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XL driver’s side and door windows
Not the side awning-type windows, this relates to the door slider window and the slider window next to the driver. When we bought our 1996 XL-40 almost a year ago, we noticed that the glass in the door window is a bit “hazy”. Not long after, we had a good driving rainstorm and discovered that the driver’s side window leaks. With enough rain and/or a nose-down angle, the window track overfills and water spills into the transmission shifter module/controller.
So we started looking around for a place to fix the hazy glass in the door and the leak on the driver’s side. Found a place in Hudson, FL (Suncoast Designers) that said they can fix the glass problem but they do not have the rubber flap seal that our windows need.
Checked with Parliament Coach while we were in Clearwater to see if they had any seals. No, they didn’t but they called Prevost and were told that these seals are no longer available due to the fact that the manufacturer has gone out of business. We also called Prevost Parts on our own and they confirmed that the manufacturer went out of business in 2008, taking their dies, jigs and tooling down the tubes with them. We contacted Steele Rubber Products with a photo of what we need; they also do not have these. However, Trent Poole of Steele Rubber indicated they have received other inquiries and that Steele might be interested in tooling up to make these seals. BUT, they need a physical sample of the seal.
We are reluctant to send one of our seals as that would leave us with nothing. But we’re wondering if anyone else out there has an old seal sitting around that would start this ball rolling. Here are photos of the seal and a schematic that Prevost sent us. On the schematic, the seals are items 5 and 10, the length is the difference (approximately an inch difference, one being on the outside and one on the inside). If some manufacturer steps up, they would likely do an extruded product and one could order sufficient length to cut the pieces to fit.
Thanks for any input or thoughts. Kirby
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15 Replies
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When I bought our 1987 coach it was less than 2 years old so there were no issues with aging rubber parts. Despite that as you indicate, if the bus is tipped a certain way the window track would fill with water and water had the potential to spill over. Your problem is more a lousy design than an issue with the rubber seal.
As stupid as this sounds try to park the coach so a track full of water will not spill into the coach, but out of the coach. If you look at the design you will see if water fills the outer portion of the track it can spill into the inner track channel regardless of how good the vertical wiper seal is.
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otside track had weep holes drilled in the bottom rail to drain any stray water. They got clogged/painted over etc causing problems. Open track to outside to drain was/is old school. Not suggesting anything but food for thought. I need to look close to see if my 98 has drains. I have never approached problem. Is number 5 the one that is needed?
5 and 10 look identical. just the offset part holds rubber in window frame the rest is just a straing piece of stock wiper.
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Jon and Bob, thanks. I agree the position of the bus has a lot to do with the track overflowing issue, but I’ve also sprayed a hose and found that the seal is leaking as well.
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Any updates on the seal production? Going to do a rebuild and would like new rubber for the build.
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Kinda gave up on the search for seals. Seems like the only options would be an old seal from another XL bus, or getting some company to be willing to tool up and make the new seals which doesn’t seem profitable for them for such small numbers of customers. I did see that somebody is offering side window replacement glass for the XL but no mention of rubber and have not checked with them. In the meantime, if we’re in rain, we just place a towel at the inside of the track to keep any overflow from getting into the shifter panel.
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You need to read the multiple posts about other PC members who have had bad run ins with Suncoast Designers … we had a dispute on the same repair you are doing and they billed me an additional $150 …
I had shipped the window to them ….they told me I could pay or they would be glad to keep the window.
Very brazen… and from my view dishonest.
I would never do business with them.
Pres
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Ditto what Pres says, I’ve been there.
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I agree with Pres and Tom.
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Actually not going there. Considered it, but Suncoast suggested new rubber seals if we replaced the glass, so that sent us on the search for rubber seals which are apparently not available in the original shape/profile, or we haven’t found it yet. The search is dormant, as other things have called our attention. Meanwhile, I saw on the Prevost XL Facebook group that a place in Georgia is offering new replacement glass (unknown whether double pane or not) but no rubber seals. Our window glass is not great, but not so bad we can’t stand it anymore. Plus there are other glass options that have been used by folks here on PC, but it’s the vertical seal for the bypass sliding window action that is the difficulty.
Linda
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Call the guy that Tom posted about for XL windows.
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Kirby what have you done with your windows
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Nothing. Haven’t found a solution that suits me, an the windows aren’t terrible. if I were going to do something, we would probably go to a local auto glass place and just have replacements made to fit. And we would just have to use the old rubber.
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Rubber shapes like the window seals on the sliding XL windows are extrusions and extrusion dies are relatively simple to make and cheap. There are extrusion companies that specialize in short runs and if there is sufficient demand the cost per foot for the material is likely to be affordable.
If enough XL owners need the seals someone should tally the total number of feet required and reach out to extruders to get some pricing for the tooling and short production run. Use this thread or start another one to measure the interest. If one XL needs the seals it is likely most need the seals or will so it might be a solution.
As an alternative someone should contact Prevost to see if the part is obsolete and no longer in stock. If that is the case see if Prevost will provide the vendor’s contact information to see if the tooling still exists and if the vendor will do a short production run.
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Jon, from our original post on this topic, at the beginning of this thread:
“We also called Prevost Parts on our own and they confirmed that the manufacturer went out of business in 2008, taking their dies, jigs and tooling down the tubes with them. We contacted Steele Rubber Products with a photo of what we need; they also do not have these. However, Trent Poole of Steele Rubber indicated they have received other inquiries and that Steele might be interested in tooling up to make these seals. BUT, they need a physical sample of the seal. “
We still need our seal, so it’s not available to send to Mr. Poole. We keep an eye out for older XLs that might have a similar seal, but it would have to be someplace like a junkyard where nobody would miss it.
Linda
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If anyone needs a door glass for the small sliding window my glass guy has one for $80.
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