Any idea if this was the norm ?

Having started to strip away the soggy mess that was my toilet/washroom (and discovering that the area extends thru` the wardrobe and along the drivers side wall too !), I removed the water retaining polystyrene insulation on the wall to aid the drying process . How novel to discover that the aluminium body was devoid of any sealant at the joints and I could see the road outside !!.
The `van is a 1995 Autohomes Highwayman so is not that new at 20 years . Any ideas if this practice of using the insulation to keep the outer panels `closed` was normal practice in manufacturing ? I am sealing with Sikaflex as I go along now though

 

Wow if there is no sealant there,what about the rest!!!!

 

I would stick my neck out and say definately not.

ANY gap, even the thickness of a fag paper, will let in water at some point.

 

Aah there you have hit the mark. I have asked the original question because of the 3 strips of aluminium that makes the side up, 2 of them are not sealed at the joint and, it appears, have never had any sealant applied ever. It also appears as I investigate further that the manufacturing process `in days of old` wasn`t subject to much quality control, certainly at Autohomes. Probably led to their demise then ? The work goes on. Thanks for your replies