Roof seal

[Alan]

Hi Ant,
I have a problem with rain getting under the roof seal at the rear of my HyLo, with the canvas getting wet. The rubber seal looks in good condition and I have treated it with a rubber door seal restorer. I have also tried closing the roof tighter by altering the catches that hold the roof down. We are in a rather windy, exposed position on the coast. I have tried parking in different positions ie. nose up/back up, we are on a slight incline. Can you suggest anything that might help ? I am concerned that the canvas will rot if this problem continues !

[ant]

Hi Alan.
It sounds as if you've tried most things already! I suspect the wet is coming in from the front where all Hylos tend to get a slight droop where the roof seal goes across the front. Not too much you can do about it other than minimise the exposure of the front to driving rain. I don't think you need worry too much about rotting the canvas providing it gets to dry out once in a while, you're more likely to have a black spot mould which can be a sod to get rid of. If you get the canvas dry you could treat it with a waterproofer ( Fabsil has been used), but wait until you've stopped using it as the treatment stinks!
Ant

[Alan]

Thanks Ant, I looked at the seal today, and it just pulled away from the fibre glass edge of the roof. The whole of the back section has come adrift. I have cleaned the fibre glass edge and inside the seal where it fixes to the fibre glass and filled the cavity in the seal with silicone and pushed it back onto the fibre glass edge. Maybe the water was getting around the inside of the seal ! I need to wait for a wet day now to see what happens.

[jayjay]

Alan I can sympathise, having had water ingress into my caravan (also with a pop top roof) since I bought it... I have tried most things and hopefully this last will suffice - a ruddy great strip of Gorilla tape right across the front hinge (hopefully looking like a black trim, ha ha ha) and Tolley's creeping crack cure just about everywhere.

Previously tried sikaflex primer and sealer; tenacious tape, oh all sorts. This was to try to keep the rain out, using from the inside. Now I have gorilla tape on the outside, so it can't come in! Well, hopefully..... like yourself, I'm waiting for the rain with trepidation and fingers crossed.