Windshield gap

[wall mark]

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the highway............

My driver's side windshield gasket has pulled out of the side window
aluminum channel at the top leaving a gap through which wind whistles and,
no doubt, rain will pour through if given the chance. The passenger side
window hasn't pulled out but based on a quick look I thought that more
gasket was showing at the top than at the bottom.

Common problem? Easy fix? I really hate to just throw some caulk in the
opening given all the work I went through originally in pulling out the side
windows and rebedding them and installing new windshields and windshield
gasket.

Mark 76 E2

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[Ken H.]

Mark,

I haven't seen the problem you're describing and am not about to suggest a fix
-- Jim Bounds is who you need to talk to. But I am curious about a symptom that
may be related: Standing in front of your coach and sighting down the side, at
or above the beltline, is there a pronounced bulge in the body beside the
passenger's seat?

There is some bulging on almost every GMC you see -- much more on some others.
It arises from the front of the body drooping and the excess material having to
go somewhere (sorta like my chest migrated). The bulge opens a gap beside the
cockpit floor through which the frigid winds can blow. Gene Turner, multi-GMC
owner & Corvette expert from Macon, GA, presented a seminar at the Lake Park
GMCES rally this year on how to correct it. Basically: pull (or push) the
bulge back into place, screw an aluminum angle to the floorboard, and glue that
to the side panel.

I'm wondering if your windshield opening becoming distorted is another symptom
of the same settling. After all, there's really not much supporting the
fiberglass nose -- it's sort of cantilevered off of the main "tube".

Ken H.

> -----Original Message-----
> Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the
> highway............
>
> My driver's side windshield gasket has pulled out of the side
> window aluminum channel at the top leaving a gap through
> which wind whistles and, no doubt, rain will pour through if
> given the chance. The passenger side window hasn't pulled out
> but based on a quick look I thought that more gasket was
> showing at the top than at the bottom...

> Mark 76 E2

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[Ken B]

> Mark,
>
> I haven't seen the problem you're describing and am not about to suggest a fix
> -- Jim Bounds is who you need to talk to. But I am curious about a symptom that
> may be related: Standing in front of your coach and sighting down the side, at
> or above the beltline, is there a pronounced bulge in the body beside the
> passenger's seat?
>
> There is some bulging on almost every GMC you see -- much more on some others.
> It arises from the front of the body drooping and the excess material having to
> go somewhere (sorta like my chest migrated). The bulge opens a gap beside the
> cockpit floor through which the frigid winds can blow. Gene Turner, multi-GMC
> owner & Corvette expert from Macon, GA, presented a seminar at the Lake Park
> GMCES rally this year on how to correct it. Basically: pull (or push) the
> bulge back into place, screw an aluminum angle to the floorboard, and glue that
> to the side panel.
>
> I'm wondering if your windshield opening becoming distorted is another symptom
> of the same settling. After all, there's really not much supporting the
> fiberglass nose -- it's sort of cantilevered off of the main "tube".
>
> Ken H.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the
> > highway............
> >
> > My driver's side windshield gasket has pulled out of the side
> > window aluminum channel at the top leaving a gap through
> > which wind whistles and, no doubt, rain will pour through if
> > given the chance. The passenger side window hasn't pulled out
> > but based on a quick look I thought that more gasket was
> > showing at the top than at the bottom...
>
> > Mark 76 E2

If you replaced the windshields, What brand did you use. Varicon US made) windshields fit well. There is one manufacturer out of Europe (Finland I believe) who's windshields have exhibited poor fit and varies in shape from windshield to windshield. One of the major GMC suppliers (NOT Jim Bounds) is selling these windshields. If that is what you have send the windshield and get another one.

I have a friend in the glass business who had this problem years ago with the other brand of windshield in a GMC. replacing it with a Varicon one fixed the problem.

The other possibility, as Ken H stated, is the front cap warped. According to my glass company friend, he says that GMCs are the only motor home he will work on because they do not normally exhibit this problem. He says on SOB's they move so much that it is seldom he can get a good job done replacing those windshields.

His primary business is replacing school bus and over the road truck windshields (semi tractors). He also does a lot of concrete trucks and an occasional car or GMC MH for us.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

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[wall mark]

Ken,

Yes, I have the 'chipmunk cheeks' but I have had them since I bought the
coach. Up until the recent discussion about the bulges, I thought the front
sides were designed with the bulge. Since I already had the bulge when I
rebedded the side windows and windshield and I didn't have the gap problem
until 5 years later, I wonder if it is related to the bulging and aggravated
by all the jacking up and down and having it sit up 36" in the front on
ramps several times this year. Just guessing but that's the only significant
event in the last 5 years.

Since I don't want to goop up the windows with caulk, I think I'll opt for
the 'cheek-ectomy' this winter and see what happens to the gap.

Mark

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[jeffrey willard]

Mark,
You might want to check the screws that hold the window frames
to the fiberglass front cap. When I had my interior out last winter I
discover that ALL the large Phillips head screws then held the frames to
the fiberglass were loose. Like 2 turns loose. I could see them coming
out and the window frame shifting to create the gap you described.

Jeff Willard
73 Ex-Glacier
York Springs, Pa

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wall, Mark [mailto:mwall]
> Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 8:58 AM
> To: Jeffrey Willard
> Subject: RE: [gmclist] Windshield gap
>=20
> Ken,
>=20
> Yes, I have the 'chipmunk cheeks' but I have had them since I bought
the
> coach. Up until the recent discussion about the bulges, I thought the
> front
> sides were designed with the bulge. Since I already had the bulge when
I
> rebedded the side windows and windshield and I didn't have the gap
problem
> until 5 years later, I wonder if it is related to the bulging and
> aggravated
> by all the jacking up and down and having it sit up 36" in the front
on
> ramps several times this year. Just guessing but that's the only
> significant
> event in the last 5 years.
>=20
> Since I don't want to goop up the windows with caulk, I think I'll opt
for
> the 'cheek-ectomy' this winter and see what happens to the gap.
>=20
> Mark
>=20
>=20
>=20
> ---
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:unsubscribe-
> gmclist

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