For the install, we chose part #70-3672-277. This seal is 5/16″ x 7/16″, significantly thicker than the original seal, and comes with a peel-n-stick backing for easy installation.
Note: We choose something significantly thicker because our current seal wasn’t even touching. A seal that’s too thick could cause issues as well. Generally, you want a weatherstrip that’s 1/16” – 1/8” thicker than the gap between the closed surfaces.
For quick comparison, here’s a picture showing the difference between Pressure Sensitive Adhesive or “PSA” (on the original seal) and Heat Applied Tapes or “HATs” (on our seal).
The PSA is an adhesive strip that forms a bond when pressure is applied. On all of our Peel-N-Stick seals, we use HATs. HATs is applied to the seal through a heating process that bonds the tape to the rubber. What you’ll notice later in this post, is that since PSA is not bonded to the rubber, it stays behind on the surface when you remove the seal.
Tools
For this installation you will need:
- Your new seal. If you haven’t purchased a new seal, you can refer to the RV Catalog to find the right replacement
- A tuck tool
- A damp rag, or alcohol wipes
Installation
First, you will need to remove the old seal. Use the sharp edge of the tuck tool to lift one end of the seal up. You can then pull the majority of the seal off by hand. Once you’ve removed the majority of the old seal, use the sharp edge of the tuck tool to scrape away any leftover seal and adhesive. If you have trouble removing the seal with just the tuck tool, we recommend using an adhesive remover.
Next, use a damp rag to wipe away dust and dirt from the surface. You can even go over this area with alcohol wipes. You want to make sure the entire area is free from dust and dirt before installing your new seal.
Now that the area is clean, you can install your new seal. During our installation, we had to replace the seals on 3 windows. We chose to work from one end to the other.
Starting on the far left window
Crank out windows are tricky windows to replace seals on. They only crank out so far, and the higher up the window you go, the less space you have to work with.
In the picture below, you’ll notice that the seal only goes up so far. This is how far we could shimmy it up to the top before we ran out of space. We tested this idea first before removing the adhesive backing.
Now that we had an idea of how far we could go, we cut our desired length and removed the adhesive backing. With one arm inside the window frame and the other out, carefully guide your seal up as far as space will allow. Try to avoid sticking the seal too early. If the seal does stick, you are able to remove the seal without any problems. Peel-N-Stick seals don’t fully cure until after 24 hours.
Now that the hard part is done, apply the rest of the seal following the window frame. To make this process easy, remove small sections of the adhesive backing at a time. This ensures you don’t stick too early, and it protects the adhesive from any dirt/dust in the air.
For the corners, slowly work your way around the corner to avoid bunching the seal. At this point, we ran out of our desired length. Leaving the bottom of the window alone for a moment, we chose to seal the righthand side of the window. Following the same instructions as above, apply your new seal.
In the pictures below, you’ll see we installed the new seal on the outside of where the old seal was. The original seal was too far in to create a tight seal when the window was cranked closed. We left the adhesive from the old seal for demonstration purposes only. We highly recommend that you remove all the old adhesive before installing your new seal.
Now that both sides are sealed, it’s time to work on the bottom. Match up one end of the seal to the others and cut your desired length. Remember to cut a little extra so you can ensure a tight seal when you meet up with the opposite end of the window.
Butt your bottom seal where you left off at the corner. If you end up with a small gap like what’s pictured, you can easily fill in the gap with Loctite 495 and pinch the two together. Follow the instructions as above to install the rest of the seal. When you get to the opposite end, cut off only enough of the seal to make the bottom seal flush with the side seal.
You will repeat this entire process for the remaining windows. Remember to work slowly and carefully so you completely seal your windows.
We hope this article helps you install your new crank style window seals. Let us know how it goes! If you have any questions, leave us a comment! If you’re not sure a seal is going to work for your application, simply give us a call or live chat with one of our Product Specialists! They can send you a free sample of a part you’re interested in so you can test before you buy.
Steele Rubber Products offers premium RV seal replacements. If you need help installing any of our seals – contact us. Our Product Specialists can be reached over the phone (800-230-6752) or on Live Chat. We are here to make sure your project is a success.
*For more help check out our “How To” series on YouTube!