Defender wet wet wet

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POPPYRED

New Member
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28
Location
STAFFORDSHIRE MOORLANDS
:5bparty:

Thought I might share this well wet saga with u guys and guyesses. We acquired our newish Defender 90 about a month ago, bought it from reputable supplier up in Barnsley. Well before you could say “all the boards do shrink” I found the rear area awash with Aitch Two Ohh. Supplier was contrite and ready to take it back or fix it. I had great difficulty persuading him that the landy was great but that I didn’t want to take swimming lessons in it. I agreed to strip out new seats and carpet in back and get local garage to source leak (rather than driving 50 miles back to Barnsley). Upshot was a leaking rear sliding window lhs. Classic fault, the window cut out had not been accurate and water was seeping under, above and in between. No problem however as I took it to local car windscreen dealer and they whipped it out, resealed and re-riveted it back in. Great and supplier paid the costs under warranty – bless his cotton socks. Days later and I am in process of insulating back of landrover as campervan when heavy condensation appears on walls lhs. Bugger. Wiped it all down and took Mrs shopping but when she got in drivers side she was showered with water. I remembered from my Series 3 days that the door seals could be unreliable to put it mildly so I took them off the Defender, padded up the frame and refitted – problem solved.
Insulation continued apace and obviously I was daily checking every nook and cranny for any sign of damp. Tuesday we had an almighty rainstorm must have had 5 ins in as many minutes. I checked Landy and she seemed dry as a bone but when I started insulation process again I found that there was a pool of water to the top lhs of the rear door in the gulley that holds the hose for rear windscreen washers – no that wasn’t leaking I had already checked that. But water was coming in somewhere. I climbed out and had a good look at the roof – newly painted white. I found that the plates that are riveted together were infact slightly apart and that water poured though the offending orifice every time it rained. The rainwater then drained into the interior roof gulley and left the landrover apparently dry. It only manifest itself when as with the Mrs shopping trip, you drive off or reversed and the pool of water in the gulley rushes down the length of the vehicle and pours out at the first outlet that appears to be the front door.
Yep I think problem is resolved – Builders Caulking - and I wont need to look in the Landrover Water Ingress Manual (Yes there is such a thing) but I will be out there checking every day to make sure I am keeping the elements at bay – watch this space.
:rolly:
 
We should take the bodies off them and drop them into a bath of plastipaint - that would seal it up!

I am planning on taking my roof and rub off on Christmas eve and preparing them for paint, before I paint them the gutters, panel joints (inside and out) are all getting a good neat strip of seam sealer on them. I am also going to do away with the openable side windows and get two pieces of laminated glass (windscreen stuff) and some new window rubbers.

That should stop some leaks!
 
Any auto body place sell it, usually about £5-10 a can, U-POL, 3M etc make it, usually goes by the full name of "Brushable Seam Sealer".

Brilliant stuff, when I fitted my new bulkhead I seamsealed every single spot welded seam inside and out before painting, never had any water ingress from the usual spots.
 
:rolly:

Pic below of offending area and my treatment. Read in another forum that standard 'Builders Caulk' is perfect for this job and as it was only £1.28 from my local Screw Fix, I dont mind if I have to do it again in 6 months but it was certainly easy to use and seems to have stopped water finding its way in but as friendly passing neighbour said 'Your wasting your time mate, it's a Landrover'

:doh:
 

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