Side Sliding and Fixed Window Repair

[Chaplain Kent]

This weekend, with the help of my son, I was able to strip out six of our seven side windows. We took time off to watch Penn State shellac our Badgers, sad outcome.
This has become the most difficult job I have undertook on Chummy to date. The process to remove the windows in the service manual is a joke. Possibly when the coach was new it might work but after 23 years of jostling and settling it does not work now.
Here is what we did. First we removed the inside trim panel, you need to drill out the rivets. Next take out the bottom plastic slide track, there is only one screw that holds this in place. Next is a clear top track, which is not shown in the manual! Most of my top tracks were totally destroyed but the screws remained and needed to be removed. Now the screen will come out by lifting and slightly bending it inward. Next with one person on the outside and one on the inside we inserted a 1" putty knife under the window between the channel and gently pried upward. The outside person may have to tap, we used a large rubber mallet, very gently on the bottom of the window frame until the window pops out of the channel. Next on the outside of the fixed window there are two sash retainers with 3 screws each one on top and one on the bottom. Each has to be removed, then remove the two screws on the outside frame. Do not loose these little screws they are hard to replace. Repeat the process with the putty knife to remove the window, only reverse the inside and outside person and take the window out from the outside.
I have one window put back in and the same process in reverse will get the windows back in.
The existing window seal channel was baked in over the past 23 years. This had to be scraped out using a heat gun and at times even a propane torch torch to get into the corners. I fashioned a tool from an old screwdriver that was just smaller than the track and then sharpened it on my grinding wheel. However, the job was still slow and tedious.
There are parts in the windows that are not listed in the service manual. Airsteam was little to no help and now do not return my calls. I am using the fuzzy track from AS Laurence part # AS126896 for the channel. It is a perfect fit, perfect match, one 8' strip is just right. I found the vertical seal at a local window manufacturer, again a perfect match and fit. I do have a good lead on the vinyl wipers and possibly even the bottom slide track. The top track remains a mystery and I think the windows will go back together without this item. My hope and goal is to gather all the parts and get them stocked at one place so anyone else who wants to undertake this task will not have to go through what I have done to track them down. I do have a good lead on getting this accomplished.
I have sent samples of the weep hole covers to see if we can get something made which will hold up better and cost less. I have broke off my covers simply by washing the windows with a squeegee, there has to be something better out there.
Stayed tuned for the finished product. The weather has turned cold and the furnace is running so it will be nice to have windows again.