Fixing our Leaking Bonded Window | Transit Van Conversion E11

Рет қаралды 25,536

3 жыл бұрын

In this video we fix our leaking bonded window that we installed into our Ford Transit Van Conversion. We first tried to fix it with Captain Tolley's but the leak was a little too bad for that, so we ended up having to cut out the window and reinstall it. It was a big decision to make but we couldn't have a bonded window leak.
This turned out to be a fairly involved job! We've got experience of van window installs now, but before that we first had to get the window out using a combination of different knives to cut through the old urethane bead which was slow work. We picked up some cheese wire and eventually managed to get the window out, and didn't break it! So far so good...
Then started a fair amount of work to clean back the glass and the van to get them looking like new again (we decided our existing bead was too poor to reuse as a base), before installing the window again properly, in better conditions. Or so we thought... the weather really did not want to play ball!
But we got it back installed in one piece, and Abi's heart thumping, hosed it down all over. No leaks! That was a good moment!
It's looking like a campervan on the outside now :)
Have you installed windows in your campervan? Did you have any van window leaks? Let us know in the comments below how you tackled them if so, we'd love to hear from you! 🙂
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Products used in this video (includes affiliate links *):
↠ Heavy Duty Sealant Gun! - geni.us/eAy7m (Amazon)
↠ Window Scraper - geni.us/empT (Amazon)
↠ Windscreen Cutting Wire - geni.us/Dywe (Amazon)
↠ Captain Tolleys - geni.us/d1fbLZ (Amazon) (didn't work for us, but our sealant gaps were too big)
↠ Glass Suction Pads - geni.us/nDak7 (Amazon)
↠ Dinitrol 500 Bonding Kit - leisurevehiclewindows.co.uk/bo...
↠ Various Stanley knives and blades
↠ Spontex Heavy Duty Scourers - Waitrose!
* Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you choose to click on them we may earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
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↠ See our full van conversion playlist: • Transit Van Conversion
Filmed with:
↠ Pixel 3A - geni.us/UzkNs3W (Amazon)
↠ Sony ZV1 - geni.us/LW73Jx (Amazon)
↠ GoPro Hero 5
↠ Zhiyun Crane M2 - geni.us/WhUBT7I (Amazon)
↠ Rode VideoMicro - geni.us/tzPbJ (Amazon)
* Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links. If you choose to click on them we may earn a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
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All our videos are for entertainment and show our process of converting our campervan. They're not intended to be tutorials and we may make mistakes along the way, so always do your own research and if in doubt about anything then make sure to get advice from a suitable professional
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#vanconversion #campervanconversion #vanlifeuk

Пікірлер: 54

@kirklacut Жыл бұрын

These are an incredibly helpful series of videos and this one is no exception! Thank you so much for sharing the things that haven't gone so well - as well as the things that did go well of course. Seeing the things that might catch us out is so much more helpful than just watching videos where everything goes to plan all the time. Thank you! And the interludes with the chickens and lambs always bring a smile.

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot! Glad you're enjoying the videos, and yeah we try to show the mistakes along the way. Especially this one was a lot of work to put right but it's all a learning experience. Plenty more chickens and lambs to come! 😀

@Vamo_Kombina Жыл бұрын

This video is really helpfull for us, we are just getting started to convert ou Ford Transit here in Canada. Tunned here to see the next videos.

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

Awesome, and good luck with your build! 🙂

@sandyp196 10 ай бұрын

This was a very helpful video. The best I have found on Windows. Thank you very much.

@SelfBuiltStories 10 ай бұрын

You're welcome, glad it was helpful! 👍

@onroutetonowhere Жыл бұрын

we've just found a leak in our window as well and we are about to tackle it, thanks for the video and the inspiration! wish us luck!! x

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

No problem and good luck! 🤞 Hope it's not as much of a mission to fix as ours was! And that you have better weather for it 😛

@arightvanloadofgeordies7837 2 жыл бұрын

It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who makes mistakes. Our window leaked because we nearly dropped it when the suction failed. After watching this I decided to get a windscreen guy to do it for me. £40 well spent. We did the back windows no problem. Now watching your other videos to get tips and tricks. Keep going your nearly there

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah we were a little nervous using those window suckers! Glad you have it leak free now, we had decided that if it didn't work that time round we were definitely taking it somewhere.. Was very satisfying when it didn't leak, but it was a lot of work!

