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Keyair · 09-12-2011, 10:43 AM

When I lived in England.... I only owned English cars... And "sometimes" it rained...
I became pretty good at tracking down leaks... and one of my favorite tools was stuff called Comma Seak and Seal.. It was a water thin sealant probably like the stuff you are talking about Dave.
It had a long flexible nozzle... you stuffed it under rubber seals and squeezed the liquid out, and it was drawn in by capillary action and then it set, and so sealed the leaks.
My windshield glasses need replacing, as I have a crack that is drilled the drivers side, and both are starting to fog around the edges between the layers. I am planning to get the crack resin filled locally, and already spoke to the guy and sent him a pic, and he assures me he can make it much less visible, and stop it cracking further for about $100, so I am planning to do that for now. Longer term, I will replace both and the seals, and lock strip.

Smartstream · 09-12-2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keyair

When I lived in England.... I only owned English cars... And "sometimes" it rained...
I became pretty good at tracking down leaks... and one of my favorite tools was stuff called Comma Seak and Seal.. It was a water thin sealant probably like the stuff you are talking about Dave.
It had a long flexible nozzle... you stuffed it under rubber seals and squeezed the liquid out, and it was drawn in by capillary action and then it set, and so sealed the leaks.
My windshield glasses need replacing, as I have a crack that is drilled the drivers side, and both are starting to fog around the edges between the layers. I am planning to get the crack resin filled locally, and already spoke to the guy and sent him a pic, and he assures me he can make it much less visible, and stop it cracking further for about $100, so I am planning to do that for now. Longer term, I will replace both and the seals, and lock strip.

I recently had both windshields and the gasket replaced. I watched the guys do the entire job. I asked about the seal with the new gasket and lock strip. The explanation was they seal all windshields and gaskets with polyurethane, vulcum without the texture. Most newer car windshields are glued in with no gasket. They are a structural part of the body. If a windshield pops out during a wreck the installer is liable no mater how old the installation. He also said his insurer would not cover him unless he fully glued all his windshield installations. Many installers use WD-40 or something similar to help ease in the glass in the gasket. This is a big no no as it will compromise the adhesion of the glue "polyurethane." After the glass was in he raised the edge of the gasket, stuck the tip of the polyurethane cartridge in the gap and ran it all the way around the perimeter. He did the same thing between the gasket and the glass. The front of my coach is happily very dry and leak free. I hope you guys can get yours sealed as well.

Cheers, Dan

gunner · 09-13-2011, 06:08 AM

I have to replace both of mine due to starting to fog around the bottom of the windshields. Did a regular automotive glass shop do the work and where did they get the windshields from or did you have to take it to an airstream repair facility, also what kind of costs can I expect?

Smartstream · 09-13-2011, 07:55 AM

Any good auto glass shop can get the windshields wholesale and install them. I think the gaskets come from Airstream but I won't swear to that. You are probably looking at around $2000 depending on your negotiations with the installer and how much markup he wants. I know the insurance companies don't pay full tab. It's probably best to find a good shop and just talk to them.

Good luck, Dan

Keyair · 09-13-2011, 08:12 AM

I got a quote from Andy last year and this was the price...
Each windshield costs $839.00

The gasket costs $ 265.00

The lock for the gasket costs $ 58.50

Smartstream · 09-13-2011, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keyair

I got a quote from Andy last year and this was the price...
Each windshield costs $839.00

The gasket costs $ 265.00

The lock for the gasket costs $ 58.50

This is true but the glass shops buy them cheaper then Andy and don' get hit with the crating fee that Andy does. I think Andy said he paid $300 crating fee even if he picked it up as it is only a mile or two from his shop. There is a supplier in Oregon that I found a web site for but can't find now. My windshield was an insurance job and I gave the installer the quote from Andy and he said not even close.

Again good luck, Dan

Keyair · 09-13-2011, 10:43 AM

Mmm.
Well, Andy is driving distance from me, so I thought I would use him at the time.
In the end, I will replace them both, but not for a while... its a lower priority.

Smartstream · 09-13-2011, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keyair

Mmm.
Well, Andy is driving distance from me, so I thought I would use him at the time.
In the end, I will replace them both, but not for a while... its a lower priority.

