Cooktop glass lid shatters for no apparent reason

[UKDUDE]

After a very long mid-summer tour, the AI was resting in the garage for more than a week when I went inside and found the Smev cooktop glass lid shattered into a thousand pieces! No-one had been in there and nothing had fallen onto the lid.
Anyone experienced this?
Most Smev spares found on the internet come from Australia and New Zealand. Dometic doesn’t appear to list any spares or even the model fitted in the AI. Ugh!

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Glass is interesting stuff. Stress can build up and then later "explode". Give it a rap and nothing happens .... for a week or two ...

So, yes, this sort of thing does happen. Usually it happens in the form of a really small crack that you don't notice when it starts. After a while it propagates and you have bits and pieces.

Bob

[Wrangler]

What Bob said, even a small scratch on an edge can lead to shattering. Glass, especially tempered glass can behave quite strangely.

[Boxster1971]

Agree the safety glass is interesting stuff. I don't have any idea how the rear vent window on my Interstate shattered just sitting in my driveway. At first I though it was vandals, but it also could have been built up internal stress and the heat of summer. The closure mechanism on the CR Laurence vent windows does place stress on the glass. The window shattered into many small pieces as safety glass does.

[Alex AVI]

UKDUDE - 100% agree with prior responses. Have not happened on my AI yet, but many years ago, my S500, passenger window shattered while sitting inside my garage. Garage is completely insulated, even roll-up doors are insulated. Car has been in it for over 3 weeks. I know it was intact prior to storing because I hand washed it and detailed interior/exterior. If that is not weird enough, the S500 has dual-pane windows. BOTH SIDES shattered. Go figure??

[UKDUDE]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

UKDUDE - 100% agree with prior responses. Have not happened on my AI yet, but many years ago, my S500, passenger window shattered while sitting inside my garage. Garage is completely insulated, even roll-up doors are insulated. Car has been in it for over 3 weeks. I know it was intact prior to storing because I hand washed it and detailed interior/exterior. If that is not weird enough, the S500 has dual-pane windows. BOTH SIDES shattered. Go figure??

That's a little reassuring to hear of others' similar stories especially since my wife began to think thoughts of a ghost in the garage or that the AI was possessed!

But we had recently returned from a trip that included Florida and Texas in the heat of the summer, so it had been exposed to extreme temperatures for several days, including the AC on full blast. I wondered whether that had exposed a weakness in the fabric of the glass.

I'm waiting to hear back from Dometic if they can supply a replacement. When the igniter failed - under warranty at the time - Airstream replaced the entire cooktop. Hope it doesn't come down to that now it's out of warranty.

[wachuko]

Around 440.00 for the complete unit and anywhere from 115-249.00 for just the glass...

Have you tought about just having one made out of plexiglass, stainless steel, or aluminum?

Pricing for just that glass seems a bit insane... I tend to be a bit clumsy, so I know it is just a matter of time before mine breaks. I should be proactive and use it as a template and make a replacement before it happens...

[InterBlog]

I have not done, but if one of ours breaks, I doubt that I'd replace in kind. I might go with perforated aluminum, same kind as I've used for our table, suspended shelves, and battery / inverter chamber ventilation screen. It would be difficult to edge it properly, though, in those applications.

There was a T1N owner a while back whose shaving mirror fell on his sink cover and smashed it. He paid about $250 for the replacement.

[UKDUDE]

Just had a response from Dometic, so in case anyone has a similar issue, here are the details:

Airstream Owner’s Manual says it’s a SMEV 8022 Cooktop, but the real model number is P18022.

Dometic:
The part number for the glass lid is 1053103543 the cost is 174.79 plus 25.00 shipping. Hope this helps. If you would like to order this through us just give us a call.
CustomerSupportCenter
Phone (800)544-4881
customersupportcenter@dometic.com
Dometic North America
dometic.com

Just an afterthought: although nothing has fallen on the lid, we always place hot items on the glass so as not to mark the Corian. Maybe that weakened it.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

I have not done, but if one of ours breaks, I doubt that I'd replace in kind. I might go with perforated aluminum, same kind as I've used for our table, suspended shelves, and battery / inverter chamber ventilation screen. It would be difficult to edge it properly, though, in those applications.

There was a T1N owner a while back whose shaving mirror fell on his sink cover and smashed it. He paid about $250 for the replacement.

I think that it would look great in that same material you used for the table.

[wachuko]

Had not refreshed my browser.

Thank you for sharing the details on part number and cost.

Originally Posted by UKDUDE

Just had a response from Dometic, so in case anyone has a similar issue, here are the details:

Airstream Owner’s Manual says it’s a SMEV 8022 Cooktop, but the real model number is P18022.

Dometic:
The part number for the glass lid is 1053103543 the cost is 174.79 plus 25.00 shipping. Hope this helps. If you would like to order this through us just give us a call.
CustomerSupportCenter
Phone (800)544-4881
customersupportcenter@dometic.com
Dometic North America
dometic.com

Just an afterthought: although nothing has fallen on the lid, we always place hot items on the glass so as not to mark the Corian. Maybe that weakened it.