TheSamba.com :: View topic - Sky Lights-What is the BEST way to remove and re-install?

Sun Feb 22, 2004 8:11 am

Wizards of the Samba's:
I need to take out all of my 8 skylights to "refresh" the paint on my roof.
I have been losing sleep now for the last week because I hear all these horror stories that you can not take out the glass without breaking it.
Is this true????? and if it is............If you can't get them out without breaking them........how could you ever put any back in without breaking those as well? HHHHHHHEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPP!!!!

Sun Feb 22, 2004 8:22 am

I just pulled my remaining 6 out yesterday. The rubber was useless so I cut it out with a razor blade from the inside and had my friend hold them from the outside while I pushed them out. If you are planning to save your new rubber, you may risk cracking them if you apply too much pressure in one spot. It may be a good time to put new rubber in although I have pushed them out with new rubber in the past. Those little skylights are pretty tuff though. I had one fall out, land in my driveway and didnt even break. It must of been the rubber that cushioned it from breaking.

Sun Feb 22, 2004 8:22 am

My method for removing glass is to take a razor blade and cut all of the rubber out from the inside then pop it out from the outside. It should pop right out with no problem....Just don't go yanking on it.

Sun Feb 22, 2004 9:05 am

there are two types of skylight windows, clear laminated ones which are sigla and tinted tempered ones which are sekurit. you have to put a lot more care into removing sigla glass. it will crack if you look at it cross eyed. sekurit will deal with a lot more abuse. for sekurit glass, if the rubber is any kind of good, I try to fold it back and push it out so that it can be reused. for sigla, I cut it out.

Sun Feb 22, 2004 9:22 am

The new replacement skylight rubber is definately not the same quality or texture of the original german rubber and it has a tendency to fight you when installing. After the rubber is seated around the glass, use a light gauge plastic (gardening product) weed eater string and wrap it around the clincher groove that grabs inside the bus. Make sure the rubber is liberally coated with very soapy water or silicone spray. I use plenty of string and cross it at the top. I like to wrap it around each hand for leverage. The person inside slowly pulling one side of the string at a time as it clinches, while the other person pushing down with constant pressure from the outside. I use a rubber mallot, NOT shot filled and after the window has clinched give it a dead blow in the center of the glass to make sure it seats completely. If you are not sure if it has set check and make sure as the window can pop back out if not properly set. That's it! Now maybe you should ask a local glass shop if this in anyway is intimidating to you. Not that expensive and the worry and hassle are off your back. Good luck.

Sun Feb 22, 2004 9:30 am

spookymulder wrote: Make sure the rubber is liberally coated with very soapy water or silicone spray.

If you use the silicone spray be very careful to clean the entire bus completely afterwards or it will wreck your new paint. Warn your painter that the bus has been around it.

Sun Feb 22, 2004 9:39 am

Coad, I thought you were going to say wipe your whole bus down good so you don't slide out of the seat when driving! LOL