Vapor Barrier behind new door panels?

[C10_Blackie]

Hi all. I have a 1981 C10 Silverado. Ordered new reproduction door panels that should be arriving early next year. When I messed with door panels in the past there was always a plastic vapor barrier between the panel and the door. There currently is no sign of one on this truck, and the door panels that are currently on there are not the originals.

So did this truck originally have vapor barriers on the doors? Any harm in my installing some to help manage moisture in the cab?

I know there are little vents in the lower door panels and I’d leave a hole for those, I guess, but my instinct is to put a barrier over the rest.

Thanks.

 

[Bextreme04]

That's what I'm doing. I ordered a large sheet of greenhouse plastic and a roll of butyl tape and will cut out my own. I got the large roll of greenhouse plastic to use most of it for wrapping our goat and chicken pens in the winter for warmth, since it was ~$20 for a 40'x20' sheet and I only need a few square feet for both doors.

 

[Bextreme04]

I also rolled a few sheets of sound deadener into the inside of the door.

 

[C10_Blackie]

That's what I'm doing. I ordered a large sheet of greenhouse plastic and a roll of butyl tape and will cut out my own. I got the large roll of greenhouse plastic to use most of it for wrapping our goat and chicken pens in the winter for warmth, since it was ~$20 for a 40'x20' sheet and I only need a few square feet for both doors.

Thanks for the response. Last time I did one I remover using some sort of weatherstrip sealant - I’ll need to look into that butyl tape.

 

[Ricko1966]

I used winter window kits for your house,cheap,come with plastic sheet and double sided tape. Door panels covering it now so did it hold up? IDK. I'm not pulling a door panel to see.

 

[Grit dog]

My squarebodys have/had the little parchment paper one, lol. Hell, I looked at sound deadening the doors and then I looked at my arms scratched up and the caked on white lithuim grease that had been sprayed randomly on the windows but mostly on the door skin. Decided since there was no way I was cleaning the old stuff off, shot a coat of wool wax on the rest of the panel and said that’ll never rust out!
I admire your patience!

 

[BadBowtie]

Silverado's had both that paper behind the interior door handle "hole" and the plastic water barrier. Custom Deluxe and Sierra only had the paper. Not sure where the Scottsdale and High Sierras fell??

 

[FreeTruck]

My truck needs some vapor barriers made so I was looking into it. One thing I've come across is to use thick plastic obviously, but also to try and use butyl like the factories do, as it makes an excellent moisture proof barrier that is reusable. Some shy away because they think it's messy, but not if you go to remove your barrier the right way when the time comes for maintenance. You just have to pull back the barrier's edge with slight tension with one hand and use a razorblade in the other to slice the butyl an inch or two at a time. It slices the butyl without stretching it all over the place and once you've sliced enough to give you the access you need, you fold the barrier back out of the way and hold it in place to itself with a light press on a small area of the butyl. Once you're done with your work in the door, you can possibly unstick that foldback you did, if not get your blade back out and slice that little bit you stuck earlier, then put the whole barrier back in it's proper place.
I used to work at a body shop and I've used this method on a lot of doors, it really speeds up the process.

 

[pinballlarry1]

My 1981 Custom Deluxe basic long bed farm truck has plastic vapor barrier sheets inside both doors. Appears to be original.

 

[Burkee1483]

Scored this on Amazon for sealing house windows in the winter to cut the breeze. Used it on my 74 as vapor barrier and worked really well considering it’s 3mm thick and adhesive back. Worked really well

 

[Grit dog]

What exactly are yall trying to accomplish by hanging a piece of plastic inside the other piece of plastic? (The door panel).
Trying to figure out the roi on something like this. Seems pointless imo.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Silverado's had both that paper behind the interior door handle "hole" and the plastic water barrier. Custom Deluxe and Sierra only had the paper. Not sure where the Scottsdale and High Sierras fell??

The paper you speak of was a TSB for wind noise that I’m pretty sure rolled into production for high trim and as-complained by owners

 

[AuroraGirl]

What exactly are yall trying to accomplish by hanging a piece of plastic inside the other piece of plastic? (The door panel).
Trying to figure out the roi on something like this. Seems pointless imo.

If it’s adhesive backed it will have minimal density-adding benefits but really only on the door skin

 

[Grit dog]

If it’s adhesive backed it will have minimal density-adding benefits but really only on the door skin

I don’t understand what you’re explaining.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

What exactly are yall trying to accomplish by hanging a piece of plastic inside the other piece of plastic? (The door panel).
Trying to figure out the roi on something like this. Seems pointless imo.

Keeps the wind out in cold climates. Get enough sidewind and you can very much feel the cold just pouring in through the door handle and window crank.

Keeps dust out too, window seals don't keep it out of the inner door very well.