Please note these are guides only and not definative instruction sheets, all vehicles have slight differences and everyone has different levels of skill and equipment. These guides are to help you fit one of our windows with our bonding kits. Vansport Ltd accepts no responsibility for any injury, loss or damage however caused in relation to these guides, please be sure that you have the correct equipment, materials and skills to carry out the conversion before starting. All fitting guides are subject to copywrite and may not be reproduced in any form without written permission.

VW TRANSPORTER T4, 1991 - 2003, ALL MODELS

This is the 'Basic' fitting method, there are a number of different ways of fitting and it is purely personal preference:

1. Basic method - cut the hole and bond the window in place - follow the instructions below
2. Similar to oem fitment - Remove the seam sealer holding the inner and outer skins apart, cut the outer aperature fractionally smaller than the inner aperature, 'roll' the outer bodywork inwards to close up the gap and bond together using some extra bonding adhesive, clamp together and leave for several hours before removing the clamps and bonding the window on. This is the closest method to the oem Caravelle fitting although the skins are welded together from the factory.
3. Our preferred method - Start as above and remove the seam sealer, roll the bodywork, fit the optional edge trim over the inner skin then bond the skins together, securing the edge trim at the same time, clamp together and allow several hours before removing the clamps and bonding the window on.

If using methods 2 or 3 you may need extra adhesive, an extra tube per window would be ample, you may be able to do two windows with one extra tube if used sparingly.

Method 3 will also require 3.5 metres of edge trim

If using methods 2 or 3 - do this stage between stages 8 -9 of the fitting guide as it will not be possibe to do this after the window has been fitted 

1. Sld – remove inner door handle & locking knob
2. Drill a starter hole in the panel about 2 inches in from the edge of the aperature
3. Using a fine metal cutting blade in your jig-saw, important: to avoid panel warping you must first de-stress the panel by removing the section of metal from the centre, use a line approximately 1 inch in from the inner body line of the aperature (ie where the inner/outer skins meet, in other words – leave about an inch to trim off afterwards – important note: on side loading doors the front to back measurement will be slightly shorter due to the inner panels being slightly different, this can be seen if you look from the inside tip: use a centre punch to punch a series of dents from inside along the edge of the inner aperature to reassure yourself that you are not cutting too far out when working from outside
4. Mask up the outside of the aperature thickly to prevent damage from the jig-saw then, working from outside but with your head through the hole, carefully follow the edge of the inner skin all the way round
5. Thoroughly remove all traces of polish, wax and years of traffic film around the aperature, it is vital to make sure that all traces of polish, silicones etc that may have been applied to the bodywork over the years is completely removed where the adhesive goes, if in doubt, use fine sand-paper or thinners, white spirit etc but ensure that all traces of this are wiped away and allowed to dry before applying the primer, you may repeat the priming process to make sure if in doubt, too much is better than not enough.
6. Paint the bare metal edges with a good quality rust inhibiting primer, we found hammerite to be ideal, this will stop rusting in the future. Allow the paint to dry completely before continuing.
7. Whilst the above is drying, fit the moulding around the edge of the glass and join neatly using superglue or similar (a quick look at your rear window if fitted can be used as a guide as a similar moulding is used there, take care not to fit it inside-out, there is a tiny ‘spur’ on one edge which goes on the inside) the adhesive will spread out to hold it in place after fitting to the vehicle
8. Clean the glass with any proprietory glass cleaner and a lint free cloth or soft tissue (take extra care if tinting film has been pre-applied) and allow to dry thoroughly. Using the wire applicator supplied, smoothly apply the green top primer to the black ceramic band on the glass and around the body in what’s left of the recessed part of the aperature, try to apply in one layer in one smooth application & avoid a ‘painting’ motion as this will cause a build up of primer, if this does happen allow double the drying time. Important: you must shake the primer for at least 2 full minutes, i cannot stress how important this is … if not thoroughly cleaned, degreased, primed properly and allowed to dry for 15 minutes, the windows will eventually come away from the bonding and fall out or at the very least – leak. It is vital that you leave at least 15 minutes drying time for all the primers and do not allow anything, especially greasy fingerprints, to touch the primed areas, a hot air gun may be used in addition but not as a substitute for adequate drying time
9. Carefully apply the adhesive around the aperature from outside, (see tips below) follow the edge of the aperature with the guide on the nozzle and ensure all joins are touched in to avoid gaps as this glue forms your water-tight seal when cured, try not to get the bead too high or it will ooze out on the inside, too low and it will leak, the standard nozzle is about the correct height (remove the guide ‘leg’ if attached), use a matchstick or something to ‘feather’ the joins in the glue if necessary.
10. Using suckers if available, place the glass on the glue as soon as possible and firmly press into place, use a bit of tape to stop it sliding down until the glue cures (about 4 hours)

Helpful tips

1. Pick a dry day as the adhesive will not bond sufficiently if fitted in damp conditions
2. Warm the adhesive in front of a low heater for a while before pumping as this will make it easier to use if a high ratio sealant gun is not used
3. Try to keep the gun at 90 degrees to the body so that the glue only comes out of the ‘v’ part of the nozzle – not the end, an upside-down ‘v’ is the ideal shape
4. Try not to get finger prints etc on the glass or body after priming as this may cause leaks or worse – the glass will eventually become unstuck
5. Plan the job thoroughly and check you have all you need before starting, including spare jig-saw blades
6. Do not wash your van for 48 hours after fitting (rain water is ok )
7. Do not drive or slam doors for at least 3-4 hours after fitting, full cure can take up to a week
8. Ensure all swarf/iron filings are thoroughly washed off as soon as possible as these will rust if left on the vehicle.