Seal around the perimeter of the top

Maintenance of the body of the camper
BuddyR
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:00 pm
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 0

Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by BuddyR »

Is there a source for a new seal that goes completely around the top? Does this seal cover a joint in the fiberglass top extension? Mine is somewhat cracked and could sure use replaced.
slapthecat
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 130
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 4:18 pm
B190 Year: 1990
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by slapthecat »

Not sure what you mean - could you give a little more detail what you're trying to fix?
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by skater »

BuddyR wrote:Is there a source for a new seal that goes completely around the top? Does this seal cover a joint in the fiberglass top extension? Mine is somewhat cracked and could sure use replaced.
I think what you're looking at is simply a stripe - the fiberglass is all one piece. The only seals would be top->van body, and at the windows/vents/etc.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
BuddyR
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:00 pm
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by BuddyR »

I haven't looked at it too closely but it looks like it's rubber. It's just below the "Airstream" on the fiberglass top and goes completely around the unit.
I will look closer when I get back by it.
Last edited by BuddyR on Tue Feb 07, 2017 12:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
BuddyR
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:00 pm
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by BuddyR »

B190.jpg
B190.jpg (89.36 KiB) Viewed 16849 times
slapthecat
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 130
Joined: Wed Dec 25, 2013 4:18 pm
B190 Year: 1990
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by slapthecat »

That does look a little different...

I will say, on my '90, that was just a blue vinyl stripe. The top is all one piece of fiberglass.
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by skater »

That is odd...what year is your B190?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
BuddyR
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:00 pm
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by BuddyR »

It's a 1995
User avatar
lido14co
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 259
Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:12 pm
B190 Year: 1992
WBCCI: 0
Location: Los Osos, CA

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by lido14co »

My 92 is one piece as well. I've never seen this before. It looks like an after market modification. Is there a seam/seal inside as well?


Cliff
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by skater »

It's a little risky, so decide for yourself, but if it were mine I'd be tempted to pull a little bit away and see what is underneath.

If it's a seal, the only thing I can figure is someone sawed it open for some reason. Maybe part of it was damaged and they put the stripe all the way around?

Or maybe it wasn't to seal, but to provide protection to the fiberglass in case a branch bumped it or something?
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
BuddyR
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:00 pm
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by BuddyR »

I must be brave!!!!
User avatar
Tucsonan
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 170
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:16 pm
B190 Year: 1994
WBCCI: 0
Location: Sahuarita Arizona

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by Tucsonan »

My '94 has the same blue trim piece. Fortunately, it hasn't separated anywhere but in the rear of the bubble.
1994 B190, Sahuarita Arizona

"... but it's a dry heat!"
User avatar
Kentuckian
Seasoned Traveler
Posts: 346
Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:52 pm
B190 Year: 1993
WBCCI: 0
Location: Kentucky, USA

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by Kentuckian »

The fiberglass top of our B190s was cast as an upper and a lower shell that are bonded together at the junction that is underneath that blue band that runs around the circumference of the fiberglass top. On my 1993 B190, the junction where the top and bottom fiberglass shells are joined has not been finished to make a smooth paintable surface. I believe the blue band's function is simply a cosmetic cover over that seam that allowed Airstream to not have to perform the body work that would have been required to make the seem smooth enough for painting. The adhesive on the underneath of the blue band is not suitable to provide a water proof seal. It simply holds the blue band in place. I have lifted a portion of my blue band in several places to replace the adhesive where the factory adhesive was coming loose. The fiberglass seam underneath is definitely water proofed but rough in places.
1993 Airstream B190
User avatar
skater
Site Admin
Posts: 2569
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
B190 Year: 1991
WBCCI: 13270
Location: Annapolis, MD

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by skater »

Kentuckian wrote:The fiberglass top of our B190s was cast as an upper and a lower shell that are bonded together at the junction that is underneath that blue band that runs around the circumference of the fiberglass top. On my 1993 B190, the junction where the top and bottom fiberglass shells are joined has not been finished to make a smooth paintable surface. I believe the blue band's function is simply a cosmetic cover over that seam that allowed Airstream to not have to perform the body work that would have been required to make the seem smooth enough for painting. The adhesive on the underneath of the blue band is not suitable to provide a water proof seal. It simply holds the blue band in place. I have lifted a portion of my blue band in several places to replace the adhesive where the factory adhesive was coming loose. The fiberglass seam underneath is definitely water proofed but rough in places.
You're right, and I'm an idiot. After I read this, I went and looked back at pictures of mine, and sure enough, there was a stripe right there at the same spot. I thought the stripes on the top of mine were higher up.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer

WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
BuddyR
Weekend Camper
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2017 9:00 pm
B190 Year: 1995
WBCCI: 0

Re: Seal around the perimeter of the top

Post by BuddyR »

I would imagine that trim piece would be impossible to find.
Post Reply