Window leak in Fiberine Top

Oly11 · 12-14-2020, 04:05 PM

Does anyone have any experience with one of these windows leaking? I had not driven the van for 7-10 days and came out to load up for a trip and found the blankets on the upper bunk were wet.
It appears sliding part of the window is not sealing tight to the seals. If I push the window out from inside and have someone spray the window nothing comes in but upon letting go water starts to drip inside. I have blown out the weep holes and the track is completely clean so not sure what went wrong. The top is only 12-14 months old but Fiberine does not warranty windows so I either figure out how to fix this or buy a replacement window.
It appears my interior pic is posting upside down, the water is not dripping up!

Any ideas would be appreciated.

A2Z · 12-15-2020, 11:13 AM

Unfortunately it appears you have arrived at the intersection of Flexibility and Ridgidity, often the site of leaks. Not that you want to hear it but I ended up deleting (removed and fiberglassed closed) the upper windows in my last hightop. High quality Butyl tape seems to seam well, things out of a tube require so much they are unsightly and then fail. Just my experience.

JWA · 12-17-2020, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A2Z

High quality Butyl tape seems to seam well, things out of a tube require so much they are unsightly and then fail. Just my experience.

Using material out of a tube WILL work if they're applied correctly AND the right stuff is used. I'm in the auto/truck glass business so have a little experience in this sort of thing.

CR Laurence makes this stuff, great for rookies: http://www.crlaurence.com/crlapps/sh...&ModelID=19964

It can be a bit messy but that's a small price to pay for a leak-free vehicle I'd think? One can mitigate any mess by simply being more careful AND realizing more is not necessary better.

I've used this for rubber gasketed windshield installations in fiberglass body big trucks----works amazingly well.

shenrie · 12-17-2020, 08:13 AM

If I’m reading right it’s not the window to top that’s leaking it’s the slider portion that’s leaking.

If it were me I’d likely find an item I could squeeze between the felt slide and the window frame to keep it tight when not in use. Maybe a small piece of aluminum angle that could easily pulled out if needed. I’m a cheapskate though...

Or, maybe fiberine would divulge their window source and you could call them direct. See if there’s any options for you that don’t require replacing the window.

Oly11 · 12-17-2020, 08:22 AM

Thanks for the replies. My goal was to find a repair that keep the window functional since we do use it often. If that cant happen then I'll just have to replace it.
I currently have a "wedge" on the inside to keep the glass pushed out and that seems to be working. The downside to this as a permanent fix is that I had to remove the screen in order to get the wedge in so using it where bugs are present would require me to reinstall the screen each time.

shenrie · 12-17-2020, 09:52 AM

Forgot about the screen, so ya I agree. Not a useful resolution. Being only installed for such a short time I’d be calling fiberine to find out the make of the windows and reach out to them directly. Might be something they are familiar with and could possibly have a fix or replacement part readily available for. I’ve wondered what company supplies windows to fiberine. Would you mind posting that info if your able to get it?

My crl window leaks when high pressure water is sprayed directly at it, but other than that we’ve had no issues in roughly 5 years. It sucks they are discontinuing so many of the eseries specific windows.

porschedpm · 12-26-2020, 02:51 AM

Just a question. Are both right and left Fiberine windows leaking? Since these windows are both relatively new, if both sides are leaking it would suggest a design flaw. But if just one side is leaking, it would suggest a defect in materials or workmanship where replacement would be the appropriate repair.

afjackie · 11-01-2022, 05:17 PM

Wondering if you ever found a solution for this problem? We just bought an E350 with the 24" Fiberine bubble top, and the upper sliding windows are leaking in the same place. The top and windows are 12 years old, though, so it doesn't seem all that crazy that they would be failing at this point...I do know they are CRL windows (there is a sticker on them), and I *think* they are the VW60022 models (the measurements are very close but not quite to this model, so it is possible that Fiberine special orders theirs). I've contacted Fiberine and they can replace the windows for us, but those windows are out of stock and they don't have an estimate on when they will be back in stock...so I'm trying to see if there is an interim fix or if anyone else has found a way to permanent fix this issue (or knows where I might find some of these replacement windows besides directly through Fiberine). Thanks!

Oly11 · 11-05-2022, 10:05 AM

I ended up having to buy a new window from fiberine and install it myself. It was a bit of a pain to install as the window is flat and the fiberglass in that section is not flat so a lot of pressure and clamping to try and hold it in place.
Oddly enough that window just started leaking again this week so not sure what my long term solution will be.