B190 Enthusiasts

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.

Not sure what you mean - could you give a little more detail what you're trying to fix?

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.

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.

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.

That is odd...what year is your B190?

It's a 1995

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

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?

I must be brave!!!!

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

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.

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.

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