Van Conversion Drama | Mercedes Sprinter Water Leaking In!
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
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James and Sarah here, back with another episode in our van build series. This time we’re not in a great place as we discover water leaking into our Sprinter van conversion, right near our newly installed electrics!
It’s potentially a huge problem and causes us quite a lot of stress trying to figure out where the water is coming in from and how to stop it getting in.
Tune in to find out if we manage it to find it and get it sorted.
Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to smash the thumbs up & tap the old subscribe button so you don’t miss the next installment.
Catch you in the comments!
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Materials and tools mentioned in the video:
Automotive Carpet: amzn.to/3sNEtMf
Kreg Pocket Jig Set: amzn.to/35fYlz0
Trimfix adhesive: amzn.to/2QudMPK
Mercedes Sprinter Rear Tail Light Column: ebay.us/j4fb4x
P.s. These are affiliate links, so if you buy through them we may earn a small commission from the seller. It’s at no extra cost to you so it’s a lovely way to say thanks if you found the video helpful.
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Thrilled you fixed the leak. Water can run long distances before you find it. Broken cover best case scenario. I don’t get why so many Brit builds block off the the back from the front. To me I’d feel more boxed in. To each his own tho. Cheers from Canader eh!
Thank you, that was our main concern - that the water was coming in from somewhere else. Definitely best case scenario in the end.
Not sure about other people but we had a few main reasons to block the cab off - we wanted to use that space for a counter as we love cooking, it’s easier to insulate and heat for our cold winters (you should know all about that in Canada 😅), and we actually wanted that boxed in feeling as we figured if we can’t see the cab it feels less like a van and more homely. But we totally understand why you wouldn’t want to box it off and if you install the swivel seats in the front it gives a bit more space too. Pros and cons each way 😁
I loved it, the longer the better! It’s ok if She knows more about electrical than you. A good partnership is each of you having strong points and coming together to be a complete team! I always do the electrical in our rebuilds in our homes and we are in our sixties!
That’s great to hear 😀 Completely agree, I just wouldn’t have been able to do the electrics at all but Sarah is an absolute whizz with it, like you by the sounds of things! It helps so much having two people to share the responsibilities 😊
I so admire your steadfast resolution in the face of such frustrations. Hidden leaks are such a nightmare. Well done!
Thank you 😊 Fortunately it was a relatively easy one to figure out but we were so worried it could be coming in from somewhere else and just running down to there, we’ve read some absolute horror stories from other people!
I’ve had a leak in the same place! Discovered it after carpeting the rear door pillars. Gonna take the lights off and check behind them tomorrow.
For all your pain, this was one of my two favourites so far. Your resourcefulness is incredible and an inspiration to watch. I still have no idea how you did this.
Haha cheers bro, this was definitely a painful moment. Honestly watching it back I often have no idea how we did it either 😅
@@TheWholeWorldorNothing You should also check the drainage slots under the side panels of the van, and remove all the plastic
trim, check for rust and fix it, and then remove all plastic clips and clean them up, and then use sealant when you put them back.
And take off the front and rear bumpers and check for rust, because the panels behind them are good hiding places for dirt, mud and moisture.
And the rear doors MUST have some internal rust protection, because they do rust and rot while you sit and watch,
and not only on the bottom but from top to bottom. And all internal rocker panels and doors can use some rust protection
because sprinters do rust everywhere.
Really enjoy watching your process. Hopefully the leak was a blessing that you caught it early and not after the whole van was finished. I really like all the carpeting. Makes it so sleek. Your meticulousness is truly inspiring.
Thank you ☺️ It was definitely a fortunate time to catch it even though it didn’t feel like it 🤣 But you’re right, having to strip more of the van apart at a later date would have been an absolute nightmare!
We have just gotten a Ford 2009 van and is getting ready to convert to a home on wheels. Your conversation is helping us alot. Thank you. Keep up the good work
That’s so exciting! And we’re so happy you’re finding our videos useful. Good luck with the build and let us know if you have any questions we might be able to help with 😀
Really helpful thank you. I got a leak in exactly the same place. Think mine is coming in through the little clips that hold the rear light on place. Getting the hose pipe out tomorrow.
Good luck with that! Leaks can be a real pain to work out the source but often seem so obvious once you’ve pinpointed it 👍🤞
Hi, looking good, I also had the dreaded leak in the exact same place but it wasn’t the lights it was where the rubber on the back doors meets the body, easier fix than yours !
That’s what we thought ours might be initially because we’d removed it to do the carpeting and cleaning and stuff so thought we might not have put it back on properly. It’s definitely worth knowing all of these common leaking points though in case it happens again in the future! Glad yours was a simple fix 😀
I know you found a hole in your light cluster but in addition please be careful not to have your carpet under the rubber trim. I had water ingress in my last van because of this and was advised to cut the carpet back and butt it up to the rubber instead of under it. I know this sounds weird but it stopped it and it is a known issue due to capillary action where the water is sucked in from under the seal.