Andy is great and I get everything I can from him and again he was the first call when my windshield broke. The thing is I learned an awful lot from watching these guys install mine and it is not a simple job like many cars. It took about a day and a half for two guys. Maybe they were overly fussy trying to get the glass to set just right but that is the kind of job I wanted. My advice is find the best installer you can and let him do his job.

Cheers, Dan

Keyair · 09-13-2011, 02:22 PM

Yesterday, I was working on my younger son's 4.6 Jeep stroker motor... But I still snuck in some Airstream work!

I continued my cleanup and repair of that storage drawer lid, and will post some more pics when its done... dang that foam tape glue is tough to get off!

So, last time I was over, I saw that the forward A/C vent was sagging and cracked... so I pulled it off and brought it home for an attempted repair..
Rearward end is ok..

But Forward end is sagged, and broken..

I removed the edge trim, and found that due to the sagging the parts will not fit back together...

Cracks...

Broken diffuser tab..

I spent some time with a heatgun warming the plastic to soften it, and then screwed it to a flat piece of wood to ease it back into shape...
More later

crazeevw · 09-14-2011, 04:11 PM

Love to see what it looks like now.....heading outside to look at mine now!

Keyair · 09-14-2011, 10:35 PM

Its not looking so good Derek...
Its really Brittle, and warped. I am not having any joy getting it to line up well. I am making progress, but I have already realized its just a make it work and a 5' visibility job...

I took my movers blanket with me today and spent more time crawling around underneath with my camera than I have ever done before...
It was good to get aquianted with the belly of my huge beast!

Spotted more things that I will have to deal with tho...

Black tank has been fixed before, and poorly, the fiberglass patch is.. Mushy... so its weeping...

What are these Black tanks made of?

Didn't spot it at the time, but on the studying the picture after... a possible leak from the RH Rear Leveler?

Looks like I will need to replace the rear Airbags at some time in the near future, altho they are working fine, they look tired and a little perished..

Also spotted this black box... mounted to the frame forward of the Propane Tank..
What is it?

dadstoy · 09-15-2011, 12:40 AM

I've crawled under my MH quite a few times but it always takes a bit of nerve since I have at least four black widow spiders taking up home there. They only come out just after dark so don't see them in daylight, but I know they are there!

streamquest · 09-15-2011, 08:46 PM

A three dollar can of "Raid" might be the best money you'll ever spend on that coach. Or are you waiting for them to find their way into the toilet? That'll be quite a story to tell at the emergency room!

Charly.

dadstoy · 09-15-2011, 09:09 PM

I've used more then one can of raid on them. The chemicals won't kill them, but I found that water and dish soap in a spray bottle does the trick. Only problem is that new ones show up a few weeks later.

streamquest · 09-15-2011, 09:32 PM

In that case, I think I'd try to book a couple of nights in a truck wash!! Charly.

Keyair · 09-21-2011, 10:46 AM

Not seen any spiders in my M/H, but judging by the Web I found across frm the steering wheel to drivers seat, there must be some! I let off one of those room bomb things a couple of days ago, so that should help!

OK, update time!
Ever since I bought this M/H I have been plagued with a water leak in the Curbside bedroom closet. I could never see where it was coming from, and suspected a missing rivet or something... I took the hosepipe to it, but never found the leak... and now I know why!
Further to my previous post and the info I got on the Sewer Vent Pipe, and its seal, it was time for action!
Got the ladder up there, and unscrewed the caps...
Now I know where the water is coming from and why I could not replicate the leak with the hose!

Here they are...

Both were really bad, yet why was the leak in the Curbside much worse?

Simple. Because some moron had covered that ones drain holes with mastic, and any water that got between the stack and Vent Pipe just sat there, and leaked inside!

I think its a stupid, stupid design, and am working on a better solution..

A byproduct of this was a sodden floor in the closet, that I am gonna see about later when it is completely sealed and confirmed dry.
Also, the leak was so bad the floor safe was FULL of water and the safe door was rusted solid with the key in the lock... Lucky it was in the open position!
Anyway,maybe 6 months ago, I took the door home and immersed it in a Ziplock bag of WD40... and yesterday, I tried it again and it is FREE and working!

