Back blind smells

[icic]

Just pulled up the back blind for the first time in two weeks, it stinks of a rotting clothes smell, the same smell you get if you don’t dry clothes properly.. just wondered if anyone else has had this and what a solution might be, it’s not nice having your head next to that

 

[WelshGas]

Just pulled up the back blind for the first time in two weeks, it stinks of a rotting clothes smell, the same smell you get if you don’t dry clothes properly.. just wondered if anyone else has had this and what a solution might be, it’s not nice having your head next to that

That’s a new one. It’s not wet/damp is it?
Is the cloth cover of the seat storage dry?

 

[AlisonF]

Hi @icic I recall your purchase was recent (?), but the details I see say looking to buy...
The were some Cali’s with leaking rear brake light cover (top of tailgate) and that may be why @WelshGas is asking about the seat storage.

 

[Elly Swanson]

If you don’t have a leak: Try dusting with bicarbonate of soda, leave for at least 24 hours and Hoover off. You may need to do it a few times. If it doesn’t work maybe try one of those valeting “bombs”.

 

[icic]

No the chair fabric seems dry and smell free, its seems to be just the blind. I sprayed on anti bacterial spray and that seems to have got rid of the smell

But I do seem to have a leak for some sort. I few weeks ago I noticed a leak that was dripping from the wire where one of Rogers solar panels wires come in, see below. I was told it would not leak if I put the wire in this way. I thought it might just be a one off as it did not leak the next night after I fiddled with the wire. My assumptions that it was the wire was due to that was where water was dripping from

What this does not explain in why the blind would get wet and the leak for the wire and where it dripped is nowhere near the blind, so I could have both going on ?

Do you know if anyone else has had leaks with the solar wire, or it would be laking on the ire due to the light leaking ? We have 2019 T6 Ocean, are these the ones that had leaky lights ?

If it does leak through the light where does the water show up ?

What is obvious is we have a leak in the tailgate, either the the wire or the light or both, any advice would be great. Also do the dealers know about this light leak is a know problem, I suppose it would be best to go to a dealer who has had this before

 

[icic]

Here is the wire entry point

 

[Wildcamper]

That looks like a leak point if I ever saw one. The door seal will never form a watertight seal round that wire.

 

[WelshGas]

Here is the wire entry point

View attachment 65798

It will leak there in certain conditions that is why I run the wire via the corrugated wire cover from tailgate to vehicle. No Leaks.
As regards a Warranty repair - I have no idea what vehicle/year you have as your Avatar details say you are " Looking to buy ".


If you want to keep the wire as it is, then it should come from the roof, loop down the side of the tailgate then upwards and over the rubber seal. It should NOT go from roof to seal directly.

As far as the High Level Brake Light - rub some Vaseline into the groove all around the light to make sure it is sealed.

 

[icic]

Thanks everyone that’s really helpful

 

[Wildcamper]

If you want to test it out, close the back and shower the back down with a hose, but not much. Look for drips inside before opening the back.

 

[Wildcamper]

If you reroute that wire you may not solve the water leak problem. If that wire has been there a long time (6 months +) the deformation of the tailagte seal by the wire may be permanent. In Materials Science speak this is called "compression set". This is when a rubber, or other plastic, is deformed for a long period of time (this is material dependent and can be a few weeks, months or years), so the rubber "set" in the new position. In many cases this is irreversible, but not always. So remove the wire and look to see if the seal has been deformed, leave it a few hours and see if it recovers. If not warm it with a hair drier (warm not hot) and kneed it like bread dough for a few minuets. You may have to do this several times. If you think you have been successful, close the tailgate and test it by pouring water onto the seal where the wire was and look for a leak. If all this does not work you will need a new seal.

 

[icic]

Thanks thanks great advice, it’s only been just under 3 months, so most likely it should be ok ?

 

[AlisonF]

Thanks thanks great advice, it’s only been just under 3 months, so most likely it should be ok ?

I don’t think you will know until you try - a bit like furniture leaving indents in carpet. The longer and heavier the furniture is there, the longer (or never) the recovery.
And if using a hairdrier, don’t have it on the hottest setting as you may degrade the rubber.

 

[cwriggy]

We thought we had this smell from the back window having had the high level brake light pop out (which it's just done again) however on the last camping trip I noticed it was actually one of the side blinds that smelt. Not sure how that got damp. Now that I've finished another holiday with clear gorilla tape holding the light in I'll try and get it booked in to fix again.

 

[icic]

Interesting .. so I removed the solar wire checked for leaks on the seal .. all ok. Just put the blind up today and it has started smelling again .. so think it might be the brake light, does anyone know if the 2019 oceans have had the leaking brake light problem. Any suggestions for short term fixes until I can take it in

 

[icic]

Quick question, we bought our ocean 100 miles away from us, there is a dealer much closer, with warranty issues do you have to go back to the same dealer or can you use any dealer /

 

[WelshGas]

Quick question, we bought our ocean 100 miles away from us, there is a dealer much closer, with warranty issues do you have to go back to the same dealer or can you use any dealer /

You can use any Dealership. The T6 has a slightly different designed Brake Light compared to the T5.1. On the T5.1 the high level brake light used to pop out and disappear. Lost mine on the M4.
If it is leaking then the chair carrier should be wet also.

 

[westfalia]

Seeing that you don't have any double glazing on the rear
window, could it be that the condensation build up has run down into
the blind?

I've seen our front screen wet through from top to bottom when we havent
ventilated enough.
It could be that your rear screen has been sopping wet a few times too??

 

[icic]

Could be but not had any condensation since I cleaned it and got rid of the smell. The chair carrier is not wet, but it looks like might be a separate pierce of trim below the blind, I will take a picture of what I mean. Umm it’s a mystery

 

[westfalia]

Are you the first and only owner of it.

 

[icic]

I remember the back window was covered in condensation when we where In wales a month ago. Don’t think the blind was wet though. Has anyone else had issues with the blinds getting wet form condensation?

 

[icic]

Yes we are first owners

 

[icic]

So camped last night and the blind smelt even worse, like the worst sweaty feet smell. Can’t sand it. So I want to take the blind out now while I wait to get a new one. It that a hard thing to do ? and any insights would be great