Bomar front hatch 28TE

[dgetswet]

Has anyone changed the rubber seal in their Boman front hatch?
It took me forever to get the seal from West Marine and Boman. I ordered it at West Marine because they were the distributor. After 2 months finally got the right length as they kept sending a 6 foot piece and a 1 foot piece. It's actually 6 1/2 feet long.

Any way I took the old off and cleaned it up. I put the new one on following there instructions fit nice. When I close the hatch and lock it I see the 2 forward corners buckling in.
Any suggestions before I call Boman to see if they sent me the wrong size?

[MerryKate]

Don - I still have my original hatch seal, but have always had trouble with the corners pulling away and leaking. I eventually used some contact adhesive spray on he corners that helps hold the shape.

[dgetswet]

Don - I still have my original hatch seal, but have always had trouble with the corners pulling away and leaking. I eventually used some contact adhesive spray on he corners that helps hold the shape.

Yeah the instructions say to use a super glue drop in each corner. I did that and held nice. My problem is the corners by the hand latches. When I lock the hatch down it looks like it is pulling the outside corners down.

We just had a heavy rain the other night and it did not leak so maybe with time it will not pull as much.

[Norseman]

Bought the Bomar seal, $43 or so, but never used it. (Yet)
Turns out my leaks was from the caulking drying up under the hatch frame above deck.
I used masking tape and clear silicone on the pinky finger a year ago or so, no more leaks, even in Florida monsoon rain.
Original seal is about 18 years old and holding up good.
Keeping the new one in the spare kit, it will be put to good use sometime in the future, but not today, hopefully not tomorrow either.

[Tree]

Top tip on the sealing for the hatch. Use 3/4” hatch tape under the aluminium. I used closed cell neoprene for this and it stopped all leaks immediately. The issue is the hatch is manufactured flat but the coach roof isn’t essentially flat. Silicone works for a period of time but isn’t anywhere near as effective as the close cell neoprene. We have a temp change here on the UK south coast that can change over the year up to 45°c. -10°c in winter to 35°c ( sometimes more) in the summer. Silicon isn’t viable over that range and eventually dries and cracks. I bought a new nomad hatch seal a few years back - it’s working now but I’d say with regular use I’d get five years out of it tops. Sadly even with the neoprene under the hatch fitting the frame work still has twists and warps in it which compromises the two mating faces when open or closed. I don’t usually open the hatch so I’m expecting longer than five years out of it.