Question about seals

[VeggieBullet]

Thinking about tinting the windows we have 2 questions:
1) Do the windows need to be removed and is the outside panel tinted from the inside?
2) Can this seal be replaced? is it necessary? What is its purpose?
Thanks

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

Thinking about tinting the windows we have 2 questions:
1) Do the windows need to be removed and is the outside panel tinted from the inside?
2) Can this seal be replaced? is it necessary? What is its purpose?
Thanks

The double pane windows are tinted with a nylon film, that's on the inside of the outside glass.

Andy

[wasagachris]

Hey VB You are one of the lucky ones. Your trauiler has removeable inner panes on all the lift up windows. If you open the windows and look around the inside edge of the window frame you will seea series of screws. Those screws hold the inner panes and inner pane frame to the outer frame. Remove those screws and then you can very gently pry the two frames apart. I replaced all my seals with readily available material from the big box stores.
Yes the outer pane is tinted on the inside.
To remove the entire window from the sash you will need to disconnect the lift up arms from the frame. Then you lift the window up very high (about 160 degrees from the closed position) and it will drop out of the J hinge.
While you have the windows out replace the outer frame seal as well. It is available from any Airstream dealer like Inland RV or Out of Doors Mart.
The inner seal is to stop moisture from collecting between the two panes.
You're fixed windows are another matter though. They can be rebuilt reusing the double panes or you can convert them to single pane. I chose to rebuild mine. The stack windows and the Vista View windows are easier to do the the wing windows. To rebuild the wings the entire frame needs to be removed from the trailer. This will entail drilling out several rivets. I chose to replace mine after finding NEW OLD StOCK windows. Later when I have more time I will rebuild the originals.

[moparjohn]

Chris,
I have the same window in my 73 TW. The front one (center swing up) has the screws you speak of, so I could take it apart, my reason for doing so it to get rid of "black mold" I see in between the panes. It looks horrid, any sealer needed to put them back together? MPJ

[wasagachris]

Originally Posted by moparjohn

Chris,
I have the same window in my 73 TW. The front one (center swing up) has the screws you speak of, so I could take it apart, my reason for doing so it to get rid of "black mold" I see in between the panes. It looks horrid, any sealer needed to put them back together? MPJ

Hi John, the "black mold" you speak of is probably the remnants of the original foam tape gasket. I bought my replacement gasket from the big orange box store. I don't remember the dimensions of the gasket i used. Just measure the depth of the area and the width and choose one that is slightly thicker so it will compress to form a seal. All your lift up windows should be the same with the removable screws. If your inner pane is plexi then it is removable. I don't know for sure but I think this type of window is unique to 73's.

[moparjohn]

So this is a pic of my front swing up window, with the black "stuff". I guess it would be a foam type gasket, and I could get it in grey rather than black.

[wasagachris]

Originally Posted by moparjohn

So this is a pic of my front swing up window, with the black "stuff". I guess it would be a foam type gasket, and I could get it in grey rather than black.

Hey John, yep sure looks like the same gasket as mine. The window needs to come out of the trailer for disassembly. Remove the lift up arms and then lift the window up high and it will just drop out of the J hinge. Remove all the screws and then gently pry apart the two frames (inner & outer) to seperate them. Once it is all cleaned up and the new gasket installed and reassembled the installation back into the trailer is usually a two person job. When installing the window back into the J hinge it has a tendency to bow out in the middle and not catch the hinge. This is especially prevelant on the larger front & rear windows. What I did was as I was standing on a step stool outside and holding the window up in the hinge I had the second person inside and they would thump upward on the window frame to seat it into the hinge. When trying to lower the window down you can feel if it is properly seated in the hinge. If it is not seated fully you run the risk of bending the hinge and even popping some of the rivets holding the hinge to the window frame.
While you have it apart you might consider having the inside of the inner pane tinted to reduce the amount of sun getting into the trailer. There was a factory tint originally on the window. I tinted mine in full dark "limo" tint and it was amazing how much cooler the trailer was after the windows were tinted.

[VeggieBullet]

Hi Chris.
Do you remember or have handy where did you get the seal from?
By any chance the original dimensions of the seal?
Thanks

[wasagachris]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

Hi Chris.
Do you remember or have handy where did you get the seal from?
By any chance the original dimensions of the seal?
Thanks

Sorry I don't remember the dimensions but i do know that i bought it from some Guy named Homer who runs an orange big box store

[VeggieBullet]

Hi Cris
thanks for the reply.
We are done with the VV and the stack windows and ready to get to the other windows.
I;m trying to locate your previous post with the pics about how you did them but I can't find it.
So the windows just come out of the hinge like the compartments doors do? lift them up to the right angle and they will come out? and after that all there is to do are the screws?
mmmm.....sounds to good to be true...LOL

[wasagachris]

Originally Posted by VeggieBullet

Hi Cris
thanks for the reply.
We are done with the VV and the stack windows and ready to get to the other windows.
I;m trying to locate your previous post with the pics about how you did them but I can't find it.
So the windows just come out of the hinge like the compartments doors do? lift them up to the right angle and they will come out? and after that all there is to do are the screws?
mmmm.....sounds to good to be true...LOL

Yep that's all there is to it. They lift out of the hinges just like the compartment doors. These particular windows do just unscrew to take them apart. The gasket I used was a closed cell foam type gasket used for sealing doors and wondows in homes. I looked for the size but I don't have any of it left.