are the clips at the bottom of the windows hard to find?
Orig. ones are. Repros. are available at Inland RV but I only recommend them for 'framed' windows. If you hold tight for awhile I believe Steve at Vintage Trailer Supply may be manufacturing some.
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Murray
AIR #189
"If aluminum isn't magnetic- why am I so attracted to to it?"
What do you mean by "framed window"? Do you mean there is an AL frame around the glass? My original (66 Caravel) glass is "frameless" and the clips are stuck to the edge of the glass. I was planning to order some replacement clips but now you have me questioning my decision. I need to replace the 4 clips that are missing. What is wrong with the ones from Inland RV?
What Murry means is the 1968 version of the curved corning windows. In 1968 Airstream and the window maker added a stainless steel edging to the curved glass to help strengthen it. The clips that Inland sells are for these type of window. The clip is wider to slip over the edging wich is thicker than just the plain glass of the 1966/67 version of these cool windows....
The Inland ones can be squeezed down before installation but I have heard that they don not look the same. I have been trying to get some tooling made at work to make the thinner version, but work keeps getting in the way.
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Tedd Ill
AIR#3788
1967/8 Overlander International Twin w/ bunk/s. Yes, four kids and two adults in the thing. Happy wife, happy life.
Some of these questions are addressed in the current issue of Airstream Life. However, Steve's VintageTrailersupply.com, has glass that you can order for years '66 through '68. For year 1969 and on Airstream Inc. will replace the glass for those windows, including the years Corning glass was used, 1969 to 1972 (or '73). The clips on the bottoms of the windows is spring steel and that is the material that should be used for any replacements. Occasionally, these will come up for sale on e-Bay, but at a premium price. A good metal fabrication shop can produce duplicates if they have a pattern of one to copy. Any steel other than spring steel will eventually, if not quickly, lose its shape and grip on the glass.
Till, is correct. Inland's are way too fat to fit properly as they are made to fit over the Stainless steel trim he sells to go with his plastic replacement windows. The original Stainless steel trim on '68 windows was cut out to provide an opening for the clips. So in those instances the clips did not have to fit over the trim. If it were not designed this way then there would be a noticable bulge from the combination of clip and trim and you would not get a good seal on the gasket.
I have been compiling a list of small things to buy from many parts houses and 4 of these clips were part of that list. Shipping can kill you on small orders as you all know so I am trying to get all the stuff I need at one time as I go through my Caravel.
i just recently replaced the galley window with glass from vts but while i still have the steel trim but the clips have gone missing i stole the clips frome the vanity window because that window is lexan and will be replaced soon enough
...on a not quite seprate note but after installing the glass from vts when the window is closed it does not close evely at the bottom once i crank the bottom clips in the window will seal but with out them it would not
you can cut and bend a piece of metal to make a window clip. It's not hard, and they fit the frameless glass nicely. Just use a vise and a pair of pliers.
you can cut and bend a piece of metal to make a window clip...
Yes, but as Forrest pointed out, it needs to be spring steel, which is not a cake walk to work with. And, if you want it to last more than a couple of seasons, it needs to be some flavor of stainless steel.
If Andy's clips had been the right size for frameless windows, I would have bought many. As it is, JBWelded scabs of steel are holding a few of my clips together. Every season sees them getting an anti-rust touchup.
Oh, boy, I just found out that our 67 has the type 3 window attachment mechanism! (It's about time I found this out. Bought the new windows nearly a year ago and still hadn't found the time to install them!)
Lynn
Lynn, Don't forget the bedding tape! I am still waiting for VTS to stock window clips in the right size for my new windows. The ones I bought from Andy at Inland work but don't look right. Ed
Yep, I did an open search for "glazing tape" and found it to be fairly common. I'll see if they don't have it at the local hardware store tomorrow ...
Lynn
steve at vts told me that i did not need to use bedding tape but rather a high grade silicone sealent/adheasive. it seams to have worked well. i have type 3 windows and i have to say that instlation was a snap. i did take a few days to prep every thing ie cleaning off the old bedding tape and silicone. but window instlation is just about a two person job. most everything can be done by one person but you may need some one to hold the glass while you put in the screwes. i did dry fit a few times to make sure that i under stood what i was going to need to do and when. also i used a dry erase marker to mark the how much of the glass was in the window bar and where to put the masking tape to make the silicone have a nice clean edge. i also taped the window six ways to sunday so that the silicone could set before i wanted it to support the weight of the glass.
The main concern with silicone adhesives is they tend not to stay stuck to the aluminum after a while. (Check out sealing roof vents and openings with silicone). When you factor in UV exposure, vibration of the trailer going down the road, and the cost of replacement glass.... bedding tape would sure seem the safe way to grip the glass and insure against premature loss of a window. I believe from what I've seen on 66,67, and 68 trailers that bedding tape was factory installed and has held windows in, pretty good, for almost 40 years. It comes down to personal preference in the end but, I'll go with what holds the window tighter in the hinge/clamp. Ed
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