As part of my visit yesterday, I noticed a gasoline smell in the Bedroom again...
Removing the bed and looking at the whole deal, I am going to reseal the cover for the gas filler, but I suspect the vent pipe too..

As the bed was up and out, I ripped into the whole underbed area...
I forgot my Camera, so no pics yet, but here is how it did look...

I pulled up the bed support rails, removed the stupid 15g tank, the red and white plastic crates, removed the underbed divider, and moved the electrical box.
I then put the 70 gallon tank that I got for a pack of beer, and it fitted great!
As I wrote before, I am planning to have both tanks in there...
The 15 gallon for Traveling, and that will have the level probes in it, and then the 70 gallon connected via a gate valve, so I have the option of bringing that into play if I want.

More to do, and I have lots of questions to come!

crazeevw · 09-21-2011, 09:41 PM

Steve (Keyair) let us know how you figure out to do gate valves between 2 tanks. Having 2 tanks actually sounds like a good idea. I've had mattress off on my moho, but the plywood underneath is in two pieces and screwed down. Got a measurement and am looking for the hydraulic piston lifters so I can get under bed without needing a screwdriver. Will post pix of my final product.
Thanks, Derek

Keyair · 09-23-2011, 04:54 PM

Here is my sewer vent mod...

I decided to add a "Weather Plate" to shield the opening and the seal below it from Rain/Sun/UV/Birds..

I took a piece of Aluminum, and curved it around a 1 1/4 Socket, then attached it with SS Screws, to 2 holes in the Vent Casting. I used 2 pieces of plastic pipe to act as spacers and cover the screws.
I offset the Plate slightly inboard to protect make sure it covered the vent hole better.
I am planning to replace the Vent Pipe seal with a piece of Pond Liner I have, and also still use the mesh screen over the actual sewer pipe to keep insects out.

This is how the final thing looks, after a little Elbow Grease, with the yet un-modded one for reference.

I am very open to thoughts and opinions, both good and bad!

dadstoy · 09-23-2011, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keyair

Here is my sewer vent mod...

I decided to add a "Weather Plate" to shield the opening and the seal below it from Rain/Sun/UV/Birds..

I took a piece of Aluminum, and curved it around a 1 1/4 Socket, then attached it with SS Screws, to 2 holes in the Vent Casting. I used 2 pieces of plastic pipe to act as spacers and cover the screws.
I offset the Plate slightly inboard to protect make sure it covered the vent hole better.
I am planning to replace the Vent Pipe seal with a piece of Pond Liner I have, and also still use the mesh screen over the actual sewer pipe to keep insects out.

This is how the final thing looks, after a little Elbow Grease, with the yet un-modded one for reference.

I am very open to thoughts and opinions, both good and bad!

Very nice. Let me put in my order for one now!

navyspook · 09-23-2011, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keyair

Here is my sewer vent mod...

I decided to add a "Weather Plate" to shield the opening and the seal below it from Rain/Sun/UV/Birds..

I took a piece of Aluminum, and curved it around a 1 1/4 Socket, then attached it with SS Screws, to 2 holes in the Vent Casting. I used 2 pieces of plastic pipe to act as spacers and cover the screws.
I offset the Plate slightly inboard to protect make sure it covered the vent hole better.
I am planning to replace the Vent Pipe seal with a piece of Pond Liner I have, and also still use the mesh screen over the actual sewer pipe to keep insects out.

This is how the final thing looks, after a little Elbow Grease, with the yet un-modded one for reference.

I am very open to thoughts and opinions, both good and bad!

-----------------
It looks great, and it would have to help. Pond liner, out of the sun, should last forever. Wondering if you could use a venturi effect design to take advantage of the fact that the MOHO moves forward (hopefully). Like a reverse scoop...you could just drop the forward end of your design. It would keep rain out at highway speeds and wind blowing over it would help vent the tank...Of course free advice is worth what you pay for it. Also let me be quick to point out that I have NO engineering experience or training.