot so they can sell new vans.
I will try this on my Ford Transit 250. or I will use zip away sealant. Because it is removable. I would never use silicone Rubber.
UPDATE:
Turns out your method is a temporary solution. Problem is over time using your method, Plastic warps and starts to leak again. My Zip Seal' N Peel method is permanent and works very well
."I would never use silicone Rubber."....... why? looking to sort my van too.
Thank you George for solving my problem. I really didn't want to pull the molding off. It's worth a try.
BeachBum given the cost and ease of installation, it’s definitely worth a try.
Why not do both? My lady and I took the trim pieces off, Sikaflexed all the clips and put them back on in an hour and a half. But I like this added insurance.
+1. .. Humble Road,,, .. You are da Man! .. "Intension vs method" grandmother Covey once said. .. Luv the determination. .. I see the position of shop General Manager or that of Partner over at mother ship, Advanced RV. .. I'll go downtown and allow Madam X to read my mind. .. Cheers, Mike & Ingrid
I admire your work so much. Creative, top quality, craftsmanship, etc. - all presented with humor in an entertaining way.
Question: is that rubber made to live in the sun and weather? If it is, seems like another creative, innovative solution to a known issue (makes you wonder how the manufacturer would let the known problem continue to exist, doesn’t it?).
As always, big thumbs up!!
👍
Thank you. This product is not necessarily made to live in the sun: "either a black thermoplastic elastomer or gray silicone rubber." I've had a piece of it on the van for 8 months now with no signs of fading, nor cracking. But I can't tell you how long it will last, think windshield wipers...
The 8020 trim is not UV resistant and its operating temperature rating is 0C - 40C. Depending on the environment, it will not last.
Great tip, it should work well for my Promaster too
Very good - thank you. Even if it is not 100% it is a hell of a lot better than the factory FLAW.
That’s what I think!
Looks good. Great cheap fix.
Genius George strikes again!
Seems like a no brainer. Especially given your projected cost of the fix. Plus a great product for its designed use. 5 Star
OMG my 2 hereos. The Mighty George and a message from the Mighty GregV below. Their concepts and attention to detail are both equally brilliant. I subscribe to both of their RUclips pages.
Hope they've addressed this fault on the 2019 sprinter - but a great fix anyway. Maybe prudent to seal from the inside as well.
If you see any van with side panels, they're almost certainly going through holes in the sheet metal. Not just Sprinters.
I own a Sprinter 2019... Same thing.
A super tip from the pro!!
Looking for a solution for my van ,this seems to to be the answer at first glance. I think I solved the problem ...I added vinyl film or car wrap by a professional pick out a cool picture they wrapped the mid to bottom of the van exposing the camera and sensors only that trim piece is wrapped so water should not get there
I have a 170 extended for $1500 they wrapped my hood and lower all the way around a full wrap was $7000 -$10000.
That is a good thought of saving from water rusting
Here’s why NOT to remove those trim panels: I removed mine with a plastic tool. I leveraged off the body to pop each connector loose. Was a cloudy day. The next day, the sun was out, and each of my ~50 tiny dings in the body was clearly visible. It hurt to see that. If I had it to do over again, I’d leave the panels on, but seal each and every clip from the INSIDE, using Sikaflex.
You're my hero. I've watched so many of your videos and really admire your innovative and thought process. Keep it up!
Thanks, will do!
Thank you George. Great idea. Think you will try a water recirculating system in your build?
I've got big plans for my grey water systems. You'll see!
I've never seen that done before. Most interesting.
Anybody in the uk 🇬🇧 no where I could get this rubber trim . Great idea mate 👍🏻👌🏻
8020.net
Did you have any luck? I got some weatherstrip from Screwfix and ran a blade down it to separate into two. The L shape I was left with worked okay but is a little thin for my liking.
Id be curious if you stumbled on a solution over here in Blighty.
