Duetto scuttle cover

Hi everyone
I'm new and loving this forum ive already mentioned I am collecting our Autosleeper duetto on Friday. I am/was very  excited but after reading loads of threads on here about the problems i might have to face im getting a bit worried The van looks in great condition but I'm a bit concerned about the potential rust that could be under the windscreen trim I've seen a thread on here about it but cannot find it now . is there anyway I can find out without taking the wiper blades etc off can i just put some sort of silicone or sealant round the bottom of the windscreen to stop any rainwater running down through the trim or am I been a bit OTT No offence to all the women out there but i  am a woman and really have no idea about mechanics I would be very grateful for any advice Thanks very much  Sally☺

No, on a Mk5 there's no real shortcut to removing the panel - you certainly won't achieve anything useful by putting silicone sealant in there without removing it.

On my Transit I found that - even though it was the original screen - the bonding around the windscreen was not perfect at the bottom, and if crud was allowed to accumulate at the base of the screen it would come into the van by capillary action, so for me it was important to access the gap at the base of the screen every few years and clear out the bits of leaf, sycamore seeds, etc that build up there.

Older vans had a tendency to rust under there but mine (a '99 model) showed no signs at all of rust and it was 12 years old when I sold it. Ford seemed to put a lot more into rustproofing most areas in the later years - just a shame they didn't manage to do that with the wheel arches!

Thanks for your reply mojo the bodywork looked in mint condition so fingers crossed then   ☺

Our 1996 Duetto has had the rust issue with the screen scuttle. Without taking the wiper arms off you cant even lift the corners to see underneath. If you get a mirror and a good torch you can see underneath the scuttle. With care you can get youre hand up there , usualy above the batteries. Again with care you can peel back the windscreen seal to check the outer edges of the screen surround. Ours had gone above the leisure battery and down the n/s door pillar. Also the side panel under the water heater rots due to the condensation from the heater. Another clue may be the leisure battery tray. If the scuttle rots enough the battery tray fills with water.
If you start pulling seals apart on a forecourt the sales staff get a bit twitchy. A caravan dealer near Salisbury tried to sell me a Duetto with the n/s front indicator held in with gaffer tape.  Buying any used vehicle is always a risk, I am ex motor trade and did a very close inspection of our Duetto but things only started to show after two years of ownership.
Unless Autosleeper go back to using Fords I think ours will be with us for a while yet. Look at the issues that people have had with the Pugs and Fiats. I wouldn't like to own a 20 year old Pug based van.   Hope you got lucky and enjoy the van as much as we do.