@gonefilming2020 3 жыл бұрын

The weather remains to be NOT your friend. 😠 We're watching this after brekkie in living room comfort and my better half envies your patience and the steadily good mood displayed by you two - considering all the pitfalls you've encountered. "I'd be steamin' mad!" - after seeing the dark clouds move in. Again. I do see this a little more relaxed: You learn from your mishaps - likely not to repeat them. And weather is weather. And taking the time to put all the misgivings on film makes all of this real. Nice touch. Keep it up. You're on your way. ☺️

@SelfBuiltStories 3 жыл бұрын

What's funny now (not so much at the time!) was that the rain seemed to appear at the exact moments we needed it not to and then disappear again shortly after 😂We found it fun seeing the black clouds moving over so perfectly on the timelapse! Glad you enjoyed it, as you say it was a learning experience. Was a lot of work but incredibly satisfying when it was all leak free when we tested it the second time round 🙂Thanks for the continued support, hope your build is coming along nicely too!

@canhaduhi9018 2 жыл бұрын

my window is leaking too! thank you for sharing the video, I guess the best way to fix is to redo it.

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

No problem! We think if it was just a small break in the sealant we might have been able to fix it in place with the captain tolleys, but in the end we're glad we took it off and redid it, as it's been absolutely leak free since then now 🙂

@missymoo1568 9 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for showing us the things that didn't get quite right. You are both very patient and took your time to get everything right for your second attempt and you did it. I've decided not to attempt to do this job myself after seeing the trouble you have both gone to, I will get a professional to do it, he says it's £60 a window, i have three to to go.

@SelfBuiltStories 9 ай бұрын

No problem! Yeah this project was one that ended up taking some time. We're glad we stuck with it and had the satisfaction of fixing it ourselves but it was a fair amount of work. A good learning experience and we'd be confident doing another one again now, but yeah for speed and simplicity paying someone to just do it in a few hours is not a bad thing 😀 good luck with your build 👍

@billjones6106 Жыл бұрын

I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

Thanks, we will try! 🙂

@hollystjohn-hilton1985 3 жыл бұрын

Another great video, well done for keeping so chilled with it, I’d have lost my rag completely! Can’t wait for your next instalment!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

It was a lot less stressful than the first time round 😆 Thanks for watching 🙂

@normahalliburton2908 2 жыл бұрын

Yayyy guys, great video, warts and all, the best type. The window looks the business now. I am putting the acrylic double glazed windows in my van and they are not as easy as everyone makes them look. 3 in another 1 to go..... First time for everything for me too. Take care and stay safe guys xx

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yeah we're happy to include all the mishaps, and there were definitely a few along the way with this 🤣 Hope the 4th window went/goes in fine and your van is coming along nicely!

@RooMonroe Жыл бұрын

Good job

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

Cheers! 🙂

@yilmaz7215 Жыл бұрын

Hi guys, I was in the same shoe as you. I installed 4 windows but the small vent windows top section corner did not seal for some reason. Your video helped me a lot on how to remove and redo it. Well done. I am loving your videos.

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

Awesome, glad to hear you got it sorted :) It was a pain to have to redo but very satisfying when it was leak free! And thanks!

@philwilliams23 2 жыл бұрын

You are the sweetiest couple ever! I can't even imagine you guys ever argue. You know you'll appreciate that view so much more now! Did this take about 3 days to rectify? Ill be sure to get a decent chalking gun when I do my windows and double bead the roller ball thingy around the van frame. Great job guys!

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, that's very kind. We try not to as building the van can definitely be stressful at times! Like to try to keep a sense of humour to help when things go wrong, actually this window was probably the most frustrating one of those so far! It actually ended up taking a few weeks to rectify completely, although only a few days of actual work. After we cut the window out (that took an entire day in itself and was a lot of work!) we wanted to leave it a couple of weeks for the paint to have some time to dry and harden before we put primer and sealant on again. So we had a piece of plastic over it for a while which was interesting outside in the elements 😄 And then we were also waiting for a better day weatherwise (or so we thought anyway, it turned out to still rain in the end!). Good luck with yours 🙂

@chriscrook7511 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, I found myself with the same problem. I tried twice to install my window without leaks. Almost total desperation until I watched your video and the recommendation of the stronger sealant gun. Bought one from Amazon the day after and thought I’d try one more time. It worked a treat. Thanks for the advice

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome, that's great to hear! 😊 We were also in total desperation and had never even considered that there is a difference in sealant guns the first time round. Impressed that you stuck with it, we had decided that if it didn't work the second time we would take it somewhere... it was a bit of nerve wracking time! 😅 But it was so satisfying when we tested it for leaks again and no water came through. A lot of effort but it was definitely one of the memorable moments of the build so far 🙂 Enjoy your leak free window!