You can also solve the problem by giving the water a bit of a playground and cut out stripes under every plastic-pin... this way water can come in but it'll leave the "natural way"... Since the Van isn't insulated in these areas you can top up the insulation with a a little bit of thinner material over it... so the water is behind it. I also like you're idea but I know a lot of problems for example with the Fiat Ducato (which is your Promaster in the US) and you're not even think about what can happen in the future... Take for example the Promasters little "rain gutter" over the backdoors... it's a horrible construction-failure by Fiat because if you're Van is standing in the snow and water freezes up there in the rain gutter it can damage your upper layer of paint and we all know what will happen if the paint peels off on the roof... it's getting expensive! ;) So I hope I gave you a new information here about your future Van-Builds since this was my most painful lesson in the past. I simply love your attention to detail on your Van-Builds... awesome work... speaking from photographer to photographer! :) ;)
Great information! Thanks, George!!
The next time you have a panel open, can you perform a water/flood test on it? You know just to see if it is working or not.
Another genius idea George
a bonus episode! yay
Great idea, George.
Any long term test results? BTW, did Mercedes fix this issue on the 2019/20 models?
No long term results, I just thought of it! Some viewers have commented that they tried it and it works like a dream. For $35.00 US it's worth a try, right?
Great idea! Thanks George! BTW, what plexi are you using for your 80/20 cabinets these days? I built an 80/20 enclosure for my power system, and would like to use plexi to create the walls, but still allow for me to see in and admire my work;) Cheers from Napa!
George, Nice idea, but seeing this is outdoors in the sun, is that 2115 panel gasket UV stable? 80/20inc has no specifications listed for it. One things for sure, it will reduce the vibration of the panel against the painted body panel, therefore stopping plastic panel from rubbing through the paint job exposing the steel body panel to water and road salt as well as dirt.
M Rose most likely not UV stable. They offer a 150 ft roll for $70. If you share that with other Sprinter owners, it becomes more affordable. So have a gasket party every 3-5 years!
Forgot to say “Thanks”
Amén!
brilliant once again! I believe this is a sprinter design/manufacturing flaw. Am I wrong...does it also happen on the Promasters?
As far as I know, it's a Sprinter issue.
Great website. There is similar holes in a ducato so I suspect they also exist in the promaster. These holes have two purposes , 1 to attach the panels and 2 to allow paint to drain out during manufacturing. There are often little rubber plugs in the end of the frame that you can pop out.
Looks great George - I'll be interested to see how it works out. We recently bought a 2019 Plateau FL and I enjoy it a lot - was not aware at all of this problem with the side panels.
Seems like a good idea and maybe something I should do to pre-empt problems. Unfortunately, it seems it is available only in black and grey (and the materials are different - that may not matter, not sure.) However we paid etra for the colour matched bumpers and panels on our van (Mercedes grey white which to me is an attractive cream colour. I'm not sure how these weatherstrips would screw up the apprearance. I suspect the grey might look better. Any thoughts? ........... Brian in Burlington Ont.
If the grey is on the lighter/warmer side, it would be a nice compliment to your cream color.
As much money as these corporations gouge out of us for these vehicles, you shouldn't have to spend even more to overcome there incompetence's. Vehicles should be water tight, crazy talk I know. Not the type of overkill I am coming to expect from you though George...are you sure we can't redesign the paneling with 80/20. :-)
Clever solution!
Thanks for the tip. As a new Sprinter owner, I was not aware of this issue. I wonder how the black rubber will look with the all-white body panels painted by PW? Better than having a leakage problem.
If you don't have any black on the chassis, the grey might look better. It's also a different material that might be easier to work with, IDK.
@@HumbleRoad well, we won't break the bank if we buy both colors and try them. Thank you again.
Always such great info!
Are there any other spots to watch out for where a leak can occur? I've heard it can leak through the antenna, and from the heating matrix, but I once had a leak in the passenger side from the foot well down into between the seats, but never knew where that came from as someone cleaned it for me. So if anyone can give a y pointers with that it would be great.
does anyone know if new crafters suffer from this?
owl vans sells a rubber kit just for this purpose so I'm wondering of its better than the 8020 and want to find out the difference in price, anything marine or Van conversion s brings a Hefty over priced item, oh by the end of the video George mentioned the price so about $25 for a 170 and Owl Vans is $59 SO my decision is made, thanks
I know for a fact that after I posted the video, “products” started popping up on line. They were simply buying the lengths from 8020, repackaging and selling as a special kit.
