New Member of the leaking windshield club

[Kelm130]

Hi Everyone - Maybe not a new member I think it has been leaking for a while but seems to be getting a little worse. So I've read many threads and posts about other peoples experience with it. I'm probably not going to a complete cleaning and rust removal process as others have done.

I did climb up yesterday and put a silicon bead most of the way around the clearance marker lights and drilled a small hole in the bottom to let any water out that may get in hoping that was it but we had a dozy of a rain and high wind storm here in Crossville last night and darn I found some water on the dash.

As my next step I had also bought a black roll of 3 inch wide roll of Eternabond to run a strip across the top half of the windshield seal and a little onto the front cap. Well 3 inches is way too wide, my bad for not checking before I ordered. I'll probably order a 2 inch wide roll and go with that.

I guess my only question is to see if others had had good or bad success with this type of repair using Eternabond across the top of the seal.

Thanks
Ben

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by Kelm130

As my next step I had also bought a black roll of 3 inch wide roll of Eternabond to run a strip across the top half of the windshield seal and a little onto the front cap. Well 3 inches is way too wide, my bad for not checking before I ordered. I'll probably order a 2 inch wide roll and go with that.

I guess my only question is to see if others had had good or bad success with this type of repair using Eternabond across the top of the seal.

Thanks
Ben

Sorry to have to say 'welcome' to this club. I've been a member for quite some time. I spent $3,800 to do what I thought was the proper, long-term repair, which included replacing both windshield glass, grinding and replacing sections of the windshield frame and replacement of the Reveal molding. About 18 months or so later, I discovered it was all for not.

So, when I discovered that the rusted / leaking windshield frame issue was back, I bought 4" electrical tape from Amazon. Other widths are available but this seems to have been a good choice for me, as it is wide enough to reach from the front-cap, over the Reveal molding, and down to the windshield glass. Also, the tape is super flexible so it's easier to lay down and reposition as you go along and if you want to replace it, as I just did, no mess to deal with upon removal. -RT

[Kelm130]

Ricardo -Thanks for the information! It may be an option for me. I am a little worried about using eternabond and what it might leave behind if it needed redoing at some point. I guess my thinking was that I would put it on and never have to worry about it again.

So I take it you've had good luck with the electric and tape?

Ben

[Johndale]

Don't use silicone but use the type that is required for the RV. I found mine only leaked when I was parked or coming to a stop in the rain. Reseal the front cap and all the way down the side of the cap. If you have a ladder try to see if you can lift the side edges of the cap. They never seal around it that good. The water will run down the gutters like a hose and guess we're it ends up. Check your rear cap too and reseal it.

[emiddleb]

Instead of the Eternabond or black electric tape I went with the EZE RV Gutter product that others had recommended. A stick-on black gutter that I installed directly above the windshield trim. Blends in with the trim and diverts the water off to each side. You might want to check it out... CWorld and Amazon and other places.

[Kelm130]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to go out this morning and check the cap seam on the side. From the ground it looks OK but maybe a tug on it will revel something.

Johndale - what did you use to seal it with? I looked at the sealant call-out sheet but wasn't sure what to use.

[JoeSR]

Ricardo,

What brand / type of electrical tape did you use? A link???

Thanks,

I have thought of using Eternabond tape, but that stuff is mean to remove.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by Kelm130

So I take it you've had good luck with the electric and tape?

Ben

Yes, and the $15 roll of tape repair has lasted far longer than the $3,800 full-blown repair. I did recently change out the original tape I laid down, but mostly just to raise it up a little higher and straighter than the first 'repair' that I installed rather quickly, thinking that it would be a temporary repair. My wife decided differently for me: $15 or another $3,800? She ordered me a second roll and said I could buy a taller ladder! -RT

PS: Hopefully I was clear in stating that the tape was used only for sealing the Reveal molding across the top of the windshield. I didn't use it to seal the front-end cap to the roof or the sides of the front-end cap to the sides of the gelcoat body. Front-end cap, over the Reveal molding, and down to the windshield glass.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by JoeSR

Ricardo,

What brand / type of electrical tape did you use? A link???

Thanks,

I have thought of using Eternabond tape, but that stuff is mean to remove.

I got it from Amazon, but I don't remember the exact seller at this time, but would be like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/EL7566-AW-Syn...lectrical+tape

Also, you can get the tape in narrower or wider widths, but I feel that the 4" did exactly what I needed. -RT

PS: Hopefully I was clear in stating that the tape was used only for sealing the Reveal molding across the top of the windshield. I didn't use it to seal the front-end cap to the roof or the sides of the front-end cap to the sides of the gelcoat body. Front-end cap, over the Reveal molding, and down to the windshield glass.

[Kelm130]

Ricardo - thanks for the Amazon link. I looked for a while but never saw that one. And yes its clear that you used it to overlap the revel molding across the top of the windshield.

I love my 2003 Journey but I have to watch how much I want to spend on it because of it's age and if this works its a good cheap solution.

Thanks again!
Ben

[Johndale]

Here's what I used.
https://accessories.lazydays.com/dic...FQiSfgodDLQN8Q

[Unplanned]

I have a 2008 Adventurer 38J on a 2007 W24 chassis. It has the one piece windshield. Anyone know if it falls into the leaky windshield group?

