window screen replacement from the outside !!

[PeterH-350LE]

If you tackled the window screen replacement on a Classic MH, you know what a pain it is:
Remove curtains/blinds, drill out window frame rivets, find the tiny screws for the plastic gliders and pull at least one of them out (and probably destroy it), then you have to pry the screen out.
Here is a faster way:
Inside:
All you have to do remove the 2 screws of sliding window handle.
Outside:
1.Remove the 8 screws of the stationary window without breaking them and pull the upper and lower 3 hole spacer

2. Slide stationary to the left until you see a plastic spacer appearing. Pull it out.
3. Now you can slide the window further until you can easily tilt it out and remove it. (be careful not to smack your precious weep hole covers)
4. Now you have access to replace the window screen by sliding the screen from one side to the other, with the sliding window in place.
5. Note the direction of the plastic spacer when reinstalling it .



Couple of hint:
Do not use solar screen, since it is too thick to use with the .125 spline

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

If you tackled the window screen replacement on a Classic MH, you know what a pain it is:
Remove curtains/blinds, drill out window frame rivets, find the tiny screws for the plastic gliders and pull at least one of them out (and probably destroy it), then you have to pry the screen out.
Here is a faster way:
Inside:
All you have to do remove the 2 screws of sliding window handle.
Outside:
1.Remove the 8 screws of the stationary window without breaking them and pull the upper and lower 3 hole spacer

2. Slide stationary to the left until you see a plastic spacer appearing. Pull it out.
3. Now you can slide the window further until you can easily tilt it out and remove it. (be careful not to smack your precious weep hole covers)
4. Now you have access to replace the window screen by sliding the screen from one side to the other, with the sliding window in place.
5. Note the direction of the plastic spacer when reinstalling it .



Couple of hint:
Do not use solar screen, since it is too thick to use with the .125 spline

Peter,

Something is not making sense to me. All of the windows I've worked on have the screens and sliding glass panes on the inside of the coach. Your pictures appear to show the screen on the outside of the coach.

I'm confused!!

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Peter,

Something is not making sense to me. All of the windows I've worked on have the screens and sliding glass panes on the inside of the coach. Your pictures appear to show the screen on the outside of the coach.

I'm confused!!

you are correct, both of those are on the inside, they just appear to be on the outside, since the stationary window is taken out. Once you pull the stationary window from the outside, you can slide the screen side to side to reach all 4 sides for screen replacement.
Its one of those things that pop in your brain and you go: hmmm, I wonder if..

It works, I replaced 2 screens today, takes less than an hour and you dont have to mess with those plastic gliders.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

you are correct, both of those are on the inside, they just appear to be on the outside, since the stationary window is taken out. Once you pull the stationary window from the outside, you can slide the screen side to side to reach all 4 sides for screen replacement.
Its one of those things that pop in your brain and you go: hmmm, I wonder if..

It works, I replaced 2 screens today, takes less than an hour and you dont have to mess with those plastic gliders.

Ok, now I'm really confused. HOW did you remove the stationary window? I thought they were pretty much fixed in place and you had to remove the window frame to get the fixed pane out.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Ok, now I'm really confused. HOW did you remove the stationary window? I thought they were pretty much fixed in place and you had to remove the window frame to get the fixed pane out.

Brad, you have been "Argosynized" and forgot the blissful construction of the Classics windows. Its held in place by 8 tiny screws that are typically rusted and want to break, besides some other traps as outlined in my OP above.

[Roddyy]

I just finished replacing all of the seals in my MH. It was an overwhelmingly difficult job. But getting the screen out is the simplest part. I didn't need to remove the fixed window to do that though. If you do as Peter suggests and remove the plastic spacer from underneath the screen (be careful not to break it. I don't know where you would find another.) you can lift up the screen and slide it out from the inside. Getting the other two windows out was the real chore for me. The shlegle gasket was glued and frozen into the channel. I had to dig it out with a chisel. I destroyed almost all of the three hole spacers in removing them; the screws were totally rusted and most broke off. I had to grind them out. And I am not going to replace them. That fixed window is held in by two screws and is pretty well fixed by the schlegle on top and bottom. I don't understand the need for those spacers except to prevent rattling, which I don't think I could hear anyway. I'll watch them carefully for a while and see if there is some reason I am missing the need for them.

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

Brad, you have been "Argosynized" and forgot the blissful construction of the Classics windows. Its held in place by 8 tiny screws that are typically rusted and want to break, besides some other traps as outlined in my OP above.

You're definitely right about me being "Argosynized"

I now understand what you're talking about. Thanks for the clarification!

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by Roddyy

.....If you do as Peter suggests and remove the plastic spacer from underneath the screen (be careful not to break it. I don't know where you would find another.)

If you are talking about the gray 23" long plastic spacers/tracks, there is no commercial source for them. At least not that anyone has found.

However, I have recreated them using a 3D printer. I can only print them 11-1/2" long so it takes two new track sections to replace the original single section piece. So to answer your question, yes replacement tracks are available.

Brad

[Roddyy]

On my unit there were also traces of a plastic spacer that had been in place above the screen. It did not look identical to the one underneath. I left that space empty and the screen seems to be solidly in place so. On one window I actually slid in some 14 gauge wire and hot melt glued it above the screen. That worked but didn't seem necessary so I left it out of the remaining windows.

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by Roddyy

I just finished replacing all of the seals in my MH. It was an overwhelmingly difficult job. But getting the screen out is the simplest part. I didn't need to remove the fixed window to do that though. If you do as Peter suggests and remove the plastic spacer from underneath the screen (be careful not to break it....

The alternate method I described in my OP does NOT involve pulling the fragile plastic glider out. The plastic spacer I referred to is under the fixed window.