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For those installing a GW replacement skylight/vent, Westy!
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peaceful warrior
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:59 am    Post subject: For those installing a GW replacement skylight/vent, Westy! Reply with quote

I did not have the original vent in my 89 Westy, so I bought the kit from GW.
No instructions, though thankfully the Bentley has fairly good instructions on removal and installation.
I thought I would post up a few photos that I took of my install from beginning to end. Every bolt that penetrated the pop top or the vent cover was sealed with silicone. It took me about an hour mainly due to removing the POS that the PO used in place of the OG vent.
Also the plastic spray paint that GW recommends (Krylon Fusion) works very well for the plastic cover.
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Need to do something about the adhesive the PO used for the velcro strips.
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Last edited by peaceful warrior on Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:20 am; edited 1 time in total
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GBA 88West LA
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

looks like a grey top, i just did mine with penetrol and man it looks great , nice PO set up with the wood
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peaceful warrior
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

GBA 88West LA wrote:
looks like a grey top, i just did mine with penetrol and man it looks great , nice PO set up with the wood


Grey top! What is the Penetrol for?
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Zero419
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 11:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bringing back the shine.

My velcco strips are stock. Also came with stock screen/curtain for sun roof.
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peaceful warrior
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 12:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hero419 wrote:
bringing back the shine.

My velcco strips are stock. Also came with stock screen/curtain for sun roof.


Thanks for the tip on Penetrol....just went and picked some up.

By the way, with my retrofit kit it came with a new screen as seen in this diagram. If I need the velcro I will reinstall new....the old stuff was just hanging there and was worn out.
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westynova
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used the GW kit this winter and it worked real nice. I also installed removable screen and shade. Help make it darker when sleeping. I leave it on when parked in the sun so basically I never remove it.
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buildyourown
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see any silicon?

If you have not yet, you need to run a bead around the outside bottom edge of the rubber seal. This keeps water from sloshing up and under the seal and the roof.
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peaceful warrior
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 08, 2010 6:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

buildyourown wrote:
I don't see any silicon?

If you have not yet, you need to run a bead around the outside bottom edge of the rubber seal. This keeps water from sloshing up and under the seal and the roof.


You don't see it, cause I was a low voltage tech who used a lot of silicone over the years. I put it in the seal pressed it on and then wiped the excess.
Wink
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DWC
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's the original (1982) French & German documentation that came with the Westfalia skylight kit if it helps anyone.
download all three here: http://www.everythingpcb.com/vw/skylightinstructions.zip
DC
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suebicum
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 1:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

peaceful warrior wrote:
buildyourown wrote:
I don't see any silicon?

If you have not yet, you need to run a bead around the outside bottom edge of the rubber seal. This keeps water from sloshing up and under the seal and the roof.


You don't see it, cause I was a low voltage tech who used a lot of silicone over the years. I put it in the seal pressed it on and then wiped the excess.
Wink

I'm working in construction, same thing there.
Ground rule: use sealant (often lots of it) on doors, windows, roofing, trim.... But, if you can see it Shame on you you did a bad job.
Good job Applause sealant that you can see isn't doing anything

Michael
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Team WorldTour
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 1:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just replaced the sunroof seal on my 85 Westy. Bought the seal from GoWesty. Came with complete instructions which stated: Silicone sealant is not required. Seems pretty straight forward to me....
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Domo wrote:
I just replaced the sunroof seal on my 85 Westy. Bought the seal from GoWesty. Came with complete instructions which stated: Silicone sealant is not required. Seems pretty straight forward to me....


Might not be "required" ... it will work better in rainy, windy weather with a bead in the middle of the seal prior to install.
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Knowledge from sailing and hatches, use lots of silicone and trim off the access after it firms up. Use lots especially in screw holes to protect layer leaks. Another product to use is the stuff they set windows with. Lay it down under the rubber seal, screw it down and trim excess. It never totally hardens so flexes with van and rubber seal.
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kamzcab86
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DAIZEE wrote:
Use lots especially in screw holes to protect layer leaks.


Definitely! I had two leaks coming from the sky light/vent window/whateveryoucallit: Opened the slider to see a puddle on the floor and the plastic cover filled with water. The source of the leaks: the bolts on top of the roof. I could very easily pop those things right out. I cleaned the area up, siliconed the holes, pushed the bolts back through and wiped off the excess. No more leaks!

So, yeah, silicone those roof holes/bolts and adding a bead under the rubber seal wouldn't hurt either considering that channel fills with water when it rains and the pop-top is down.

And, OP, that Velcro glue residue is not from the PO, that's factory. I had to remove two layers of glue on my van's roof: PO glue and the hardened, dried-out, disgusting-looking ancient factory glue seen in your photo. Most of the stuff just scraped right off though.
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Noganav T3
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great thread and nice pics. Does anybody know who has the best price on the replacement skylight? is the skylight guy still around?

After cleaning up the mess that pure silicone leaves behind I now no longer use it on anything whatsoever. I frankly hate the stuff with a passion. You can never get it all the way off and it does not really seal any better than many other very good products out there. I use DAP alex 50 year white latex caulking with silicone on just about everything. it works and seals really well and will come off clean when you want to replace it.

Goop also works even better than silicone and will also remove clean without the crumbling and filming that silicone leaves behind.
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jerrydog411
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Noganav T3 wrote:
Great thread and nice pics. Does anybody know who has the best price on the replacement skylight? is the skylight guy still around?

After cleaning up the mess that pure silicone leaves behind I now no longer use it on anything whatsoever. I frankly hate the stuff with a passion. You can never get it all the way off and it does not really seal any better than many other very good products out there. I use DAP alex 50 year white latex caulking with silicone on just about everything. it works and seals really well and will come off clean when you want to replace it.

Goop also works even better than silicone and will also remove clean without the crumbling and filming that silicone leaves behind.


Trevor is still around .. got mine from him last spring.

www.theskylightguy.com

IIRC ... most of the online vendors and a big portion (if not all) of the NA dealers & some of the European ones sell Skylight parts and kits .. and they are from Trevor ... the skylight guy.

His stuff is great and his service is the best ... buy your stuff from him & if you have any issues with it or installing .. call him & he'll walk you through it.

My Westy did not have a skylight; so, I had some trepidation & made sure to measure 4 or 6 times prior to cutting a hole in the roof . This is of particular importance in the PNW!
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CREGAN
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Trevor at TheSkylightGuy is awesome. I bought from him this spring and had issues installing. I called him and he asked for pictures and from those he diagnosed what the issue was and walked me through it. It works and looks amazing. I would highly recommend buying any skylight parts from him based solely on the service.

Craig
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 02, 2010 9:54 pm    Post subject: Trevor the Skylight Guy Reply with quote

I last spoke w/ Trever a few years ago when he returned a call I made w/ an install question. An amazing guy w/ a nice outlook on the world. I think he called from a job on some new water slide amusement park in Dubai. Glad to hear he is still providing a fine product,
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Noganav T3
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought from him about 7 years back, great guy, great product, great service.

Thanks for posting his contact info again, I need another one and will be ordering from him.
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 5:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyone ever put one on a Riviera top? Wondering how it would do. It woud be a flat install and wonder if top too brittle.
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