If you haven't fitted speakers in your doors then don't!

As some of you know i've had problems recently with water ingress, the new screen seal is the main culprit but i've always been aware of water coming in through the doors, the door itself once you remove the card has a plastic membrane bonded to the door frame which stops all water coming into the cabin via the side windows and letting it harmlessly drip out through the holes in the bottom of the doors, when speakers are fitted people make the mistake of cutting the plastic so the magnet can poke into the door void, this however lets water drip inside the door card wetting the hardboard and then onto the van floor, my van had speakers cut into it when i had it but being a californian van i guess they didn't worry as it wouldn't rain much, recently i noticed my door cards bowing and the vinyl becoming detatched at the edges so with that in mind and seeing as i have the bit between my teeth with this water problem i took mine off, they are pretty much ruined at the bottom and so i'll need to repair and at a later date replace them, i've now removed the speakers and i'll relocate them into some thicker kick panels i'm going to make - luckily the speakers although a bit rusty on the terminals seem ok so i should be ok there. I've also removed my front side markers (which i'd made light up) as the wiring for them was allowing water to track down into them and fill them with water as well. Luckily there is no rust as such in the doors and i've treated the holes made by the marker lights with rust killer to stop any more damage in future, i dropped a lens for one so i need another if anyone has a spare.... anyway pictures to follow in a min.

 

Someone on here has made their own door plastics with added speaker flaps. They looked fairly good, and solved your problem.

Could be worth looking up.

 

cheers for that link it doesn't help now as the damage is done but it's good to know.

 

I wasn't going to, but thanks for the warning.
I see lots of buses and speaker in this location and they've always had a good kicking from people getting in and out, grills popping off when you shut the door and soggy cards etc. Got to be better in the kick panels as long as your windscreen seal isn't leaking.

 

cheers zed.....

 

When Ruby joined are family she had one speaker each side in the cab kick panel and a massive speaker in the drivers door. It being so big they had taken out the door stop thingy so the door with help from some wind can open to 180 degrees.

 

yup add speaker flaps job done

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Bus-Camper-Bay-67-79-plastic-door-card-sheets-templates-x2-/230795602400?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item35bc7d69e0

 

I'm going to fit speakers in my doors.

 

What about using wbp plywood cards, varnishing the backs and sealing them to the doors with silicone? Could deaden the panel with some flasband.
I've got some ply cards that I was going to cover in bamboo (got a beach hut theme going). Think it would work?

Cheers
s