Window Gasket

[John Dorrer]

I can't find anything on this topic on the Forum. I have tried window seal, window gasket, window seal gasket, etc

 

Our gasket has shrunk close to an inch at the top.

 

Some have replaced it in black. Who is the source for white or black gasket? What is the product #?

[rich.dev]

John, these posts should help you, happy reading!

 

 

 

 

https://supersizelife.com/replacing-your-rvs-window-seals/

https://www.pellandent.com/Half-Inch-Glass-Vinyl-Seal

 

[jd1923]

Same price as when I bought ours in black last year. I bought 17 ft, they sent 18 and I had over a foot left over. Total shipped was $99.

https://www.pellandent.com/Half-Inch-Glass-Vinyl-Seal

[Mike and Carol]

Ours is original and black.  It’s also about an inch short at each window.  I keep the gap on the upper part of the window.  I’d replace them but the rubber is still good and the gap doesn’t seem to be an issue.  Mike

[Bob and Elizabeth]

We got ours through Oliver. Mike Sharpe helped us.

[jd1923]

John @John Dorrer, when you install yours cut each length about 1 1/2” longer than the original piece you remove. This makes up for the shrinkage you have and the shrinkage that will occur to.the new rubber. Start at the bottom and push hard to compact the rubber to make room for the extra length. Be firm and patient. If some end up a little too long you can always cut a little off but you can’t add length.

A hose cutting tool works well as it is hard to use a razor/box cutter when the piece is in place and it cuts square. https://a.co/d/gNDM9QE

[Patriot]

@John Dorrer here is what I used. It worked perfect and only $8.

https://www.harborfreight.com/finger-release-ratcheting-pvc-pipe-cutter-62588.html

[Galileo]

(TLDR: this entry is a rant that’s not worth the time to read. Just me whining. You have been warned!)
 

I knew I’d find the source for this material here!

I’m more than a bit disappointed that the stuff costs $5.17 per foot plus shipping - especially when the material is clearly not very good at resisting stains - and apparently shrinks - though that could be an installation error. Kind of “our product is terrible, but we have you over a barrel. Hah!”

It’s not that $100 is a big deal in the grand scheme of things - just that it’s - for lack of a better phrase - a cheap cash-grab. It’s like they’re thumbing their nose at folks who have their windows having to spend $100 every couple of years to keep their windows looking nice. 

Last year, I removed the seals, scrubbed them with a couple of different cleaners and a toothbrush. That got off most of the stains. Then I took them for a little soak in a strong bleach water solution for about an hour. That got them virtually new-looking again. 

Of course, that may well have been more than $100 worth of my time and labor. That, and I’ll bet that the seals won’t come that clean a second time.

So - now that I’ve ranted and whined about having to fork over $100 - every couple of years - I’m gonna go out, pull the seals off the windows - again, throw them in a bucket of bleach water, and scrub them in the morning. Then, I’ll look for some way to coat or seal them so they don’t do this again. 

[CRM]

8 minutes ago, Galileo said:

 

So - now that I’ve ranted and whined about having to fork over $100 - every couple of years - I’m gonna go out, pull the seals off the windows - again, throw them in a bucket of bleach water, and scrub them in the morning. Then, I’ll look for some way to coat or seal them so they don’t do this again. 

I recommend buying them in black. They don't get moldy, well maybe they do but at least it doesn't show... I also recommend putting them in the freezer a little while to shrink them and then fit them in as tightly as you can when you install them. I used this method a while back and no stains or shrink gaps yet.

[Galileo]

On 6/8/2025 at 2:36 PM, CRM said:

I recommend buying them in black. They don't get moldy, well maybe they do but at least it doesn't show... I also recommend putting them in the freezer a little while to shrink them and then fit them in as tightly as you can when you install them. I used this method a while back and no stains or shrink gaps yet.

Yes, black seems to be the way to avoid the unsightly black mildew - or whatever it is. They’ll still get dirty of course, it just won’t be so obvious. 

I hadn’t thought about cooling (previously “cooking” oops!)  the new seal material first. I was figuring that the stuff doesn’t really shrink all that much, it more likely gets stretched as it’s being installed. I was planning on kinda “compressing” it as I install it.

