waltbennett wrote:
Dual and triple pane windows in homes have an air gap of roughly 1/2 inch in order to provide meaningful insulation. Dual pane windows for RVs do NOT have enough air gap to provide anything close to the same. Their nothing but hype and a way to get more money out of a buyer. Better to use film if you want to see through them and cut Mylar bubble insulation (two layer is best) to fit your windows if you want max. insulation. Cost you a whole heck of a lot less!
I agree... sort of. While RV dual pane windows have a low R-value compared to those in a house, they still provide some extra insulation. Where they are most useful is in preventing condensation and reducing noise.
The 3M crystalline film is heads and shoulders above previous film technology - and doesn't interfere with cell phones, TV, Wi-Fi, etc., like the metallic films do. The 3M crystalline film for our fifth wheel cost $1,550 installed - about $200 more than dual pane windows would have from the factory (and the dual pane windows would have added 300 lbs. to the rig - contrary to a previous post). The crystalline film is MUCH better at heat rejection than dual pane windows - slightly less so with cold in the winter. We still have Reflectix ("bubble foil") insulation panels cut to fit the big windows that we use in extremely cold weather.
Rob
