I applied black sealant around the roof-rack landing pads before fitting the rails and crossbars. It then got on my hands and other parts as I continued the assembly.
Sealant at a landing-pad location and on my fingers during roof-rack assembly.
Why I bought it
The roof-rack installation began with exposing the factory threaded holes and preparing the ten landing-pad locations. Black sealant was included among the materials for fitting the pads.
The XFasten black cartridge appeared in my materials list. In my notes, the timing and access around the pads became the main story behind the sealant work.
How I used it in my camper van
I removed the roof covers, widened some openings, scraped paint and adhesive from the indented locations and bolted down the landing pads. I then applied black sealant around the pads before attaching the side rails and crossbars.
As I continued the assembly, I got sealant on my hands and other pieces. My notes also describe the difficulty of getting the cartridge tip fully underneath a landing pad. The close-ups show both the pads and the restricted space around them.
A landing pad beneath the roof-rack side rail.The tight space around the roof-rack attachment during fitting.
My review
The timing was the part I would change from that session. Applying the sealant immediately after the pads made the following rail and crossbar assembly messy.
The pad shape also made nozzle access awkward. That is the practical experience I recorded: the sealant application was tied to the assembly order and the space available under each pad.
I would change the timing of the sealant step so I was not handling freshly sealed pads throughout the next assembly work.
Alternative products
Two alternatives to compare
GE SCS1200 comes in a cartridge, while Permatex 81158 comes in a small squeeze tube. Both are black silicone sealants with different dispensing formats. Cartridge size and nozzle handling are useful comparisons after my experience reaching underneath the landing pads.
GE SCS1200 Black Silicone Sealant
This black silicone sealant is supplied in a cartridge. Its nozzle provides a dispensing format for applying a bead along a joint.
This black silicone adhesive sealant comes in a small squeeze tube. Its compact nozzle provides another dispensing format for small sealing and bonding tasks.