@journeywithserenity5655 7 ай бұрын

I think your video is there only one I’ve seen where someone admitted they messed up their window install!! And I watched a lot of videos! I had to cut mine out too after it slipped and the urethane was thin in places. Worst job ever. I moved the van to where my son who’s an auto glass installer could help with the reinstall. I wanted another big window on the driver side, nevermind I’ll pass😂

@SelfBuiltStories 7 ай бұрын

Ah we feel for you, it's a bit of a mission to redo that's for sure! And yeah everyone makes mistakes, we were happy to show it in case it's helpful for anyone else going through the same thing 😀

@ianbaverstock 2 ай бұрын

I had leaks on my last van windows and I fixed them by running a small bead of clear household sealant round the inside of the window between the glass and the edge trim. It worked fine and I had no problems after that. I have just fitted windows to my new van and looks like I will have to do it again. It' worked well for me but if anybody knows why people don't do this, I'd love to hear why

@SelfBuiltStories 2 ай бұрын

It's a good question! We thought about doing the same, as backfilling with a bit of sealant would be a heck of a lot easier than taking the window off and redoing everything. We spoke to a couple of people including the window supplier though and they advised against doing it. I didn't get a definitive answer on why, but the various reasons I've heard are that you can't ensure the integrity of the bond, whether the new sealant will be able to bond and still form a seal with the existing sealant in place (especially as different types), and whether there are other small leaks not noticeable at first. It sounded to us that it's one of those things that you might get away with and might be fine, or overtime the fix might fail and it start to leak again. In the end we bit the bullet and redid the whole thing as we realised that our first job just wasn't very good given the conditions we applied it in, so we felt more comfortable doing it all again properly for peace of mind

@BenBike 3 жыл бұрын

I just installed my window on my transit van and there's a small drip in one area when I sprayed it with hose. I added a lil bit of sikaflex between the top of window and van. I hope that fixes it, because this looked like a nightmare. Luckily it doesn't rain as much where I live in the US, but I really don't want to take the window off. Great video btw!

@SelfBuiltStories 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Fingers crossed your fix works for you 🤞🙂We thought about backfilling it with some sealant but we figured our existing bead was going to be pretty bad given the conditions when we put it in (and it was) so we're happy we redid it but it wasn't fun to realise we were going to cut it out! And yes, it was a bit of a nightmare 🤣I think we could do it a lot quicker now though, as with anything. But... pretty happy that hopefully we don't have to! Thanks for watching 🙂

@ianstjohn4506 3 жыл бұрын

How you manage to keep your spirits up is beyond me. You were so right to re-do the job, even though you must have been tempted to bodge it. You can now rest assured you have a window that won't leak. Great job and well done for showing it warts and all. It's the mistakes that help other people embarking on a similar project. Looking forward to the next episode

@SelfBuiltStories 3 жыл бұрын

It was not an easy decision (really didn't want to have to take it off!) but we're happy we did now. We made quite a few mistakes on this one the first time round so it was nice to put them right 🙂Thanks for watching!

@YoGalTimz Ай бұрын

Hi, great job fixing the leak. what size seal did you use around the metal itself? thanks

@SelfBuiltStories Ай бұрын

Cheers :) And if you mean the rubber edge trim then it was listed as 6-8mm size. We bought it with our window and the sealant from www.leisurevehiclewindows.co.uk/bonded-vent-windows/ 👍

@morcourtney 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. What did you end up doing/using to get the primer off the car paint?

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! So we used a window scraper (with sharp stanley blade) to remove the majority of the material, but that still left a few spots here and there that were too hard to remove like that. So then we attacked it with a lot of elbow grease using a slightly abrasive scotchbrite pad trying to be very precise, with (if we remember right) some isopropyl alcohol every once in a while for lubrication. It was hard work, and took a while. We were able to get it all off, but in some areas it left some scuffs of the original paint which is why we then went back and repainted it. HTH!

@mikezoom42 Жыл бұрын

can i ask why you didnt use expanding foam to stick the insulation slabs in?

@SelfBuiltStories Жыл бұрын

Sure, we could have and we've used a little bit of expanding foam in places but we didn't want to use it in larger areas as we find it a bit messy especially if we wanted to change something later on. The stick pins worked fine the second time round and with the aluminium tape around the edges 👍

@roannaseekings3071 11 ай бұрын

Hi, what did you use to clean the primer off the van surface please?

@SelfBuiltStories 11 ай бұрын

Hey, we used some isopropyl alcohol and a lot of elbow grease with a light scouring pad (and possibly a bit of adhesive remover every now and then), it was a tough job for sure to get it all off! A few places the paint was a little scuffed afterwards so we resprayed it before we redid the primer and window too. HTH

@danrusseatshitandadventure4747 2 жыл бұрын

I silicone it from the inside then applied CT to offending offending areas

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

Cool sounds good, and yeah the CT is a nice product, would have been pretty sweet if it had fixed it all up for us and saved taking the window off 😃

@joshybfps 2 жыл бұрын

I am a qualified windscreen technician and the bond these companies send out is awful. My advised take it somewhere to get it done or buy yourself a few tubes of betaseal

@SelfBuiltStories 2 жыл бұрын

Cool thanks, good to know 👍