Exploding window

[FrenchBern]

Yesterday as I walked toward the trailer I saw what look like a water or ice explosion near the AS. I walked toward the AS and realyzed a window had just blown out in front of my eyes with no apparent reason. The air temp was around 60 and the sun was shining on that window. The trailer is on the same level location where It's been for 4 years. All the glass blew outside the trailer and none on the inside table below the window.
What is the best way to replace the window? Do I need to drill the dozen or so rivets holding the frame to the hinge or just the couple rivets closing the frame around the glass?

[overlander63]

Is it a side window? It may be a lot easier to get one from a salvage yard here in the States, and have the whole works sent over to you.
You would unbolt the hinges (1 nut on each arm) and lift the frame way up, and the frame will drop out of its sill.
Installation is the reverse of removal.

[jamesardis]

Overlander- is there a particular salvage yard for airstream parts ?--thanx--jim

[Lumatic]

What year? Some vintage trailers used tempered glass. There are some strange stories about tempered glass, including the wing windows on my 71.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by jamesardis

Overlander- is there a particular salvage yard for airstream parts ?--thanx--jim

There are several, but not Airstream-specific. Colaw comes to mind, in Missouri, as well as Bob's near where we live in Florida.

[FrenchBern]

Overlander 63, yes it is a side window. at first glance it seems to be a piano hinge about 24" and I can't find any nuts? It was a tempered glass since it broke into thousands of pieces and I am considering Lexan replacement. It is an old 70 model.
Anyone has experience with replacement of the glass only?

[Fyrzowt]

PM Inlandandy or Lewster.

[Ganglin]

Open the window (or what was the window) and on the end of the rods next to the glass frame some type of attachment will hold those in place. I say some type because people have replaced the original depending on what they were.

Your originals - I think - are like mine. The dreaded little snap rings. You have to remove them and then as Overlander said - lift the window open until it slips out of the track at the top.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by FrenchBern

Overlander 63, yes it is a side window. at first glance it seems to be a piano hinge about 24" and I can't find any nuts? It was a tempered glass since it broke into thousands of pieces and I am considering Lexan replacement. It is an old 70 model.
Anyone has experience with replacement of the glass only?

You cannot replace just the glass, unless you have the curved glass made someplace. Then, should you manage to have that done, you would need to replace the "U" shaped gray gasket, which Airstream will not sell. Then, you will have extreme trouble getting the two halves of the sash apart, and should you manage that, it's near impossible to reassemble it. There are two steel joiner plates that hold the sash together, that in time, severely corrodes within the glass frame. Then you would also have to rerivet the hinge back onto the sash.

You need what is called a "large curved window."

Contact your insurance

That window comes with the metal frame around the glass and the gasket.

It can be shipped wherever you wish.

Andy

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by FrenchBern

Overlander 63, yes it is a side window. at first glance it seems to be a piano hinge about 24" and I can't find any nuts? It was a tempered glass since it broke into thousands of pieces and I am considering Lexan replacement. It is an old 70 model.
Anyone has experience with replacement of the glass only?

The glass on my 71 wing was about 1/16" thick. Is the side window also the thin stuff?

As far as I know you can replace the window with windows from other 70's models. I have a window from an Argosy you can have for the shipping costs. The Argosy was a rollover so the window has deep scratches. Better than a hole.

Also taking the window out may be easier than you think. Try unfastening the rods and extend the window up past it's normal open position as high as you can. I don't know about 1970 but other early 70's will detach at this point and pop in the same way.

[FrenchBern]

Lumatic, thanks for the offer. This side glass is .077" thick and the outside dimensions of the frame surrounding the glass are 22" by 40 1/2". If your window size is the same, I will be delighted to buy it from you. Please let me know what I have to do to get it.

[FrenchBern]

The window frame is out. Less than a minute work AFTER removing the 2 snap rings which took a half hour and caused me to say bad things about the designer and the factory Quality Control department. Thanks for the help guys.
Now I also notice that the window over the sink has been replaced before with plexiglass and I am considering Lexan replacement unless I could find an original window. I can probably reuse the original gasket and my only concern is how stretchable are the round corner frame? How difficult was it for those of you who been there, done that?

[Lumatic]

My window is roughly 22x30

[FrenchBern]

Thanks Lumatic. Too bad for me but I appreciate the offer.

[maryszka]

I have a '71 Overlander with a shattered wing window that needs to be replaced. It shattered when we had taken off the rock guard and went away for the weekend. It doesn't look like anything hit it, but it is in smithereens.
Luckily we had some clear tape in the car and carefully taped it so it wouldn't fall apart. Now we would like to replace it. Can we replace only glass, or do we need to buy the whole pricey part?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by maryszka

I have a '71 Overlander with a shattered wing window that needs to be replaced. It shattered when we had taken off the rock guard and went away for the weekend. It doesn't look like anything hit it, but it is in smithereens.
Luckily we had some clear tape in the car and carefully taped it so it wouldn't fall apart. Now we would like to replace it. Can we replace only glass, or do we need to buy the whole pricey part?

Wing window glass only, has never been available, nor has the gray gasket.

You must drill out the old wing window and install a new one.

You will need 1 wing window, a package of Olympic rivets and a tube of Vulkem sealer.

When reinstalling a wing window, you no longer the the metal strap that held the wing window to the front window.

You should also replace the "rock guard" as the original clear rockguard was trash some 30 years ago.

Andy

[JanSchneider]

I have a 1997 21 ft Excella. We have just had our second window "blow". The first one was a side window across from the front door and today the back "emergency" window blew. No extreme temp. no hail, no wind. No movement. What's going on? Jan in Austin

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by maryszka

I have a '71 Overlander with a shattered wing window that needs to be replaced.

I saw a used one today on ebay. A wing window from 69 to at least 75 will fit. I replaced the wings in my 71 with 75s. They went to double pane in 72, I thiink. Thicker glass too. While different year windows will fit into the hole, there were different designs of frames. This means if you get a different year window you will need the inside plastic window trim too. Not absolutely necessary but will look better and you will not need to modify the old trim. I did this job last year and posted some pics you should be able to find if you do the search. Let me know if I can help with any more info.

Others have replaced with Lexan. I don't know if the Lexan will last but don't use plexiglass it won't.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by JanSchneider

I have a 1997 21 ft Excella. We have just had our second window "blow". The first one was a side window across from the front door and today the back "emergency" window blew. No extreme temp. no hail, no wind. No movement. What's going on? Jan in Austin

It's like Deja Vu all over again. Last summer I had 2 windows mysteriously blow in 24 hours. But it was a 71. The same think with a 97 is a little surprising.

[theSubdude]

This morning i was cleaning the Bambi for a long awaited trip, (leaving tuesday), well, (was)...
When i opened the front curtain, i saw that the left side front curved window was completely spiderwebbed. It had been sitting for 4 months?
i don't know what had caused this, there is no damage to the outer lexan guards.
Not Happy.
Is this something that regularly happens?
i have a feeling this is going to be very expensive, and obviously, my trip is now gone, quite disappointed.
ideas?