Man Vs. Tree

[GitRDone]

There is a huge live oak over my driveway that loves to drop leaves and other crud on my truck, and much of it ends up in the large panel gaps between the roof and windshield. This pic doesn't show much, but in Jan/ Feb (aka Autumn in Fla) the buildup is pretty impressive.

After scraping out the crud for the umpteenth time I decided to do something about it, so I purchased some rubber hose and filled the gaps.

I believe the hose is standard windshield washer hose, it is soft sided and fairly easy to push into the crevice with a plastic putty knife. I wiped the hose down with some 303 before installing.

I also filled the roof panel gaps above the doors.

Done. We'll see how the installation works long-term, but so far I am happy with it.

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[airline tech]

Cool and Innovative - Good Job

 

[SpaceGhost]

That's great! I have the same issue and will look for the correctly sized rubber filler.

 

[Grumpaw]

Nice idea, but....just remember that any moisture via rain or washing, that gets under the hose, will probably stay there, lingering.
May, .....and I say may cause bigger problems down the road....RUST !!!
There's a reason the manufacturers don't fill the gaps with sealant and cover the gap with trim, like they used too.....one of the first items to be looked at on those vehicles were the front/rear window channels under the trim to look for and almost always find rust.
Personally, I'd just squirt the stuff out when washing or use my air compressor to blow it out every week or so,

 

[rydfree]

Nice idea, but....just remember that any moisture via rain or washing, that gets under the hose, will probably stay there, lingering.
May, .....and I say may cause bigger problems down the road....RUST !!!
There's a reason the manufacturers don't fill the gaps with sealant and cover the gap with trim, like they used too.....one of the first items to be looked at on those vehicles were the front/rear window channels under the trim to look for and almost always find rust.
Personally, I'd just squirt the stuff out when washing or use my air compressor to blow it out every week or so,

Was thinking the same . Most likely will create larger issues by not allowing the drain channels to do their thing.

 

[got3fords]

I realize you 303'd it, but I wonder how that hose will hold up after months of sun exposure.

 

[Msfitoy]

 

[Chris M]

He did say it was windshield washer hose, so it's probably well rated for heat resistance.
Consider that it spends much of its normal life baking under the hood with the engine.

 

[Texasota]

I'm wondering if it will cause water retention in those crevices resulting in corrosion?

 

[got3fords]

He did say it was windshield washer hose, so it's probably well rated for heat resistance.
Consider that it spends much of its normal life baking under the hood with the engine.

I assume you are adressing my post. Using reply will post as a quote. Under hood exposure is nothing compared to constant direct sunlight (UV) exposure.

 

[Chris M]

I assume you are adressing my post. Using reply will post as a quote. Under hood exposure is nothing compared to constant direct sunlight (UV) exposure.

Yes I was, and was counting on being able to be the next to post under you.
Lesson learned.
Carry on.

 

[GitRDone]

Nice idea, but....just remember that any moisture via rain or washing, that gets under the hose, will probably stay there, lingering.
May, .....and I say may cause bigger problems down the road....RUST !!!
There's a reason the manufacturers don't fill the gaps with sealant and cover the gap with trim, like they used too.....one of the first items to be looked at on those vehicles were the front/rear window channels under the trim to look for and almost always find rust.
Personally, I'd just squirt the stuff out when washing or use my air compressor to blow it out every week or so,

Yes, thanks I considered that but the body gap is so wide and deep there is still ample clearance around and below the hose, so water drainage shouldn't be an issue. And since it is simple to remove and replace it will be easy to monitor.

 

[GitRDone]

Well, it's been almost two years since I did the install. I am happy to report that the tubing is still doing its job (despite my oak tree's best intentions). Although the truck is parked outside, the rubber still looks like the day I installed it, and the grooves are still leaf-free.
I also removed the strips and closely inspected the body and paintwork for any signs of mold or rot. Nope, everything clean as a whistle. I snapped a couple pics but nothing happens when I try to upload them. Just posting this for anyone interested, it was very easy to do and totally worth it.

 

[Frenchy]

Not gonna lie..... I was thinking something else when I saw the title and it wasn't exactly something I should have been thinking about......

 

[TJC]

Actually the felling cut should be 1" - 2" above deepest point of the notch cut. I also cut the notch cut at least 40% into the trunk. The wedge does help, esp if the tree has any lean to it. But I always cut with the lean, unless there is something in the way. Then it is "prune to the trunk", and cut the trunk sections out until you are clear of the obstruction. Once clear drop what is left of the trunk in the natural lean direction. This is is what I was taught when I did this part time in my younger days. I dropped trees almost weekly for 10 years. When your full time job only pays $20K annually (northwestern Louisiana in the late 1970's), you do what it takes to pay the bills.

From tall skinny (3' diameter) pines to to large diameter water and pin oaks. Some of those old oak trees were so hard that the chain saw teeth would send sparks and dull very quickly. Many of the large oaks were massive at the ground, and the trunks were typically hollow in the middle.

Exhausting and dangerous work, but you slept well!

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