Leaking sliding door Trident 2009
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Leaking sliding door Trident 2009
I bought the above van in October 2020, but of course only started using it recently.
It was hand washed last month, and then had a lot of rain on it in the last couple of weeks, including heavy rain last weekend. A few weeks ago I noticed what at first I thought was dust along the bottom of the sliding door, and just brushed it off. It reappeared this weekend but this time I realised that the door fabric was wet - at the bottom. Closer inspection shows that the fabric has deteriorated over a small area, so this seems to be a problem of some duration. I thought new door seals would be the answer, but my garage says it could be the drainage channels in the window. Is this a known problem? The dealer has been helpful and it is going back to them in June, but I am concerned that whatever is beneath the sliding door material has also been compromised.
It was hand washed last month, and then had a lot of rain on it in the last couple of weeks, including heavy rain last weekend. A few weeks ago I noticed what at first I thought was dust along the bottom of the sliding door, and just brushed it off. It reappeared this weekend but this time I realised that the door fabric was wet - at the bottom. Closer inspection shows that the fabric has deteriorated over a small area, so this seems to be a problem of some duration. I thought new door seals would be the answer, but my garage says it could be the drainage channels in the window. Is this a known problem? The dealer has been helpful and it is going back to them in June, but I am concerned that whatever is beneath the sliding door material has also been compromised.
SuSim- Member
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Posts : 24
Joined : 2020-10-30
Location : South East
Auto-Sleeper Model : Trident
Vehicle Year : 2009
Re: Leaking sliding door Trident 2009
Yes - it's a very well known problem with the factory sliding windows on the VW T5.
Our 2013 T5.1's window leaked from pretty much the day it was delivered, and out 2005 Trooper had leaked so badly (before we owned it) that we had to have the factory window cut out and replaced with an aftermarket replacement slider - which has been leak-free ever since (4 years, roughly).
Our 2013 T5.1's window leaked from pretty much the day it was delivered, and out 2005 Trooper had leaked so badly (before we owned it) that we had to have the factory window cut out and replaced with an aftermarket replacement slider - which has been leak-free ever since (4 years, roughly).
Roopert- Member
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Posts : 3765
Joined : 2019-03-10
Location : South East
Auto-Sleeper Model : Trooper
Vehicle Year : 2005
Re: Leaking sliding door Trident 2009
Thank. you for taking the time to reply - hopefully the dealer can sort it out.
SuSim- Member
-
Posts : 24
Joined : 2020-10-30
Location : South East
Auto-Sleeper Model : Trident
Vehicle Year : 2009
Re: Leaking sliding door Trident 2009
In my experience it helps a lot to keep the seals clean. The VW window design may ~look~ elegant, but it is fundamentally flawed. The horizontal seal at the top cannot resist the road grit that inevitably gets deposited on it while driving in the rain, and that grit gradually works its way down to allow water to leak through. But they are a bit fiddly to clean, I must admit!
The window on our 2005 van had been leaking for quite a while before we bought it, and the steel understructure of the lower guide rail had rusted and distorted, so that the window was no longer pressed properly against the fixed glass. It was not repairable (because the lower rail is bonded to the glass) so we had to have it replaced. If you never plan to use it as an opening window then a cheap and effective solution may simply be to seal it closed.
The window on our 2005 van had been leaking for quite a while before we bought it, and the steel understructure of the lower guide rail had rusted and distorted, so that the window was no longer pressed properly against the fixed glass. It was not repairable (because the lower rail is bonded to the glass) so we had to have it replaced. If you never plan to use it as an opening window then a cheap and effective solution may simply be to seal it closed.
Roopert- Member
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Posts : 3765
Joined : 2019-03-10
Location : South East
Auto-Sleeper Model : Trooper
Vehicle Year : 2005
frederic- Donator
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Posts : 1375
Joined : 2011-11-15
Member Age : 78
Location : Stranraer, Wigtownshire
Auto-Sleeper Model : Topaz TipT
Vehicle Year : 2008
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