Rick Jay wrote:
GlennLever,
I understand your desire to keep it "original" with the tempered glass and all. My dad has always been like that with his vehicles. I call him "Mr. OEM". :)
But in this case, a piece of plexiglass from a local hardware store and you would've been done with this job already. If it's an area that will likely break again, even the more reason to find a BETTER solution than the original. If you can get Lexan, even better. It's good enough for fighter plane windshields, should be good enough for your RV. :) I don't think you'd ever have to worry about it breaking again.
Anyway, good luck and keep us posted on your final solution.
~Rick
The center panel, the left side is a fixed piece of safety glass,
I came to believe that I was going to have to have a custom piece made for me.
I knew this would take time so I decided to make a temporary piece until I could get the real thing.
I sent Anne (the better half) out to get the pieces.
She came back with a piece of acrylic. I have never built anything out of acrylic, so I googled cutting and drilling acrylic.
They said to use a saw blade with a loot of teeth which I happen to have.
This worked perfect.
To drill it they said to start small and work your way up, and let the bit do the work. This did not work so well, the acrylic "clouded" around the hole, but will be hidden by the base of the knob.
She could not fine black felt to match the original but was given a small piece of brown, as this is temporary I will have time to find the correct black.
I wanted self sticky back felt and could not find it either, so contact cement it is.
Now the touchy job of applying it, it actually went very nicely.
Now to roll the felt over the edge and up onto the other side.
The install was a breeze, the acrylic is flexible enough to set one edge in and flex the acrylic to pop the other edge in.
Here is where I made the mistake on the placement of the knob. The knob does not allow the panel to slide over far enough to allow clear access to the outer door handle from the inside. As this is temporary, in the finial drawing I send to the custom glass place I will make an adjustment for this.
The handle does not come out far enough to hit the glass.
I will be ordering the Safety glass as in the few trails I have made sliding the glass open and close the acrylic already has some scratches in it.
All done.
While I was walking up the driveway my cell phone rang. It is American Coach.
THEY HAVE THE GLASS,
IN STOCK along with a couple other parts I'm looking for.
Not only do they have the part, it is cheaper than I have found through a glass shop. I was quoted $161.00 for custom and American Coach wants $69.19, done deal, send it to me.
So...I'm about to let the cat out of the bag and provide a glance into some future entertainment.
In addition they have the plastic covers for the weep holes for the sliding windows in the coach for $14.63 each, send five, a future project.
Also they have the exact replacement for my water heater for $461.80, Amazon.com wants $538.00 send that, another future project. I have spent that much at Caledonia RV in repairs on the one in the Motor Home and it still does not work right (in the rain on gas it shuts off, and on electric the water only get luke warm).
So stay tuned as there are two more projects coming your way. Not right away as next week I will be racing!
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