Thanks 👍
5:06 Hey George, any long term feedback on your experience with this process? Was it effective? Do you still suggest doing this as a possible way to minimize water entry? Thanks again for all the great videos and information!
The two sprinters I did this to our long gone out of my possession. I can only guess that it worked just fine. It’s an inexpensive enough fix that. I would certainly give it a try. The success depends completely on how well you install it.
@@HumbleRoad Thank you so much for the quick reply, George. I take it you don’t do this to your current Sprinters.
@@HumbleRoad What do you use to seal your current builds?
@@TheCCMasterChief I do not address that design flaw any longer
@@RR-ty6ki Mercedes has had more than enough time to correct the problem. I tell my clients to file a warranty claim.
Thanks to you it's awesome!
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?
nice find.
You are always thinking
Hi there humble road experts, I’m a recent subscriber of your channel.
When I was looking to seal the side plastic panels of my van, I came across this Video and I would like to get the rubber gasket you have used here. Is it posible for you to send me the link where I can order it? I’m in Australia but, here they don’t have that particular fit for the job.
I’ll be greatly appreciative if you can send this link to me.
Thank you for the great advice many of us get from your works.
Joseph
Welcome to Humble Road!
8020.net/2116.html
Thank you so much for your help and great work. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Do you have a link for this rubber profile please?
You Rock!!!! I’m just say’in
I'm almost positive that Owl Vans is selling this product as the same intended use.. I wonder if they found this video first 🤔
Check the dates! 😊
George, you flashed a picture of "2115" and later of "2117". Can you clarify please? Thank you.
2115 is the part number for "by the foot." 2117 is the part number for a 150 ft roll.
I installed this on mine, made sure to press it in firmly, but it started to pop out. At some point I lost a whole strip while driving on the highway... The heat/cold seemed to also expand/contract the rubber lengthwise, creating extra tension making the strip pop in/out in some places. I should probably do it again, but have almost given up on this product... I'm sure there's a correct way to apply it, but I really made sure to stick mine in properly. I'm thinking perhaps some grease or soapy water is necessary (yes actually necessary) to remove any lengthwise tension in the strip? thoughts?
You will have trouble wherever you come across one of the Sprinter panel mount Christmas trees. You can try cutting away some of the barbed flange on your rubber to fly over the Christmas tree.
did you add silicone? it acts like a glue and should hold it in place. I just finished ,one this morning and hope that I am right.
No. The 8020 trim is not UV resistant and its operating temperature rating is 0C - 40C.
How clever
I feel like you have to push it far enough down to have the seal get behind top lip of trim otherwise the seal just flys off when on the road. This makes the seal sit more "flat" than create flashing, is there a better way?
nice fix
Brilliant
George would love a link to purchase the 80/20 gasket as well as the tool you use. I want to do this asap! I see the part number of the gasket, but don’t know where to order it, and I can’t quite catch the name of the tool you used.
8020.net/2115.html
www.humbleroad.tv/public_html/humbleroad/2018/04/11/products/
As a tool, would the roller you used on the screen door work? If not that, a similar wheel-type tool?
Geoff Badenoch yes a wheel tool would be helpful. But not a metal variety, plastic, soft plastic!
So what you’re saying is I’m going to pay $50,000 plus to buy a van that leaks rolling off the assembly line. Definitely going with a promaster when time comes.
It's not that simple Dave. Many considerations, pros and cons.
Humble Road yup. Higher cost of diesel fuel. Higher cost of of maintenance. Diesel mechanics fewer and further between. Cost of def on top of fuel. Lol. Great looking van. Not sure I’ll go with a sprinter when time comes and mine wears out.
Homebuiltcamper Dave I just ordered two Promaster 3500EXT configured my way. One for me the other available!
Sikaflex works a whole lot better than silicone for me
There ya go! I call that teamwork!
+1. Silkaflex (polyurethane elastomeric) vs generic silicone for this application. .. Current project is a '94 MB coupe renovation (historically 911's) for use as the next daily driver. .. Silkaflex works wonders securing stretched leather headliners. .. The Silka-poly expands and contracts with ease. ..Be it a cold Vail winter or a Manasquan shore/beach sunbaked heat. ..
@@michaelschneider- I did some research... There are so many variations of Sikaflex. Which one did you use? (291 or 221?)
