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Old 02-03-2013, 03:35 PM   #1
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1999 25' Safari
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Moisture inside wing window

We have moisture inside the curbside wing window. At sometime in the past it's had water pooled between the panes. Is it possible to fix this without drilling out the exterior rivets and removing the outside window? It appears I could access the inside pane fairly easily but could you have it repaired while the outside pane stays in place?
If you have to remove the outside window would it be cheaper to buy a new window rather than try to repair the old one (assuming you can by a new one)?

I would appreciate a response from anyone who has experience with this type situation.
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Old 02-03-2013, 03:54 PM   #2
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No easy way to fix this. What would help prevent more moisture from getting in there is to cut the outter lip of the gray gasket out and put Trempro-635 in there to keep more water from getting in. It is also leaking inside your trailer where the seams are in the frame. One of these days I am going to experiment with drill holes in the frame from the inside and purging the inside with dry nitrogen to get all the water out. You would need a small hole for a needle and a little bigger one for the GN2 to get back out. Here is a link that might help and another link in that link. Zep has done a lot in this area as well.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f454...ems-86517.html

To really fix it you have to remove the window from the trailer by drilling the bucked rivets out and then you have to separate the frame. It is in two halves with steel rivets holding the two halves together. There are some replacements for the gray U-Channel Gasket and the butyl tape that is between the two panes. I am working on sealing around the frame to keep more water from getting in at this point. It seems to be working. If I can dry out the interior, at some point I may not have to go to the trouble of pulling the window and taking it apart.

Perry
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Old 02-03-2013, 04:07 PM   #3
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First, what I am about to describe to you should in no way be taken as a suggested fix for your Airstream.

A while back, I had a problem with water collecting in a double pane window in the bedroom of my home. I bought a fine diamond point drill for my dremel tool and carefully drilled a small hole at the bottom and at the top of the window pane from the inside. (Auto glass repairmen will drill a similar small hole in your car's windshield to stop a crack from running). Then I taped a small vinyl hose from my acquarium pump and let the pump put air into the pane for a couple of days until it was thoroughly dry. A piece of clear scotch tape covered the hole afterwards. I did this about 8 years ago and the pane is still clear.
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Old 02-03-2013, 04:13 PM   #4
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That should work. You just need to make sure you don't nick the glass. It is tempered and it will shatter if you drill into it. The Dremel is a good idea because you can control the depth and hopefully the gray gasket will protect the glass before you go through it.

Perry
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Old 02-03-2013, 06:00 PM   #5
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Your window was designed as a airtight sealed unit. It is leaking but not letting water drain. Another frequent problem is condensation You can also drill a drain hole through the bottom of the frame. Another solution is to carefully break out the inner pane. There is a spring loaded centerpunch that will shatter the inner pane and, hopefully, leave the outer pane intact.
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Old 02-03-2013, 06:57 PM   #6
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If you don't see a standing pool of water then leaking may not be the correct descriptor: during heat/cool 'air explansion and contraction' cycles it is 'breathing' somewhere on the external glazing - something like capillary action - where a miniscule amount of liquid water invades to get trapped in nearly endless evaporation/condensation cycles.

If you stop the liquid from being replenished the fog will eventually thin and disappear. I used a small 3/4" diameter brass wheel brush on a Dremel tool and cleaned the glass/gasket/frame area and used a gutter seal product on them and the problem vanished over a couple of seasons.

I also have a window that did hold a pool of water, that is now gone but the water line is etched in the glass. Again, reseal the outer gasket AND window frame seam/joint areas and the problem slowly vanished...
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Old 02-03-2013, 07:16 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ASRookie View Post
We have moisture inside the curbside wing window. At sometime in the past it's had water pooled between the panes. Is it possible to fix this without drilling out the exterior rivets and removing the outside window? It appears I could access the inside pane fairly easily but could you have it repaired while the outside pane stays in place?
If you have to remove the outside window would it be cheaper to buy a new window rather than try to repair the old one (assuming you can by a new one)?

I would appreciate a response from anyone who has experience with this type situation.
There is a previous post on how to remove the water, but I cannot find it.

You do not have to remove the window to perform the fix.

Using a small drill bit, like a # 30, you want to drill 2 holes at the bottom of the window sash.

The holes must have a ball park 60 degree angle going upwards.

At the bottom of the sash, you should see a small bulge in the metal. It's about half way between the bottom and the glass. Start the drilling at that seam. One on each side, of the bottom, from the outside only.

That will guide the drill bit to come out between the 2 pieces of glass. You may not see it, but you will feel it.

To finish the holes, use a stiff wire and poke 2 holes up thru the sealer that's between the 2 panes of glass.

Once you do that, the water will freely drain out.

I have done the above hundreds of times for customers.

To date, I never broke one of the windows, at least not yet.

After the water has fully drained out, you can inject some glass cleaner, that will help removing the stain.

Please post the results.

Andy
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Old 02-04-2013, 06:42 AM   #8
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Are you saying to go in through the side at an angle or go in through the bottom of the frame. I would say at the very least you are going to have to remove that fiberglass frame around the wing window to do this?

Perry
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Old 02-04-2013, 06:59 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by perryg114 View Post
Are you saying to go in through the side at an angle or go in through the bottom of the frame. I would say at the very least you are going to have to remove that fiberglass frame around the wing window to do this?

Perry
Perry.

Through the "bottom".

Nothing is ever removed except the water.

This is all done from the outside of the trailer.

Andy
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Old 02-05-2013, 07:23 PM   #10
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Thanks all. It may be a while before I get to this task.
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