Leaky hab door - help please! (1 Viewer)

[RubyOptics]

Hi all,

Recently, there was another thread where a member with an older Burstner was having trouble with water ingress around the door seals. The solution recommended in that case was to adjust the door on its hinges to get a better seal. I have a similar problem...we have had a day of utterly torrential rain here and SWMBO just asked me to get some hot chocolate from the van. After swimming to the van, i remembered that post and out of curiosity brushed a hand over our doormat area and yep...it was wet. A quick inspection leads me to believe that the water is coming in at the top of the door seal and it looks as if it is right in the middle.
We've already had this door adjusted a number of times and I don't think further playing with it is going to get rid of the issue. I was thinking to install a second foam/rubber sealing strip on the door frame where it makes contact with the sealing strip of the door to create a better seal against the elements.
Is this plan sound? Or are there some issues that I'm not thinking of?
Thanks as always for your help and advice

Joe

 

[Campervan_man]

I had a Burstner T-Star with an opening inset window. Water used to enter via the window rubber seal making the door card & mat wet below. I fitted a new rubber seal to the window and the leak was cured.
Don't be afraid to give the Habitation door a decent bang shut as there is two locking positions.
Fiamma sell a product called drip stop which can be affixed above the door on the frame to divert most of the water away. If You have a roll out awning you can also buy a full length awning rubber strip that fits on top of the awning and touches the van body, again diverting most of the rain water away from the side of your van.
You can clean your habitation door rubber surround seal with soapy water and then spray with silicone as any dirt will prevent a good seal. Check the condition of your hab door rubber seal for cracks, splitting, perishing, popping out of it's groove etc

 

[RubyOptics]

Thanks for the reply. We do have the door window although I don't believe that this is where the water is coming from it certainly won't hurt to double check. When I opened the door, when I looked up to the inner frame there were several drops forming in the centre of the frame. The door hadn't been open long enough for it to be rain, so it must be where water is pooling there from its ingress point. We do know about the "Burstner Slam" and the door was definitely fully shut.
I believe that the gap between the door and the door opening is where the water is coming in and then the rubber seal isn't making a proper seal against the frame, hence my idea of using another rubber strip so that when shut, there would be a rubber on rubber seal.
I'll give the seal a good visual check, wipe down and treat with a very light wipe over of silicone grease.
Thank you so much for the advice. We've only had the van for a month and after reading all the horror stories of and warnings against damp, we are a little concerned right now.

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[Bailey 15]

Morning
We had this and just could not trace it but finally found an airline crack in the door window, you could hardly notice it due to tinted glass but that was the culprit

 

[Calamaster]

I just replaced the doorseal with a 'fatter' one after cutting a bit off the old one and doing a lot of research to get the right GRIP FIT dimensions and fatter seal bit. Worked a treat. I also have a 'little' drain hole just inside the door which bungs up with boot mud very easily. Always check it's clear on pre-flight checklist. Proceeded to do all other hatch doorseals for the hell of it!