1962 window construction

[Stefrobrts]

Could someone advise me how the window glass should be installed in Bambi? The windows are very different from the corning windows in the Caravel.

I am trying to figure out how the glass should be held into the frame. It appears to have a grey plastic edging around the window, and is glued in with hard yellow caulking. Where the edging is gone there is just big smears of caulk. The front window is glued in with several different materials, a real Bubba fix.

Anyway, I would like to figure out what I need to do to fix it all up right so it looks nice again. Any advice would be appreciated.

[overlander64]

Greetings Stephanie!

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Could someone advise me how the window glass should be installed in Bambi? The windows are very different from the corning windows in the Caravel.

I am trying to figure out how the glass should be held into the frame. It appears to have a grey plastic edging around the window, and is glued in with hard yellow caulking. Where the edging is gone there is just big smears of caulk. The front window is glued in with several different materials, a real Bubba fix.

Anyway, I would like to figure out what I need to do to fix it all up right so it looks nice again. Any advice would be appreciated.

I was hoping that someone with experience with the '62 models would respond to your earlier post, but since my Overlander has similar windows I will relate what I have learned about the window retainer gaskets for the Hehr windows used in the early 1960s. It isn't unusual for the front window to have been replaced multiple times due to damage from road debris. When I had the front window replaced on my Overlander, I learned that the gasket material is no longer available but there is a modern gasket that is quite similar - - the problem being that it has an extra lip or protrusion that needs to be trimmed to fit the Airstream/Hehr application. The modern material is either black or charcoal gray rather than the light gray of the original. I have also learned that the older the original gasket material gets, the more brittle it becomes, and nearly every window on my Overlander needs new gaskets as the old gasket materials are disintegrating slowly but surely (hail storms aren't helping their longetivity).

I wish that I could remember the source, but it has been a number of years. A posting on the Vintage Airstream Club website was how I learned about the new gasket material - - I believe that it may have been Bud Cooper who discovered the modern replacement material in a catalog. The following is quoted from the VAC FAQ page:

Q: I have a 1962 trailer and the gray strips which hold the window glass in place are falling out. Where can I get new ones?
A: The strip you are referring to are the glass retainer strips or "glazing", and there were numerous styles over the years. Replacement material are available from suppliers for the 1952-1958 and 1962 to 1965 windows. A few of the independent informational Airstream websites keep commercial supplier listings. The material used on 1966 to 1996 windows is still available from Airstream dealers.

You might also find the step-by-step repair information on the link below for 1962-1965 Hehr windows as used in Airstreams to be of interest:

Step-by-Step Hehr Window Repair 1962-1965

Good luck with your window repairs!

Kevin

[Stefrobrts]

Thank you very much, that is just the info I needed!

[greg176]

I got the gasket material and tape from www.airstreamdreams.com

[jlawrence]

I replaced a window using the tape and trim material from airstream dreams too (on my '59 Flying Cloud). The hardest part was removing the old gunk from the grooves where the old trim was. ..next time I may use the dremmel tool.

Best of luck.

John.

[53flyingcloud]

Originally Posted by greg176

I got the gasket material and tape from www.airstreamdreams.com

greg176,
Thanks for the lead..I'm faced with the prospect of having to re-do all of my street-side windows, and the kitchen window as well.
Front and back windows seem to be good~
I have also ordered custom made screen for all of the windows as the originals were $*!$@# by the PO..
If anyone needs windows...
I was able to find a local source for LEXAN material, smoky grey, priced out at 16$ per window~! (Your cost depends on actual sizes required)
I was just waiting until I could find the replacement gasket for the window. Thanks to you, I can now go foward~
ciao
53FC

[Stefrobrts]

Hi all, I got the butyl tape and window retaining gasket from airstream dreams and pulled off one window to start working on it. I got the grooves all cleaned out, and re-installed the glass, but I'm having trouble getting the gasket installed. It seems it needs to slip under the edge of the window frame, but I can't get it to go under far enough to stay, it just pops right back out. Any advice?

[greg176]

To get the window gasket in I had the window flat on my workbench with the outside facing me.I inserted the seal in the groove in the frame and worked the seal into the groove using the flat side of a screwdriver with a lot of pressure (an old well rounded off screwdriver). The proper tool is probably a nylon pizza cutter like wheel like the one used to repair screens.Just make sure not to stretch the seal of it will shrink back later.

[Wardinbb]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

Hi all, I got the butyl tape and window retaining gasket from airstream dreams and pulled off one window to start working on it. I got the grooves all cleaned out, and re-installed the glass, but I'm having trouble getting the gasket installed. It seems it needs to slip under the edge of the window frame, but I can't get it to go under far enough to stay, it just pops right back out. Any advice?

Hi Stephanie,
What about the seal around the frame that the window closes to?
Did you find any of that bulb seal anywhere? Or perhaps an alternative to a bulb seal? This last part is driving me nuts with obsession, any pointers?
Thanks,
Ed