[bobmac]

I had a leak in the same location on my Journey. It is not really a windshield leak per se but the water migrates to the dash and windshield rather a leak from the side of the front coach cap.
There is a single screw through the side cap that holds the side piece to the coach along with the side caulking. Mine occurred when it was too cold to permanently fixed so I was able to stop the leak temporarily with butyl tape from Camping World. It is cheap, sticky and flexible so easy to work with and remove for permanent repair.
When the warmer weather arrived, I attached the side portion using black 3M 5200 marine adhesive / sealant. It is a very strong and permanent fix. Be sure you get the 5200 under the side piece for maximum adhesion. To insure it was tight against the wall, I used a piece of hardwood across the bottom corner to hold it flush and drilled a hole in it to access the screw hole and a much longer screw to hold the side flat and tight against the sidewall. When the adhesive had cured, I removed the board and used a new screw holder and cap (a Winnebago part) along with the screw removed originally.
Found you needed the wood while curing as the front cap side wants to move away from the sidewall. When all was done, I recaulked the edges with the 5200. I also applied the same fix to the drivers side. My troubles stemmed from a removal of the front cap by Winnebago and a poor re-installation. In any event, I have not had further problems.
3M 5200 is an extremely strong permanent adhesive available in marine stores but my experience is that a lesser product will not hold the side permanently and adequately.

Good luck

[Catcoach]

I too am a member of the leaky windshield club. Three years ago I used some black RTV seallant and Eternabond to seal the passenger side. To date no issues.
Last fall a small drip occurred in the drivers side so over the winter I used some black Flex seal " Flex shot", put the supplied nozzle under the rubber moulding and sealed all along the top, then using my ever handy black Eternabond taped from the top of the moulding down to the top of the windshield. To date no leaks

[Jim_HiTek]

Originally Posted by RTegarini

Sorry to have to say 'welcome' to this club. I've been a member for quite some time. I spent $3,800 to do what I thought was the proper, long-term repair, which included replacing both windshield glass, grinding and replacing sections of the windshield frame and replacement of the Reveal molding. About 18 months or so later, I discovered it was all for not.

So, when I discovered that the rusted / leaking windshield frame issue was back, I bought 4" electrical tape from Amazon. Other widths are available but this seems to have been a good choice for me, as it is wide enough to reach from the front-cap, over the Reveal molding, and down to the windshield glass. Also, the tape is super flexible so it's easier to lay down and reposition as you go along and if you want to replace it, as I just did, no mess to deal with upon removal. -RT

Could you mention where you got that $3800 work done? And maybe explain a little how the job went? Any thoughts on why it didn't work very long?

Thanks!

[lwasouth]

I don't care for all the external tape and other such fixes. This is what I used and it lasted 3 year, until I traded it.
Go to your auto parts store and buy a tube of 3M BLACK weather strip adhesive.
Remove the rubber trim above the windshield. You can see that there is a small space between the glass and the metal frame (Where they originally glued the windshield in.) Clean this space as thoroughly as possible and make sure it is dry. Start at one end and flow in the adhesive, filling the gap. Let sit until dry. It will flow into all the small cracks.

[jimmy braden]

I think Im gonna sub just incase,, my turn will come before long

[erstanfo]

Same issue on my 2012 Journey - leaking Windshield.
To properly diagnose, I removed the plastic trim along the inside (removed 3 screws and could not get screwdriver in the corner, so I just broke the plastic.)

Then I could clearly see it was between the metal frame and windshield. i took it to local glass place and they removed and replaced the windshield. While it was out they cleaned and did rust converter and repainted the frame. approximately $3500, but they worked with my Good Sam (American General) insurance so it was only my $500 deductable. They give a lifetime leak warranty.

I just left tan plastic strip out, you don't see the black metal frame.

Good luck to all with the dreaded leaking windshield.
Ed

[Skeetobite]

We had water pouring in our windshield when driving in the rain for the first time.

Here's why, a horrible bedding and installation at the factory. I couldn't believe there was next to no caulk under the windshield!



Fortunately, I caught it early and made them re-bed the windshield under warranty.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek

Could you mention where you got that $3800 work done? And maybe explain a little how the job went? Any thoughts on why it didn't work very long?

Thanks!

I had the work done locally and was a three-step process. First, the glass company pulled the windshield glass. Second, the motorhome was sent to a auto body repair faculty that did all the metal grinding, cut out and replaced sections the were too far gone, primered and painted. Last, it went back to the glass shop for installation of new glass.

I'm no expert on why the failures, but think it is in part due to the way Winnebago installs and seals the windshields. I'm told that the Winnebago-approved windshield sealant drys into a hard, crystal-like sealant, with no give once dry. (Which is why the glass frequently gets broken trying to remove it.) I think rough highways, pulling into / out of driveways, etc., eventually puts cracks into the sealant. Add in the factor that the windshield molding, called Reveal molding, doesn't actually seal to anything, allowing water get behind it and then through the cracked sealant. Additionally, I'm told that there is no real provision for the water that does get behind the Reveal molding to drain out, so it sits and rusts out the windshield frame. -RT