OK, here's the deal. I can't find the butyl tape in less than 32 roll quanity order. The part numbers are
Butyl 0.215" pre-shimmed tape -- 7241YP1, 20 ft roll, $10.45 times 32 rolls = $334.40
Vinyl Gasket for 1/2" window assembly -- WV3866, 100 ft roll, $26.89
To match up the length of the butyl to the length of the gasket, you'd need 6+ rolls of gasket. That's enough to do 60 windows. The materials would run $500, or a little less than $10 per window. Surely we have enough forum member interest to cover that many windows. Just for my Sovereign and Safari I need to do 8 windows.
Do we have any community interest?
If anyone has found the butyl in single roll quantities, please post a note here. Thanks.
Oops. went down and checked the Airstream window frame dimenions. It's not 5/8" like I thought, but only 9/16". It may seem like a small difference, but it means that the 0.15" pre-shimmed butyl tape is the right material, not the 0.215".
I would be interested in going in on some butyl if it would work on my wings (see my wing window thread started 11/13).
BTW I saw this film at a paint store called Solar Stat 800 783-0454. Brochure says "It's so easy to install you'll be an expert in no time at all". 24"x15' $35, 24'x100' $120
Anybody have a source for metallic window film?
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I have my own opinion. Don't confuse me with the facts.
there's another thread somewhere that debates the type of film and what effect it would have on your ability to see out at night. Darker film (or maybe the silvered stuff) evidently is better at rejecting heat, but darker to look through. I'd like anyone's thoughts on this. I think I also saw a comment that some types of film act like one-way mirrors--can't see in from outside, but at night with the lights on inside, the outsiders can see in fine. Seems a little backwards but it must be physics.
The Sovereign windows that I'm doing were silvered along about the top 1/3 of the window. I have seen other late 70s models that have solar film, but were not silvered. I don't know if it was due to different year of the trailers or what. Maybe this was a well understood tradeoff back then and we've lost the knowledge...
There are weep holes along the bottom edge of the double pane windows. It wasn't obvious how these worked until I looked carefully at the cross section of the frames yesterday. I thought perhaps they vented the space between the glass, which is counter productive for double pane windows, so I've been curious for some time.
Some of mine were clogged with a white powder, which comes out easily with a small drill bit and finger power.
Here's the left half frame from the window in the first post. The single rivet hole is to secure the bar that both keeps the frame together and the edge straight.
You can see from the drill bit angle that the hole is drilled at a steep angle through the small lip in the frame and up into the drain channel. There's a continous opening in the extrusion from the glass channel to the drain channel, ensuring that any water that gets into the frame can drain to the bottom and then outside, without creating pressure to leak through the frame to inside (given that you keep your drain holes clear).
BTW, I've found sources for the butyl and gasket. Should be here next week. More then,
Zep
If you are still looking for Butyl Tape - I got a roll at my local RV store for less than $5. I actually think it was around $3. It is 1.5 inches wide and a roll of 12 to 15 feet. I needed to do the lights on my 66 Caravel and that was the least they would sell me. Not enough to help you but they are still there and I am sure there are other RV stores that carry this stuff.
Thanks, but that butyl is not shimmed and isn't precisely controlled in thickness. Plus, the double pane butyl needs to be about 0.4" wide, not the 1.5" wide stuff used for vents and water heater installation.
Shimmed means that inside the butyl tape there will be a rubber rod of exactly the right diameter to hold the window panes the right distance apart.
Back when I was less informed, I tried to fix a vista view window in my Overlander by hand rolling snakes of plumber's putty. When I put it together it looked sooooo much better, but it didn't last. Hot sun make the putty creep away from the edge. Uggggly. So believe me, I have been thinking of how to use the cheap and available butyl, but luckily I found the right stuff.
My windows have some white rubbrt plugs loose on the inside bottom of the windows (looks like they fell out of something/somewhere) and that they plugged some holes. Is it possible that they were something to do with draining condinsation. Do you have any ideas?
There are little white plugs evenly spaced around the gasket on my 75 wing windows. They look like they might be spacers to maintain the separation between the glass panes.
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I have my own opinion. Don't confuse me with the facts.
yes, I think you could cut some 1/8" or 3/16" plastic rod in 1/4" segments, embed it in the inner edge of the butyl, and then squeeze and you'd have an acceptable double pane sandwich. But it would be a lot of work, slow squeeze, and you'd have to cut the butyl down to a narower width.
After a lot of trepidation and little Yukon Jack I decided (against my wife's advice) to tear into the wing with the worst scuzzies. There are 2 screws in each 45 mitered corner that engage in a channel. I needed to use an impact screwdriver to free the screws. One screw head broke in the process. The straight frame piece came off pretty easily. Underneath is a rubber like U channel the double pane glass panel is mounted in. The edges of the glass panel is sealed with metallic tape. So far so good. I'll keep you posted on my progress or lack thereof.
__________________
I have my own opinion. Don't confuse me with the facts.
ID of frame channel = 3/4". OD of rubber U channel is a hair less which is the narrowest point which is at the base. With glass mounted U channel has a bead on the edge which is next to the inside window which flares sightly wider.
__________________
I have my own opinion. Don't confuse me with the facts.
Marshall, this might be a problem. The vinyl I ordered is for putting a glazing panel that's 1/2" thick into a 5/8" wide channel. The next size up vinyl is for 3/4" thick glass, presumably to put into a 7/8" channel. Your 3/4" channel width doesn't seem to comply with materials I've found in the glazing industry.
However, I think using a narrower vinyl rather than a wider one would be the best compromise. Hang on to the old stuff until we see if the new 1/2" stuff works.
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