Replacing awning rail seal

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Replacing awning rail seal

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Thu Oct 12, 2023 11:30 pm
by Allypete (deleted)

The awning rail seal on my Familia 320 has started to degrade as it is quite soft and weeping out in places which looks really messy. I also noticed that in one or two places raindrops are running vertically down the bodywork so maybe it is leaking. Kool Klassics sell the new black seal so I was wondering how easy is it to renew the seal by taking off the awning rail all around the van. How is is done?

When the rail is removed there will be a lot of sticky black sealant to remove. Sounds like a big job … is it?

Pete

RE: Replacing awning rail seal

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Fri Oct 13, 2023 9:13 am
by eribaMotters •

| 6.385 Posts

Pete, you do not say how old your Eriba is. The soft sealant oozing out is perfectly normal. and nothing to worry about. My last van was a 2017 Triton and when I sold it earlier this summer the sealant around the awning rail was still oozing out. On my van prior to this, a 2006 Famila, I was still occasionally cleaning up the ooze up until I sold it in 2016.
The best way to tidy the area up is NOT to pull at the sealant. Dampen a cloth with white spirit and wipe the areas. Use an old credit card to cut through the oozing mastic. Roll up the mastic which will now look like a very dark ball of snot. Wipe the area with dampened rag and repeat as needed. When you are happy with the clean up give the area a polish with a good car wax, eg Autoglym, Mer, Turtlewax etc.

Colin

Forum Moderator. aka Oscar - Audi A3 1.5 petrol - oh dear me, I've gone to the darkish side and bought a Feeling after 4 Tourings

Simboc2004 likes this post!

RE: Replacing awning rail seal

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Fri Oct 13, 2023 7:05 pm
by Simboc2004 •

| 1.447 Posts

Mine 2005 Triton needs the sealant replacing as it's hardened in places and leaked a bit last winter. I have bought a couple of rolls of 45mm wide white mastic sealant strip to do the job - when I can get time off and weather to align...

Poppy, our 2005 Eriba 430GT, leading our Volvo V70 astray...

Last edited Fri Oct 13, 2023 7:05 pm | Scroll up

RE: Replacing awning rail seal

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Fri Oct 13, 2023 7:22 pm
by Allypete (deleted)

The 320 is a 2009 build. I will have a go at cutting off the excess but a bit concerned that removing the remaining with white spirit will remove some of the paint, which will also be unsightly. Can the awning rail be removed or is this a can of worms?
Pete

RE: Replacing awning rail seal

in Improving your pride and joy and how to fix things Fri Oct 13, 2023 7:27 pm
by eribaMotters •

| 6.385 Posts

Pete, the white spirit is fine on the thin paintwork. I have previously used Meths but this will eat into the paint finish of a white dimpled finish van, which I learnt about on my last van.

Colin

Forum Moderator. aka Oscar - Audi A3 1.5 petrol - oh dear me, I've gone to the darkish side and bought a Feeling after 4 Tourings

Last edited Fri Oct 13, 2023 7:28 pm | Scroll up