Put new door cards on the bus in the summer, and during all the rain we have been having, they have got all wet and the cloth that I used to cover them has soaked up the water. At first I thought maybe the seal at the bottom of the door was not sealing and the door cards were soaking up the water from the bottom of the door like a sponge. I took them off, cut a cm or so off the bottom of the door cards and recovered them. Still no good. I then took a jug of water and poured it over the window seals, and with the door card off, I can see that water does come through and drips down the inside of the door, and therefore on to the back of the door cards, which would explain why they are soaking up the water. I think when the rain is really really heavy, it must be getting through. Is there a standard vw part for buses, that is a waterproof sheet that goes on the inside of the door, to keep the water off the rear of the door cards, or is it just a case of taping up some clear cellophane or plastic sheeting my self. What do you guys do?
have you not got the plastic covers over the door skin to stop it? there should be a plastic membrane between the door and the card
Originally there was a plastic sheet over the door behind the door card, cut one yourself or there's someone on ebay who sells them
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Bus-Camper-Bay-67-79-plastic-door-card-sheets-templates-x2-/230872164866?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35c10daa02
mate, i've done nothing the last 3 weekends...... the van is still loaded from camping at begining of october......i've not opened the door since i parked it on oct 5.
Is all i've done is order stuff to put on the van, I've got new shocks, brake pads, water pump and plumbing stuff for the sink, its all mounting up, but it looks a bit grim and cold out and its warm indoors so i'll leave it for today i think. Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow, thats the saying innit?
Yes, the plastic is very easy to apply. We just cut it to fit (rough) then ran a bead of silicone around the outer edge of the door, just inside the edge of the holes for the door cards. Then suck plastic on it , then replaced door card. We paid attention to the bottom set of holes in the door to make sure the silicone and plastic were a the edge of those holes so any water would drip down inside the steel door and not out to the cards. Takes about 20 minutes a door.
I think I'll get some of these, I also plan to peel the plastic off my hardboard & transfer the template to a sheet of the same thickness plastic, the problem will never happen again then.
Cheers for the reply's Yet another thing the previous owner did not do > I'll get the ones off ebay, cheers for the link. Any special technique for going round the speakers ??
the speakers is how i found mine were wetting the card, you need to make "flaps" or a cover so the water runs over the speaker into the door bottom or it will still wet the card - i cut plastic flaps and made it go over the speaker.
This is the correct way to membrane the doors... the ones on ebay aren't quite right... you should have a flap like this (as per OG vw ones) It stops water getting between the membrane and the door Then you have a straight membrane over the whole door I use double sided tape to stick mine on
^that's the way to do it. As Paul says, the originals were double-skinned at the bottom. They need to be tucked behind the slider vent at the bottom, as is is where water gets in (there's a slot in the door pressing just above the vent to do this - can just see in PW's first pic). Sealing or varnishing door cards won't do the trick - you need membranes (which were fitted to most cars).
I used a sheet of B&Q heavy pvc cut roughly to size then double sided taped to door. Tuck in at bottom as in pictures above. Then cut to size on door. Also have new outer door scrapers that help divert rhe water .
Cheers for all the reply's I have bought the ones of ebay, but will get some more plastic sheeting to fit first and tuck in at the bottom. May look for some sound proofing or insulation while I'm at Block & Quayles !!