Thank you so much that’s a fantastic tip and it makes complete sense. We did cut it back a bit but probably not enough so we’ll have to remedy that 😀
Awesome week guys! Working through each problem gives you a greater understanding of your tiny home on wheels , which can only be a good thing albeit frustrating as anything at the time 👍🏻😄
Thank you 😊 You’re totally right, in some ways the difficult bits are the most useful. We certainly learnt a lot from this leak 😅 Glad you enjoyed it
Well done on figuring that one out! Glad it happened before you hit the road and/or were further along with your build 😃
Shiieet, I have the same Sprinter and I'm doing the conversion now as well. I just got scared about my backlight leaking issues :D. Great job fixing it! Great luck that this happened now and not on the road
Oh no! Well sealing the holes and replacing the light stack (which isn’t too expensive) worked for us. Definitely fortunate it didn’t happen on the road 😅 Hope your conversion is going well 👍
Well done guys problem sorted, another great video (thumbs up emoji thing). I think if you had stood back before you removed all your electrics I think you would have gone straight towards the rear indicator. Notorious for leaking water in on virtually every vehicle and as you found out not noticeable till you take the units off.
Yeah it just goes to show how clueless we were (and still are tbh)! Honestly we knew absolutely nothing about cars/vans whatsoever before we started and had no idea it was a fairly common problem so our first instinct was just to panic that we had a serious issue somewhere. Thanks for watching again 😀
You 2 are just so amazing and the best team ever.
Ah thank you 😊
It must have been so frustrating at the time! 😱But all your hard work paid off! I love this video, I’m in awe of you two! Xx
Thank you 😊 It felt like such a huge setback, we were ready to jack the whole thing in 🤣 xx
I started watching your videos last weekend and i was hooked straight away! So much so today i bought a Sprinter and can’t wait to get started !🤪🤪 I thank you but my bank balance won’t !!
Well that’s amazing! And a little bit wild!! You sound like our kind of guy, top name too 😀 Have you got a plan for your conversion yet or is that all still to be decided? And your bank balance doesn’t even know what’s to come, send our apologies to it in advance 😅
Great to have you on board and feel free to ask any questions we might be able to help with.
@@TheWholeWorldorNothing No firm plans as yet! Pick it up next week , u might regret offering help . Lol
Amazing stuff. No we’re more than happy to help if we can 👍
16:36 I was expecting a scream at that point :)) Dramatic cover for a dramatic session.
Anyway I still cannot imagine how could these difficulties be overcome without getting a nervous breakdown. But I guess investigating the problems is the only way once you are in the middle of the project. Respect to both of you!
Haha yes it was very dramatic! We were so upset about it 😅 Bit it definitely needed solving. We’re just glad it wasn’t a bigger issue 😀
Loved it guys. Way to figure out the leak. Love the videos
Thank you, it took a while but we managed to work it out eventually - the hose helped! So glad you enjoyed it 😊
Subscribed! Love you guys already, so happy you found the problem. Converting is definitely not as easy as it seems! We now have to take our ceiling down since we realised our lights don't work for some reason shortly after taking our walls down realising we need 2 recesses doh! Keep up the good work :)
Ah thank you! You’re absolutely right, it’s way harder than most people make it look. That sounds like a nightmare with the walls and ceilings but will be worth it in the end 😀
I have spent ages trying to find a leak in my old van, I think the lights will be coming off to double check that!
You have our deepest sympathies! Seriously though it’s an absolute nightmare discovering a leak. Hopefully it is the light and an easy fix like ours. Good luck 😀
When you watch a video on UA-cam screaming "It's the light cluster" lol. Love you guys ;)
🤣😅 haha, we got there in the end! Thank you 😊
Hi Guys, I am watching your brilliant and helpful videos while converting our Sprinter van. We have same issue with the leaks through tail light housing. When you sealed all the clip joints inside, did you also silicone inside, between chassis and the plastic tail light housing?
Problema risolto 👍
Si 😀
water, water will get you everytime
Nice trouble shooting! And the carpet’s lookin’ sleeeek. 👌
I think it’s a very good idea to remove all the side panels and plastic bits to rust-proof and silicone these areas into oblivion! You can see Theo tackle the sides in this video below, as many converters end up having water coming in from under the panels 🤔
One tip I got from watching this? I’m going to build the electrical on a slide-out box. This way I can just slide it out of the way to reach the wall/insulation in case of issues without having to disconnect anything! 🤗🚐💪🏻💧⚡️⚒
ua-cam.com/video/JpZNuLUhkA4/v-deo.html
then there's bubbles all over the place
😜
i wndr wht ths video's abt
🤣
she looks kinda gangsta
Haha she’ll love that 😅