Mine had those 3/4”-1” gaps, but I just made sure they were at the top when I cleaned and reinstalled them. I don’t think they really do anything at the top. They just keep most dirt and junk out of the bottom of the track.

Edited Tuesday at 04:10 PM by Galileo
Fat fingers, autocorrect

[CRM]

5 minutes ago, Galileo said:

Yes, black seems to be the way to avoid the unsightly black mildew - or whatever it is. They’ll still get dirty of course, it just won’t be so obvious. 

I hadn’t thought about cooking the new seal material first. I was figuring that the stuff doesn’t really shrink all that much, it more likely gets stretched as it’s being installed. I was planning on kinda “compressing” it as I install it.

Mine had those 3/4”-1” gaps, but I just made sure they were at the top when I cleaned and reinstalled them. I don’t think they really do anything at the top. They just keep most dirt and junk out of the bottom of the track.

I think you meant "cooling"..  but believe me I think it makes a difference. I put my in the freezer and then forced (compressed) it in as hard as I could and now it's fits just about perfect. Pretty sure I'd have at least a small gap if I hadn't done it this way. 

[Galileo]

3 minutes ago, CRM said:

I think you meant "cooling"..  but believe me I think it makes a difference. I put my in the freezer and then forced (compressed) it in as hard as I could and now it's fits just about perfect. Pretty sure I'd have at least a small gap if I hadn't done it this way. 

Yes - finger slipped and spellcheck liked cooking. 

I just noticed that while-installing them the last time, that it’s pretty easy to stretch it as you install it. That could probably be enough to cause the gap as the material ages.

[mountainoliver]

When you order the new black gasket material you will have some left over after installation. Keep this leftover material and when the gasket shrinks just cut a piece of the extra and splice it in at the top. Not really noticeable if all of the ends are cut squarely and the splice is at the top and even if it’s not perfectly tight it will still keep excess junk and insects out of the tracks. 

[Galileo]

OK folks, 

(TLDR - Stained window seals? Soak overnight in Dawn & Bleach water.)

Now that I’ve got that whiny rant out of my system, I’ve come up with a solution that saves $100 and gives me some satisfaction.

I had pulled the window seals out of all four windows last season or so, scrubbed them with a toothbrush and Comet, gave them an hour soak in bleach water, and got them somewhat clean. I even moved two of them to opposite side of the trailer so I could install them “upside down” so that the more visible part was clean. They hadn’t come completely clean, but were a lot less unsightly. 

As I mentioned before, because I scrubbed (abraded) them, I figured they wouldn’t come as clean a second time.

I’m thrilled to report that I was wrong!

I pulled them off again yesterday. Coiled them up in the bottom of a plastic bucket. I put a cup of household bleach and a generous squirt of Dawn dishwashing liquid, and sprayed about a gallon of water in the bucket. I let them soak overnight. 

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to find that they came even cleaner than the first time! There’s just a mere hind of a shadow of the old stain on just one small part of one seal. I would pronounce (nearly) “as good as new”!

I plan to coat/seal them with the same treatment I’ve used in the nose of the trailer to make bugs release easier. 

So - for little more sweat equity than it would take to cut and install new ones - and $100 less - I have window seals I’m quite happy with. 

 

 

[jd1923]

On 6/8/2025 at 2:36 PM, CRM said:

I also recommend putting them in the freezer a little while to shrink them and then fit them in as tightly as you can when you install them.

Having done our last year, I do not believe the freezer would help. It will make them stiff and hard to manage. The second part of this sentence is certainly true.

 I started at the bottom pushing and pushing to compact the rubber. In the end, I cut it to what looked like almost an inch long and pushed it all in the channel. We all have or had the 1” gap from a lazy original installation.

Buy the black stock. I soaked our original white ones in bleach overnight and it did not remove any of the mildew. I did not try a mildew remover as suggested above. I wanted new black stock and for under $100 they look great and should stay nice since they’re not white!

[CRM]

1 hour ago, jd1923 said:

Having done our last year, I do not believe the freezer would help. It will make them stiff and hard to manage.

Well, I certainly wouldn't leave it in long enough to get stiff. Felt tighter and buckled slightly after it was installed and warmed back up, so I'm glad I did it.