Sealant oozing on Dethleffs for sale (2 Viewers)

[Saucer]

Hello all. Id be very interested in your views on this. We've just been to look at a Dethleffs coach built at a large dealership in the south. The van itself was a 2020. very nice and well looked after inside. What I didn't like was black (silicon like) sealant ousing from a lot of the exterior points

 

[Guigsy]

My Geist is similar and of the same age. It's a non-setting sealant that can accommodate the body shell movement. I believe it is possible to tidy it up? I've not tried yet.

 

[Saucer]

...it is admittedly hot day but I wouldn't have expected that. It was soft to touch with the consistency of chewing gum. Strangley another dethleffs parked beside it had the same issue to a less obvious degree.
The sales guy gave me an unconvincing reassurance that 'it will be sorted when sold.
Any thoughts?

 

[David and Sally]

My Geist is similar and of the same age. It's a non-setting sealant that can accommodate the body shell movement. I believe it is possible to tidy it up? I've not tried yet.

I use Super Resin polish on a toothbrush.

 

[David and Sally]

...it is admittedly hot day but I wouldn't have expected that. It was soft to touch with the consistency of chewing gum. Strangley another dethleffs parked beside it had the same issue to a less obvious degree.
The sales guy gave me an unconvincing reassurance that 'it will be sorted when sold.
Any thoughts?

That sealant does not set. Just clean it up.

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[Saucer]

I use Super Resin polish on a toothbrush.

So its not a problem? Everything else about the van seemed well put together

 

[David and Sally]

So its not a problem? Everything else about the van seemed well put together

It is a problem in that the previous owner could not be bothered to keep it tidy, but mechanically - no.

 

[mitzimad]

our burstner is the same i tried a few times to tidy it up using a sharpened credit card but its always the same dont let bit put you of if the rest of the van is ok

 

[Just smiffy]

It looks to me like it’s been resealed recently, their first mistake is using the wrong colour, they should have used white sealent..

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

It is as said the non setting factory sealant. It's something you should be reassured to see, although a bit of a PIA It's doing it's job, and something you want to be looking at rather than for.
It's also used wherever they make cuts into the vans shell as well.

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[Just smiffy]

Looks like a typical dealer bodge to me, absolutely atrocious, I’d check for damp ….

 

[ED O'DARAC]

So its not a problem? Everything else about the van seemed well put together

It isn't a problem. I would rather too much of the sealant than too little. We have enjoyed having fifteen Dethleffs over the years (from 30 years old to brand new) and they are excellently put together and supported by the Hymer Group parts network.

 

[MichaelT]

Our dethleffs was the same but even at 5 years 0% damp readings

 

[Montezuma]

Are you sure that this is a 'black' non-setting sealant, and not sealant of another, maybe lighter, colour that has become badly discoloured ?

I suppose, at 4 years of age, a lighter coloured sealant would not become that black. It's difficult to tell from the photo.

The only thing that would concern me, (if it is black sealant) is that whoever was responsible for the sealant application, during the assembly process, did not do a very good job.

Over-sealed in many places; who is to say that it is not under applied in other areas ?

. . . . . . and why on earth use black sealant on a white structure ?

Unless I'm missing something, and this is standard Dethleffs procedure ?

Notwithstanding, it would tend to dissuade me from making a purchase, without a full damp check by an independent body or person, if such a person or body exists ?

 

[L' Hobo]

None of the owners on here, seems to be worried but, IF I owned one and it's oozing out the bottom, is it not leaving an air gap at the top? +

If it's oozing at 26c, what's it going to do in temperatures of 40c?

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[BouncyBoatFolk]

I'd liken it to the gloop that can be run in tyres sealing holes on air contact. The joint sealant also partly dries on air contact sealing the joint. There's lots of much more expensive vans not using this technique that leak like a proverbial sieve. I'll take my chances on seeing a bit of seepage.
Mike.

 

[Howard B]

Same on my Burstner.

 

[Chris Laing]

I have a 22 Model and the sealant is the same colour. It does stick out but not to the point it's overly visible.
We have just had its second damp check and all readings are very low.

 

[Saucer]

Thanks all. It sounds like most are saying nothing to be worried about. It doesn’t look pretty though

 

[Just smiffy]

I think a few people need to go to specsavers….

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[Lenny HB]

It's a buytal based sealant you often get a bit of creap in hot weather but I've never seen it that bad.
It would worry me that if that much is coming out of the joints what's left to seal them.

 

[pagey]

It's actually grey the muck sticking to it is black , mines the same I just clean it off at the start of the season mine is still dry after 7 years

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Thanks all. It sounds like most are saying nothing to be worried about. It doesn’t look pretty though

Well, there could be worse at least you won't have to worry to much about "tin worm" munching away at your house .
Mike.

 

[Bognor Saint]

Our dethleffs was the same but even at 5 years 0% damp readings

Same as ours

 

[The Wino]

I heard a story that another manufacturer when investigating problems with leaks found that it was because of sealant being incorrectly applied. They were supposed to put sealant on one of the panels and assembled straight away so it sealed to the one fitted up to it but at the end of the day sometimes put sealant on one panel and left it overnight before fitting to the second!
I would much rather have a motorhome with a bit of excess sealant visible than too little.

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[L' Hobo]

I heard a story that another manufacturer when investigating problems with leaks found that it was because of sealant being incorrectly applied. They were supposed to put sealant on one of the panels and assembled straight away so it sealed to the one fitted up to it but at the end of the day sometimes put sealant on one panel and left it overnight before fitting to the second!
I would much rather have a motorhome with a bit of excess sealant visible than too little.

As long as it's excess and not the correct amount leaching?
One has to wonder though, if it is excess, where else is it running into?

 

[Jenka]

Hello all. Id be very interested in your views on this. We've just been to look at a Dethleffs coach built at a large dealership in the south. The van itself was a 2020. very nice and well looked after inside. What I didn't like was black (silicon like) sealant ousing from a lot of the exterior points View attachment 914434

View attachment 914435

View attachment 914436

My Dethleffs is the same ,I was told at collection it's normal and you can trim but don't be over zelous, when I visited the factory theu confirmed it's normal and not to worry it's the best van I've ever owned,enjoy.

 

[Saucer]

My Dethleffs is the same ,I was told at collection it's normal and you can trim but don't be over zelous, when I visited the factory theu confirmed it's normal and not to worry it's the best van I've ever owned,enjoy.

That’s particularly good to hear

 

[MisterB]

Thinking out loud .... Could it be heated and smoothed off using a silicone edging tool? It would look neater and possibly a bit more uniform.
As for black sealant v white sealant.... I prefer black as it doesn't show the dirt and doesn't go green and blotchy .....

 

[Just smiffy]

I give up….