Leaks & Rattles from the Roof of My Eurovan Full Camper

In the article “Am I a Eurovan or Vanagon Person,"  it states that one of the four ways in which the Vanagon Westfalia is superior to the Eurovan Winnebago design has to do with the overall quality of the camper conversion part. The problem of rain water leaking into the cabin is an example of that fact. Winnebago’s fit, finish, design, and workmanship is just not up to the same standards as Westfalia. We can land on the moon, but when it comes to quality as it relates to everyday stuff—we can’t seem to get off the ground…

Rain water leaks can be a problem in the Winnebago Eurovan campers (EVC). We have found an area that needs attention, one that is usually the culprit. The leak that we run into quite commonly allows rain water in the forward cabin area, often resulting in a wet driver's and/or passenger seat.

With the poptop open, it is possible to see the top of the vehicle just aft of the luggage rack. There is a low spot on each side that Winnebago filled with silicone. Those chunks of silicone fail over time, and allow water in under the front edge of the poptop and under the luggage rack. There are also some steel brackets that hold the front luggage rack to the body. The quality of these brackets is very poor, they rust badly, and the fasteners that hold them to the body are another leak-prone area, as well. This whole bracket area is so bad that it is common for it to fail completely, allowing the luggage rack to blow completely off the vehicle and be lost.

Every Eurovan that GoWesty sells gets the luggage rack and brackets removed. While the rack is off, the entire area is thoroughly cleaned and waxed.  Both of those silicone chunks are dug out and replaced, and the brackets get either blasted, painted and reinstalled, or replaced altogether. Another thing we have found is that it is quite important to replace the luggage rack trim that Winnebago installed all the way around the edge of the luggage rack where it meets the body. For some reason, they chose to use a simple edging with no rubber sealing element, so the edging is merely cosmetic and does not have any real function. We replace it with very similar-looking stuff, but with a small hollow rubber seal along the inner surface  (that you cannot see once installed). This rubber seal helps not only to keep water out from under the luggage rack, but it also eliminates the noise that commonly emanates from the luggage rack’s leading edge as it flaps in the breeze while driving down the road at speed.

These repairs and improvements are a necessary evil related to EVC ownership. These are wonderful, versatile vehicles. They just have some shortcomings with which to deal, and GoWesty will knock them out, one at a time.

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