HiBecause of some suffering in the heat out west we decided to do something. We got a larger but more efficient A/C but could not get a second one because of the 30a wiring. Since I am completely rebuilding and resealing all of the windows I thought we would tint. The films block virtually no light but a large amount of heat so I got a roll of high end nano particle stuff. I have done several sets of headlight protection coverings with 8 mill sheeting so these should be really easy. I do have some questions though if there is anyone who has tinted. Yes I searched but did not find these. Mainly the question concerns coverage. In a car you need to leave a 16th inch space without film where the window rolls up into the top of the track. I plan to simply take the film all of the way to the edge on the non moving half just to make it easy and then put the rubber seal strips and gaskets over it but do I need to leave that 16th" edge where the window slides into the felt end? What about the sides (bottom and top) where it slides on the felt or will it slide under the felt like it does in a car window. I'll let you know how it works when I am finished but if I am right I will see a reduction in heat while still being able to wake up and see the wild animals roaming about in the dawn light as my coffee maker kicks in. ThanksRob

The 1/16th gap is not needed anymore.Modern window tint bonds really well to the glass.

I would ask the specific manufacturer of the tint.Doug

I owned a Tint shop for 9 years........and still do tinting on occasion almost 30 years later.....I never did leave a 1/16th gap.........if the edge is trimmed properly there is no need.......let the overage dry real good and with a sharp razor blade bevel the edge of the film and it will not peel......on occasion I would have an edge lift up.....not very often.....USUALLY......the outside rubber trim is larger than the inside trim.....so you can hide your cut behind the outside trim so there is no light leak.......Some of those new tints are amazing stuff.....it's nice not seeing all of that purple tint nowadays......Good luck with your project!

Thanks all. I'm off to get my Baby Shampoo and stateliness steel razor scraper now! Eric Bounder. Love your rig picture. Its the journey and the things you see along the way makes it so good.

Just remember, if you have dual pane RV windows, do NOT place tint on the inside, as the heat reflection can and many times does rupture the seal or breaks a pane. NO window manufacturer or installer will guarantee their product or work, if tint is applied to dual pane windows.

Ceramic windo tint and aplication questions. | Good Sam Community

16 Replies

kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 29, 2013
Tex, I am glad that you chipped in with that. I have 6 tubes of that (all white) but I never thought of using it because of rule No1 "don't use 5200 if you ever want to get it off again" but actually I don't, do I? I'm going to use just a tiny bead of it so I don't get it on everything else too. That should do just fine! Should be passing through the Panhandle next year sometime. Love that area.
Rule #2 is:5200 is going to get all over everything.you cannot stop it.
I have used it to hold center console grab rails in place and together at the joints. It held until I had to cut the rails to get them off.
Thanks
The_Texan
Explorer
Jul 28, 2013
Here is what I use to attach items to the exterior of both the RV and boat, when I want it to stay and not come apart with age. An outstanding adhesive.
kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 28, 2013
Any chance that it could have been Epoxy?
BarneyS
Nomad
Jul 28, 2013
kahoona wrote:
snip... If you would please let me know if the pictures are about the right size too.

Can't help you with the adhesive question but your pictures are fine. Thank you for posting them with the correct sizes and saving me a lot of editing. :)
Barney
kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 28, 2013
Hi
I got the silicone off completely. The glass is coated with the film (and a couple of cat hairs). Now here is the question... How can I glue the panes back in so they stay under the terrible conditions of RV travel? They were glued in by some sort of Silicone looking goo that was turning to liquid but was probably holding one due to suction at this point. The side sections just go onto a flat edge with a small lip (no problem with the jalousy ones). I am nervous just putting on a bead of RTV and pressing them down! I bet that proper surface prep and cleaning with Alcohol will help. Are we talking 3M 100% silicone tub and tile glue/caulk here??? If you would please let me know if the pictures are about the right size too.
Pic of windows

DSC02813 by eightyard8, on Flickr

DSC02816 by eightyard8, on Flickr

DSC02817 by eightyard8, on Flickr

DSC02810 by eightyard8, on Flickr
Pic of cat whos fur is now part of the window tint system.

DSC02640 by eightyard8, on Flickr
kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 28, 2013
Hi
The slow and patient part is hard for me but the thing with window film seems to be that if you have a speck of contamination you will have a bubble or a rip from having it not stick. I suspect that a pro would have a vat of a solvent that would do the job faster.
This is the film type used on the newest Lexi (Lexuses?)and
you might notice it when sun shines through the car if it is next to you in traffic. It gives a very light green color but not much. It blocks more than half of the heat though. The dark tints that you commonly see are a variety of metal and carbon black dyes embedded in the plastic. They make shade. It works well. It blocks light though so if you don't want light blocked you can't use them. I want to be able to wake up and look out to see what critters are wandering the forest very early in the morning so the less color the better. These new ones use a variety of things including non metallic carbon nono-particles to block the heat specifically and not the light. They are actually legal to use in truck windshields on quite a few states.Many of the dark regular tints have metal in them too which can screw up the GPS or cell phone and this does not.
Thanks for asking. I'll try to post any important things I learn for reference in case anyone needs to know.
Rob
Homeless_by_Cho
Explorer
Jul 27, 2013
kahoona

That is a lot of work that you are patiently doing. I applaud you for all that effort. I am sure that I would not have the ability to catch all the little hiding debris or the patience to do that kind of detail work. I am just not that skilled or co-ordinated. How does the tinting with the film that you are using differ from what auto glass tinting shops use that "very dark tint" auto windows? Do they use some kind of film also? Or do they use a chemical that is "painted-on" or etched-in in some form? I have no idea. I am just wondering.

Thanks,
LeRoy
kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 27, 2013
Just in case anyone finds themselves in the same fix I found that Goo Gone helps a lot. So far three complete careful cleanings with a change of cloth for each side of piece of glass has gotten most of the way there. The towel that they rest on between steps has to be changed with each cleaning and everything that touches them needs to be cleaned including my hands. After three cleans with Goo Gone I went back to scraping with a blade and baby shampoo water ( which you do anyway to clean the glass enough for the film) and then cleaning with vinegar water. I found some pore hiding near the edges. That little but contaminated everything so it was back to the Goo gone. If I keep at it in this fashion I think I will eventually get it all off. Because of the window film application this kind of clean is needed. Anybody got anything faster or better? MEK did not seem to have any effect either.
kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 27, 2013
Hi
I am doing OK here. Have only completed one but it is nice.
DSC02807 by eightyard8, on Flickr
I have a horrendous problem with the next one though. It is a rear bedroom crank out with three crankout panels and two side panes. The panels seem to have been glued in or set in with silicone sealer. Some has dried and some has not. I have spent hours trying to get it off of the glass to get it clean to add the film. It coats my hands, the cloth,the towel it sits on and it gets all over the glass even where it was not before. I scraped with a blade. I used Alcohol, Vinegar,soap,and acetone and I have cleaned every surface at least ten times with separate paper towels. I fear that I may never get them clean enough to cover with film. Any suggestions anyone please?
kahoona
Explorer II
Jul 23, 2013
If you do this try to make an indoor clean room if possible. I did everything I could to keep it clean and thought they ones I did were perfect but after they dried overnight I have a pair of bubbles with a black spot in the center of each. He really careful. You cannot see the dirt when you are working. All you can do is assume it is there ans clean clean clean. Back to the drawing board. One fun thing. They don't seem to be blocking any light but when I held one of them over my head I felt like I was in the shade. We have powerfully sun here too!.