Replacing glass in a solid window on a trailer ?

[Guy_Roan]

I am thinking of taking the glass out of one of the windows on my travel trailer and replacing it with a piece of plywood and then installing a window air conditioner in that.
Has any one done anything like that?
The window is a solid non-opening one with all four corners curved.
Is it a hard job to take apart the molding to replace the glass, substituting it with plywood?

Guy

[qtla9111]

In my last travel trailer I used corrugated plastic for the cut out. I built a shelf that hung on the emergency window ledge with an angular support underneath.

This 5000 btu a/c kept the 18ft TT completely cool and ran off of the Honda 2000 on economy mode for up to 14 hours over night.

[Gdetrailer]

DrewE wrote:
On most non-opening RV windows, at least the ones I've seen, the glass is held in not with the rubber molding (which is mainly for appearance, though it probably does add some strength) but with an adhesive sealant between the glass and the metal frame towards the inside of the glass pane. I wouldn't attempt to remove it unnecessarily.

Travel trailer glass is not required to be tempered/safety glass, so far as I know, since people wouldn't be in the trailer while driving down the road. It may very well still be tempered, though. Windows in passenger vehicles including motorhomes must be some sort of safety glass, either tempered or unlaminated with a safety film or laminated with a safety film.

If this is a side window, how will you deal with the air conditioner sticking out while driving?

:R

I have been down this argument road before..

YES, "tempered" glass IS "required" in travel trailer windows, it is now days called "safety glazing". I would rather have billions of smaller rounded glass pieces flying at me or other motorists if the trailer was involved in a wreck on the road..

If you do not believe me, go take a hard look at YOUR trailer windows.. You should find a small triangle watermark in one of the four corners of the glass which will state either tempered or safety glazing.

I know ALL of the windows in my 1984 TT HAVE the tempered marking as well as my previous 1981 TT..

The tempering process is a GOOD THING, not a bad thing. Tempering strengthens the glass and the process creates a surface tension on both sides of the glass which when broken, makes the glass break into millions a less sharp pieces unlike untempered plate glass where you often get huge jagged shards..

[DrewE]

On most non-opening RV windows, at least the ones I've seen, the glass is held in not with the rubber molding (which is mainly for appearance, though it probably does add some strength) but with an adhesive sealant between the glass and the metal frame towards the inside of the glass pane. I wouldn't attempt to remove it unnecessarily.

Travel trailer glass is not required to be tempered/safety glass, so far as I know, since people wouldn't be in the trailer while driving down the road. It may very well still be tempered, though. Windows in passenger vehicles including motorhomes must be some sort of safety glass, either tempered or unlaminated with a safety film or laminated with a safety film.

If this is a side window, how will you deal with the air conditioner sticking out while driving?

[Gdetrailer]

You will want to remove the entire window FRAME from the trailer.

Trying to remove the glass from the frame most likely will result in the window glass shattering into a billion pieces. That glass is "tempered" which some folks call it "safety glass".

PLEASE NOTE: This IS NOT THE SAME AS windshield glass, Windshield glass which is not only tempered but laminated with a layer of plastic sandwiched between two pieces of glass.

Breaking tempered glass will cost you more to have it replaced if you break it..

Once the frame has been removed you can figure out your own homemade replacement frame (wood, vinyl or aluminum, your choice).

Save the old window and frame in a safe place (where it won't get broken or damaged) so when you want to sell or trade the RV you can put it back in.

[Toddupton]

The window frame will not support an A/C unit sticking through a piece of plywood.