Frank G's "pushing out windows" experiment was pretty unscientific.
Whether or not it seemed easier after he pulled the strip is a already
a fairly subjective judgement on its own, and doesn't even address
whether the difference was actually relevant. Without measuring
equipment and controlled samples, it's hard to say whether a
de-trimmed window is actually unsafe. How much force SHOULD it take to
push out a window? The closest to an official word on the subject is
from WCM, who makes replacement rubber, and says it's purely cosmetic
and NOT a lock strip. This is not to say that removing it won't make
it easier to push out a window and/or cause it to leak. Certainly this
may affect both those things, but this isn't its PURPOSE. My '90
without the trim leaked at the windshield until I sealed it, so
apparently this is a general design problem for ALL Vanagons, with
some people's plastic inserts merely staving off the inevitable.

On 5/16/05, Roger Sisler <rogersisler2000@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The archives has many entries ,some better than others, stating that
> removel of the locking strip will seriously compromise the window
> installation stregnth. An accident  may cause the windshield to pop out
> without this strip. One person actually went to a junk yard and
> experimented by kicking out windshields.It was determined that removal of
> the strip decreased stregnth by 50%.As for replacment of the strip, the
> only way to do it,without destroying the new strip,is to remove the window
> and install the strip ,and then replacing the window in the frame. Rub the
> rubber gasket  vasoline and the gasket will come back to
> life.Partsexpress.com has a bottle of rubber conditioner that claims to do
> the same. Vasoline works super for me.Just glob it on.New locking strips is
> muy bueno also.
>