Brainstorms are awesome
Hi, how are the trims holding up? I’m thinking of purchasing the same gasket but curious if it ended up cracking do to UV. Thank you.
I’ll ask the owner
I just ordered the gasketing George recommended as was curious about the same thing. As an FYI; they now get .78/foot so 34' with UPS ground shipping came to 48.57 but still a good deal. As some others here have reported, I intend to seal the inside of the clips with sikaflex as well. Hoping this will eliminate any future considerations with leaking at these locations. Thanks George!
The ad before this video just cracked me up! It showed someone gluing down weatherstripping to a Sprinter with Gorilla Glue. I kid you not! I hope every sprinter owner sees this video. How much does that stuff weigh anyway? :)
Lost On Land Again 🤣
#616! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks ;)
Does anyone have a link on where to find the weatherproofing? Please and thank youuu!
In the video description and at 8020.net
I can’t buy this in the uk
;-(
Any luck finding something over here by any chance?
Why should you do this? I don’t understand it 🙈
If you don't understand it, then you don't have the problem. Sprinter body panels leak into the van. This is a simple, effective way to shed the water away from leaking into the van.
How well will this fix hold up to UV? Just pre order the clips knowing some will break before you take off the panels.
Terry Plesia I’m not hawking a product here. Just offering up an idea. You think pulling the panels is the better way? Pull the panels. Beauty of life; we each make our own choices.
Would a heat gun soften the rubber?
absolutely. a heat gun will soften most things!
Whoa
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Cool !!! Skål !!!
would just using silicon fix this problem in theory?
In theory yes. But let’s consider how the silicon will discolor and attract dirt and near impossible to remove. This rubber strip is so easy to push in and cheap enough to replace every five years..
Do you think the 2019 design is improved or not?
Rustic Nature Reimagined this leak issue is not new. Goes back many model years, so my guess is no, not addressed in the 2019. Only a guess though, I haven’t had the opportunity to see a naked 2019 as of yet.
Is the strip material UV stable?? ...or stable with use of soaps, oils, waxes, polishes etc??
search: gloss black thermoplastic elastomer, or a grey silicone.
Humble Road ok and which one is the stripping material made out of?
@@simondigiwiz4810 You can get it in either material and color. I purchased the gloss black thermoplastic. A test piece has been on the van since last October. Drove it from NJ to Elkhart, Indiana and back, sat outside for months, no signs of wear or degradation. And let's face it, at less than $30, I'm happy to replace it every few years for the protection it affords me every day! Black or grey, you decide. 👌
Hahaha! Title: "Fix leaks easily" 1:48 "have not tested if it works.." nice vid tho with the pic in pic of parts.
I had to draw you in! We in the biz call that click bait… 😜
Bought the 80/20 and couldn’t get the strips to stay in place after a few bumpy rides. (2016/144/4x4 Sprinter).
I drove mine from New Jersey to Elkhart, Indiana and back. They didn’t budge.
Humble Road - my Sprinter is a 4x4. When I go ‘off-road’ I think there is torque on the body that makes the strips loosen. I am trying to get them jammed in again.
Try a bead of clear silicone. Carefully!
I have a 2018 Sprinter and where can I buy replacement clips? Help!
Ahhhh you pulled them off didn’t you!?
@@HumbleRoad No not yet, but didn't want to be in that situation to need'em & not have'em
Smart!
Just take the panels off and silicon them, its piece of mind.
I'd like to give you a "peace" of my mind...😜
That rubber weatherstripping he mentions…DOES NOT WORK. I bought a spool. It doesn’t stay in place with driving vibrations and wind. Total waste of money. Just caulk it with gray butyl caulk tube and power caulking gun.
Oh no! I I drove my van from New Jersey to Florida stayed a month and drove back to New Jersey without a problem. I continued to drive the van for a few years before I sold it and I didn’t have a problem. I just pushed it in and it worked fine.
Wow, did you know a roll of toilet paper can fit in an empty 30.5 oz. Folger's coffee can, along with some wet wipes? Snap the lid on and it will stay clean and dry for years
!!!!
😜
How long has the Sprinter van been on the market with a significant "known problem" and yet Mercedes has done zero about it. What else? No thanks.
This leak issue is not a new one...