I am mowing the grass when DW comes racing out of the RV waving her arms and yelling. Of course I can't hear her, so I shut the mower down to see what the fuss is about. The mower threw a rock at the big window on the Kitchen slide, yup, the 70" window, the most expensive window in the RV. It was really cool looking with the impact point fanning out into a billion cracks. Little chunks of glass laying below. And it was making noises, little crackling noises.
I figured the whole thing was about to drop. So I grabbed a tarp and laid it out below the window to catch glass. Then I grabbed the ladder and a roll of masking tape and very gently covered the window in masking tape. At least I wont have a billion little pieces of glass to pick up. Ok, excitement is over. Window is busted. Time for this cupcake to man up and figure out the best strategy for replacing the window.
I started with GD customer support, what are the dimensions of the window? Got that and a part number. I was transferred to parts, $1340 and approximately $140 shipping. After DW broke out the smelling salts I started looking around for RV windows. I could find lots of smaller ones, no 70" x 46". Only LCI. Then I remembered there was a recall on windows, looked that up, nope, it affected 2020 models mine is a 2017. So much for getting someone else to pay for it.
Insurance claim? Could go that route. I have Progressive. I'll have to look, I think they have some kind of accident forgiveness clause. But I have a $1000 deductible. If it worth it? I'll run it by my CFO as soon as she gets over being annoyed.
Can't I just replace the piece that is broken? It's a dual pane window, only the top outside glass is broken. That's going to take some more research, initial research says no, replace the entire thing.
Okay, nothing I am going to get fixed soon. I decided the masking tape wasn't going to hold up when we move the RV, plus it's pretty ugly. So I covered the broken section with Gorilla Tape, still ugly, just not as ugly and pretty strong looking.
Next step. Talk to some dealers service managers to see if they have options. Maybe they can fix just the broken piece, maybe they have a supplier of windows... Maybe they can actually make the repair before winter sets in, I'll just have to do some talking next week. I'll have to call some glass companies also. I am not thinking these efforts will bear fruit but you don't know if you don't try.
So lets say that all fails, I order the replacement window, it'' take about a month to arrive. In looking at the replacement procedure you unscrew all the little screws around the edge, pull the frame off the inside, then go outside and slide the window out of the whole. Clean the edges of the whole. Get the insulation stuff and put it around the edge of the hole, push the new window into the hole, then go inside and set the inside frame then screw all the little screws back in. Caulk. Simple right. What could go wrong?
This will be my first ever RV window replacement. So while the u tube videos make it look simple I know that I can mess it up, I just don't know how I am going to mess it up yet. I am pretty sure I will either end up taking it a dealer to do the work or hiring a mobile tech because that's a big window, I am not sure I can lift it. DW is pretty strong and she will help. I guess I will just have to have the window in hand before I decide.
Any one have tips, tricks, gotchas, advice?
I figured the whole thing was about to drop. So I grabbed a tarp and laid it out below the window to catch glass. Then I grabbed the ladder and a roll of masking tape and very gently covered the window in masking tape. At least I wont have a billion little pieces of glass to pick up. Ok, excitement is over. Window is busted. Time for this cupcake to man up and figure out the best strategy for replacing the window.
I started with GD customer support, what are the dimensions of the window? Got that and a part number. I was transferred to parts, $1340 and approximately $140 shipping. After DW broke out the smelling salts I started looking around for RV windows. I could find lots of smaller ones, no 70" x 46". Only LCI. Then I remembered there was a recall on windows, looked that up, nope, it affected 2020 models mine is a 2017. So much for getting someone else to pay for it.
Insurance claim? Could go that route. I have Progressive. I'll have to look, I think they have some kind of accident forgiveness clause. But I have a $1000 deductible. If it worth it? I'll run it by my CFO as soon as she gets over being annoyed.
Can't I just replace the piece that is broken? It's a dual pane window, only the top outside glass is broken. That's going to take some more research, initial research says no, replace the entire thing.
Okay, nothing I am going to get fixed soon. I decided the masking tape wasn't going to hold up when we move the RV, plus it's pretty ugly. So I covered the broken section with Gorilla Tape, still ugly, just not as ugly and pretty strong looking.
Next step. Talk to some dealers service managers to see if they have options. Maybe they can fix just the broken piece, maybe they have a supplier of windows... Maybe they can actually make the repair before winter sets in, I'll just have to do some talking next week. I'll have to call some glass companies also. I am not thinking these efforts will bear fruit but you don't know if you don't try.
So lets say that all fails, I order the replacement window, it'' take about a month to arrive. In looking at the replacement procedure you unscrew all the little screws around the edge, pull the frame off the inside, then go outside and slide the window out of the whole. Clean the edges of the whole. Get the insulation stuff and put it around the edge of the hole, push the new window into the hole, then go inside and set the inside frame then screw all the little screws back in. Caulk. Simple right. What could go wrong?
This will be my first ever RV window replacement. So while the u tube videos make it look simple I know that I can mess it up, I just don't know how I am going to mess it up yet. I am pretty sure I will either end up taking it a dealer to do the work or hiring a mobile tech because that's a big window, I am not sure I can lift it. DW is pretty strong and she will help. I guess I will just have to have the window in hand before I decide.
Any one have tips, tricks, gotchas, advice?
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