Busted cabover window - UPDATE- Repair complete

I got my most of my 1/4" Lexan at Home Depot here in town in West Michigan. They have both, Acrylic and Lexan in stock but not a large selection in the thick sheets up to 36" X 72" in size. It's also available at a local place called "The Glass Shop" and that's where my last thick Lexan came from for the storms that I made for our 2007 Sunline Solaris TT's storm windows about 16 months ago. I had them order the lexan and the aluminum "C" channel window frame material. Home Depot wouldn't or couldn't get the "C" channel so I went to The Glass Shop.

Check with the special order desk at the Home Depot or Lowes or Menards. Another place is any Ace Hardware. In your area, thick Lexan might not be a normally stocked item.

I am having fun with this - not.

So far I managed to contact a couple of national glass chains. They are not interested in selling me glass or acrylic. Dont want to touch it. I have some messages in at some smaller local shops (waiting on call back)

I found Home Despot has Lexan - but only 0.093 thick. Same with Lowes. But Home Despot has an acrylic sheet 0.22 thick. 36" x 72" for $116.

bobndot wrote:
I try to take notice of materials used when work is being done , just to learn and compare methods that people use.
When i watched an rv mechanic replace one, he used a gasket and then 3m flow butyl.
As soon as the job was finished, he was able to water test it right away.
http://www.glasswarepro.com/key/3-M-flow-grade-butyl-sealant

thanks for that info! I see I can get that at Amazon for $12.87 a tube with free shipping.

There is an RV repair shop I have done business with before and they have done good work - but due to the distance, it would be quicker for me to remove the window and take to a local shop (or do it myself) rather than drive up there. Gonna give them a call anyway.

Going to keep digging.....

Hopefully you can use the so called 1/4" Lexan which actually measures approx .200" or 5mm thickness. It's much stronger and flexes so much less than the so called 1/8" which measures approx .100" thickness. Your TC front window gets the full force of the oncomming buffeting winds when driving. Constant flexing of the thinner Lexan will tend to open joints and seals and seep/wick water in.

I have always made my own storm windows for inside our RV's and some of the windows in our homes since the 1990's and use only the 1/4". The storms on our homes are mounted on the inside and have an annodized aluminum "C" window frame channel around the outside with rubber seals. Looks professional and work great. Ever try to lift a 4' X 8' thick glass plate storm window to put it on the inside of a big picture window? 2 weight lifters and an elephant comes to mind and the darn elephant will likely leave a few piles on the carpet! The Lexan storm on the big Thermopane picture window made night and day difference for cold transfer and also eliminated sweating in winter. Stopped the cold air drafts going down off the huge window. Also had replaced a broken side window with Lexan on our daughter's RV and you can't tell it from glass even 7 years later.

Yes, weight is a factor and even more so in RV's. Yes, it can or will scratch but it's easy and cheap to replace if it gets too bad after a long time.

I try to take notice of materials used when work is being done , just to learn and compare methods that people use.
When i watched an rv mechanic replace one, he used a gasket and then 3m flow butyl.
As soon as the job was finished, he was able to water test it right away.
http://www.glasswarepro.com/key/3-M-flow-grade-butyl-sealant

I can get a piece of Lexan from the local big box store. I can easily cut that, as I already use Lexan for other items in my business.

What is the putty they use to seal the window into the frame? Is that just butyle?

I was just reading up the subject, i'll pass this on to you. It appears that this company will custom replace auto glass or any type of glass with whatever you choose.
It might be worth it to give them a call for their opinion as well.
http://glass-windshields.com/content-pages/6-faq.html

Bob

What would be good is a double pane Lexan window cut to fit. It would still be lighter than glass and less prone to crack.
I'm in line for someone to come up with this type of replacement for my front glass (cracked in a hail of gravel from a speeding triple trailer log truck on a trip to AK. Hasn't leaked..... yet.
jefe

I replaced a window in my TT with a tinted acrylic. It is a lot tougher than glass, but yes, it will scratch.

I would go with Lexan. It is very tough material. I have worked with and tested Lexan for some window applications.

In one of the tests I took a fire extinguisher and slammed it into the Lexan window as hard as I could. I hit it so hard that I knocked the entire display over onto the floor.

After righting it again, the Lexan was perfectly intact and there was only a small mark on it. The stuff is amazing!