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Ride-Fly
Samba Member
Joined: May 25, 2015
Posts: 621
Location: PDX
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 Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 10:03 am Post subject: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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OK, I’ve read through some of the old posts during my “search” on the topic and it seems that most recommend using some sort of sealant, even if the seals have internal clips (for the skylight seal). Also, I got the impression that the poptop seals (the ones where it goes on the bottom edges of the poptop) aren’t required to use sealant, but the luggage rack seal (the one that goes to the aft edge of the luggage rack portion) is required??
Being that I’m in rainy Oregon, I’m inclined to use sealant on every seal. I’m leaning toward Goop from what some have recommended because it doesn’t dry and firm up like RTV or Loctite Black does.
Also, what sealant is best for the bolts in the top? Still the same stuff, or is another type of waterproofing sealant recommended? TIA.
Last edited by Ride-Fly on Wed May 23, 2018 12:12 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Altoona
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011
Posts: 505
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 10:21 am Post subject: Re: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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| No sealant required on any of them for a good seal. |
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bobbyblack 
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2015
Posts: 4348
Location: United States, Iowa
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 10:59 am Post subject: Re: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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I don't know what to make of hearing that you've found someone saying that the poptop seal itself is not required, while the luggage seal is. This seems to be an odd idea from the start. It might be true, but wow, why the heck would you want to leave that gap unsealed. You'd have 10,000 spiders haunting your canvas, maybe a few bats even. As for using goop of some sort in the channel of the seal, I guess its whatever you feel you need. Nothing in any instructions I've seen mention the use of any goop.
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch |
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mikemtnbike
Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015
Posts: 2795
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 11:05 am Post subject: Re: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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I'm in the middle of a lot of poptop work; while the seals don't have any goop in the channels, the bolts going through the top sure have some kind of sealant. I was going to use roofing/gutter caulk because it's a roof.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled  https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual |
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Ride-Fly
Samba Member
Joined: May 25, 2015
Posts: 621
Location: PDX
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 11:18 am Post subject: Re: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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| bobbyblack wrote: |
| I don't know what to make of hearing that you've found someone saying that the poptop seal itself is not required, while the luggage seal is. This seems to be an odd idea from the start. It might be true, but wow, why the heck would you want to leave that gap unsealed. You'd have 10,000 spiders haunting your canvas, maybe a few bats even. As for using goop of some sort in the channel of the seal, I guess its whatever you feel you need. Nothing in any instructions I've seen mention the use of any goop. |
I think you’re misunderstanding me. I was talking about using an adhesive sealant like RTV, silicone, caulking or Goop inside the channel of the actual seal to keep it watertight against the fiberglass. No one was suggesting to forgo the actual seal itself, although after re-reading my original post, I could easily see how you thought I was taking about the actual seal itself. Thanks for making realize the ambiguity in my original post, so I’ve since clarified it. Hope it helps.
Last edited by Ride-Fly on Wed May 23, 2018 12:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Altoona
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2011
Posts: 505
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 11:46 am Post subject: Re: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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| I should amend that most replacement seals for the front lip of the pop-top do need some glue/sealant of some sort to keep them on and the bolts should have something, just about anything should work okay. Goop wouldn't be a bad choice. |
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a2d2
Samba Member
Joined: March 28, 2013
Posts: 366
Location: EastVanagon, BC
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| Posted: Tue May 22, 2018 1:13 pm Post subject: Re: Sealant for skylight, Poptop seal, and luggage rack seal |
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| mikemtnbike wrote: |
| I'm in the middle of a lot of poptop work; while the seals don't have any goop in the channels, the bolts going through the top sure have some kind of sealant. I was going to use roofing/gutter caulk because it's a roof. |
That stuff is normally known as "Dum Dum" but I had a tough time finding it anywhere under that name - I finally stumbled across it at Home Depot where it is called "Strip Caulk".
Not the right stuff for the seals but thought you might find this info useful as it sounds like we're in similar phases in our pop top journeys... 
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1981 Vanagon, Aircooled 2.0 AFC
1978 Baywindow Bus (R.I.P.) |
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