Confusion on "weatherstripping" vs. "gasket"

[pinkflamingoes]

Help!

What is the difference between a "gasket" and "weatherstripping" that goes all the way around the window?

We are replacing the front window of our '67 Tradewind. I'm looking at the Inland RV website and the picture of the "gasket" doesn't look to me like the stuff you glue all around the edges. It looks to me like just a strip that goes up into the top part of the windowframe, and then you push the glass into it. If that's the case, what do you use for stripping all around the rest of the windowframe? Or do I just buy enough "gasket" and start calling it "gasket" instead of "weatherstripping"?

Someone set me in the right direction. What do I need? Besides a jargon glossary?

Thanks for answering my dumb question, I got lots more.

pf

[TomW]

Andy's part number 45295, which is what I believe you were looking at, is the right stuff for your window. As pictured, the glue would be applied to the bottom, and the glass would seal downward against it.

Installed correctly, it does a wonderful job of keeping wind & rain out while on the road because the wind blowing against it makes the lips press harder against the glass. A square seal would not do that for you.

Of note, your window will only have this part on the left, right, and bottom of the frame. There is nothing at the top of frame where the hinge is.

Hope this helps,
Tom

[eljay]

Ingrid, I'm glad you asked! I had the same question! Tom or anyone any chance you have a picture of this stuff installed? I am having a hard time visualizing it.

[TomW]

In real life, the gasket is smushed a lot more. But hopefully you get the idea from the picture below. The harder the wind blows, the firmer the lips press against the glass.

Tom

[eljay]

That makes sense. I just couldn't see which direction the gasket fins (for lack of correct term) needed to sit to form a seal. Thanks so much!

[pinkflamingoes]

Thank you so much; that picture is exactly what I needed. Eljay I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one who had this big ??? no matter how much I tried to figure it out!!

Saved, once again, by the forums!!

So what do you think; Lexan with molding or without? Andy at Inland says molding is structurally stronger. I wonder what the difference is in appearance.

Big hug to you Tom!!

[TomW]

I went without the stainless moulding simply because the broken acylic window had it, and it just did not look good compared to the rest of the frameless windows.

Sure, the moulding makes it "structurally stronger", but the Lexan is a gazillion times stronger than glass to start with, so structural strength is not the issue. What Andy is wants to convey is that the Lexan replacement does not want to bend. Although it will bend with no dire consequence, it ends up not sealing at the bottom as well as everyone would like it to. In my case, since the Lexan replaced the biggest window I have, it bows in the middle at the bottom.

I still have the stainless frame the waste-O-time acrylic panel was mounted in, and figure I could always size the new Lexan panel to fit it if I thought the bow was more than I wanted to live with. Hasn't happened yet.

Oh, and if you go with the moulding, you will need to buy new clips for the bottom as the original ones aren't big enough to accommodate the moulding. Only one place on earth sells them. Guess who?

Tom

[eljay]

My question, then, is if the lexan bows, does it leak? That would be one deciding factor for me.

[TomW]

Not in a way that would allow water to gather inside your American Classic. I have no water leakage problems, only air leakage. The bow is only present at the bottom of the panel.

I tried to photograph the bow once, but the sun was never right to get a self-explanatory picture. I can try again if anyone is interested.

Tom

[eljay]

Of course I'm always up for a photo.... Now how does it leak air and not moisture/rain/precipitation?

[TomW]

Originally Posted by eljay

Of course I'm always up for a photo...

Well, Number 1 son read that and said, "Dad, we've got to help Laura out. I'll stand on the ladder for you in the middle of our cold Alabama winter. Don't tell her I've got shorts on..."

Or something like that.

The bow I mentioned is only at the very bottom, and has given me zero cause for concern even after driving ten straight hours in a pouring rain (see my Disney World trip essay).

Tom

[eljay]

Handsome helper you've got there! So it bows in the middle side to side, not top to bottom (my fear). Makes sense that all moisture would then drip off or prevented from leakage by the gasket/seal/weatherstrip. I think I"ve got it. Thanks to you and Number 1 son! It's near 70 here today so I'm not jonesing for warmer weather...

[pinkflamingoes]

OK but now here's another question for you two.

Should I just spend the extra $100 and get glass for the front? There's a guy making curved corning replacements out of glass and selling them but they're $150 more.

I guess if leaking isn't a problem I should just go for Lexan.

One of our side windows is plastic and we're not sure if it is leaking yet. (Our trailer has so many holes in it we don't know where any water that's in there is coming from, if at all. Remember I hosed down the inside recently! If we replace that one I'll most likely go for glass. We want the front Lexan to not worry so much about it breaking from rocks kicking up.

The rest are intact Corning.

i.

[TomW]

Lexan would be my first choice for the forward-most window since that one is not curved, and like you said prone to rock damage.

If one of your side windows is leaking, I doubt it has anything to do with the window's composition (i.e. glass or plastic). The hinge can leak if not sealed properly.

I personally would have bought one of Airstreamdream's glass windows instead of Andy's Lexan window if it had been available when I needed it. As it is, the Lexan window is doing what I need it to, and to be quite honest, I kept it in case I ever needed to break into my Airstream should the door lock ever fail or I did something stupid with the keys.

Although it was rather expensive, I could part with it easier than I could my original Corning windows.

Tom

[pinkflamingoes]

Thanks.
I just noticed on the www.airstreamdreams.com site that the flat piece I need is about the same price, but I'm going to go for the Lexan because of the breakability issue there.

I'm also going to not get molding because of the appearance.

Thanks for all of this help. When I posted first I was very unsure of what to do and now I can get moving with some confidence.

For everybody's info on replacing windows, the airstreamdreams site has a link to information on how to hopefully fix leaks and maintain existing windows on our 66 - 68's. It's got pictures and a great, clear explanation of how to and what to.

http://www.airstreamdreams.com/generic80.html

I plan to do some shopping there just because they provide this great resource, and because I MUST have some paraphernalia! I think I'm getting a teeshirt.