My first question for the forum.
Our rear (opening) window has a leak. We've had our Eriba Car a couple of months but last weekend was the first time it had been rained on! It's kept under cover at home. I can see that water is getting in between the body and the exterior window frame at the top and dripping onto the bed eventually.
Can I use silicone sealant as a repair or does it have to be a mastic (non-setting presumably)? We live miles out in the country and it's not exactly easy to nip out or even find the right product, whereas I do have silicone in my workshop.
Basstrom79
EDIT: I've now removed the inner and outer frames and glass. The seal appears to be in reasonable state but there's loads of grey mastic, more than I would have thought necessary, all around the frame and embedded in the grooves of the rubber seal. It's mostly gone hard and dry. I'm not sure if this is a previous attempt at stopping a leak. I now think I must use a mastic, but which? There's something specifically for camping vehicles/caravans?
It's 60km to my nearest dealer so I need to be sure that I get the correct product. Any suggestions?

Hi, your post crossed with my edit.
Thanks for the product reference, that's exactly the info I was after.
Yes, I'm sure the water is coming in at the top centre of the joint between the outer (grey) frame and the bodywork. I've don't some careful pouring from a watering can, and my van doesn't have a high-level light there; in fact there's nothing above the window until you get to the pop-up roof section and that looks dry.

Aaron, I can see that this is available over here too, now that I know what I'm looking for! (A bit more expensive than in UK as usual) It will have to be grey or black, not white.

I'm assuming that it just needs a decent bead all around the mating surfaces, both surfaces of the actual rubber seal, rather than the buckets-full that is there now? It looks as though someone has attempted to plug the whole gap between the frame and body. It's all coming off quite easily as it's gone hard. When I screw the inner frame back into the outer it should squeeze together and seal?

A trip to town in prospect!

OK guys, I can see where you're going with this. Do you have a product reference for this butyl type then, please? It'll help if I can quote a specific product. I was all set to go to the dealer this afternoon but got delayed, perhaps just as well. I had already phoned to see if they had the 512 in stock, which they have (21€ !) so I've saved that now. I plan to go in the morning. I suppose I can just ask them what they recommend!

Blimey, that's a bit cheaper than the 21€ I was quoted for the 512 !!

So, this is basically a building mastic and you're saying that the properties are good enough for what I intend to use it for.

I'm going tomorrow and I'll report back on what I get advised at the local (60kms away) dealer. I could get some of this stuff from Castorama (B&Q) where it would be cheaper, and there's a store only about 2km from the caravan place, so I should get fixed up (!!) one way or the other.

Thanks for the replies.

I've just got hold of some W4 mastic sealing strip, non setting, designed for sealing and re-bedding caravan fittings, to do the fridge vents on our Eriba Car. I think it will work on your application. Cost £8.46 for 5m x 19mm roll from Amazon, they also do 32 and 45mm wide.

Chris

I used Tetrostat 2759 when I replaced my Windows, it is a non setting flexible sealant. I got it from Jandi caravans. I also use it on anything I take off the Eriba that is external and put back on again such as the moving handles to ensure that water does not track down.


http://www.eribacaravans.co.uk

http://camperukonline.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=886

Poptop, I've found several references to Terostat 2759 and it appears to be the recommended product over here.
I like to go into the shop with a product in mind, at least it gives the assistant an idea of what I'm trying to do.
I'll report back.

Hi guys, here's my report! A fruitless morning really, 125km round trip and a thumping headache.
There are 2 leisure/caravan dealers, both of whom stocked Sikaflex 512 and 515, the latter being their recommend mastic for sealing rather than sticking. Neither are butyl so I moved on to Castorama (the French sister-company to B&Q) and had a look at their general mastics (although aimed at building maintenance). The only butyl mastic they had is a Rubson one for roofing repairs. I bought a cartridge of that (grey) at 15€ on the basis that I wasn't coming home empty-handed!
The decision now is whether to order my now-preferred Terostat 2759 by mail-order with the consequent delay, probably a week, or just carry on with the butyl mastic I bought today. The camping car is windowless at the moment and I naturally prefer to get the window back in soon.