Best thing to salvage worn seals with?

miniyazz · 19 Jun 2013 at 20:34

Unfortunately, due to age and not enough use, the seals on the pop-up roof of my Transporter are cracked and worn. The glue sealing them to the roof is also failing and when I pop up the roof they stick to the main roof instead of the pop-up roof and essentially have to be torn off it.

I tried some silicon sealant a few days ago to try to stick them onto the pop-up roof better but made a bit of a hash of it so I intend to try that again but better, but I need to do something with the seals themselves.

I'm thinking clean the main roof where the seal joins it and coat the seals in vaseline to try to stop them sticking to the main roof and making the problem worse. Anyone have any pearls of wisdom here?

TLDR: seals worn and sticking to main roof, use vaseline to help sustain them/stop them sticking, or something else?

Fuzz · 19 Jun 2013 at 20:42

http://www.justkampers.com/pop-top-seal-8-5m-for-dormobiles-devon-moonrakers.html

miniyazz · 19 Jun 2013 at 22:07

Fuzz said:
http://www.justkampers.com/pop-top-seal-8-5m-for-dormobiles-devon-moonrakers.html

Thanks, but the right seal for my van is slightly challenging but looks to be at least £65+. Doable if needs must but I'm still hopeful it won't need replacing at this point - it's not leaking, for example

Lashout_UK · 19 Jun 2013 at 22:16

Don't use vaseline, it breaks down the rubber. You need to use this (available in the UK too): http://www.amazon.com/einszett-914806-Gummi-Pflege-Rubber/dp/B004B8GTQG

miniyazz · 19 Jun 2013 at 22:31

Now that looks like the sort of thing I'm after! Vaseline breaks down the rubber? Interesting. I thought that was used in the olden days on door seals in winter to stop them sticking together?

Fuzz · 19 Jun 2013 at 22:41

If the rubber has already gone sticky there is no saving it.

I only linked to the first seal I came across so the actual one you want will be on there somewhere I'm sure. They are a really helpful bunch of lads too so I wouldn't hesitate ordering from them.

miniyazz · 19 Jun 2013 at 22:49

Fuzz said:
If the rubber has already gone sticky there is no saving it.

I only linked to the first seal I came across so the actual one you want will be on there somewhere I'm sure. They are a really helpful bunch of lads too so I wouldn't hesitate ordering from them.

Bummer

Looks like I may have to go that route, ah well.

Anyway I've just bought a few bottles of the stuff Lashout suggested, there's rave reviews all over the web about it so hopefully I won't be disappointed by it - even if it can't restore my dying seals, it can at least stop the new ones from suffering a similar fate!

lordrobs · 20 Jun 2013 at 10:58

Lashout_UK said:
Don't use vaseline, it breaks down the rubber. You need to use this (available in the UK too): http://www.amazon.com/einszett-914806-Gummi-Pflege-Rubber/dp/B004B8GTQG

That stuff is great for maintaining seals, even stopped a bit of wind noise on the door seal of our Punto at 70 but I think in the OPs case it has gone beyond that point. Still well worth buying though to stop this happening again.

Edit - should have read the rest of the thread