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Replace front window (Dolphin)


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My original window had a couple cracks, and if it rained just right, would seep water to the inside and run down the frame

The replacement window must be a little more robust and be able to survive rocks getting kicked up and hitting the window at hiway speeds.

So, I have two options available, 1) replace the window with sheet metal (Paint black to look like a window). 2) replace with lexan sheet instead of acrylic sheet.

Lexan (Polycarbonate Sheet) is crack resistant. Its very difficult to break with rocks, hammer, etc. The problem with Lexan, Optically it scratches easy and cannot be polished to improve optical qualities. but it won't break.

1) From the outside, Remove the rubber keeper that holds the window in, MIne was dry, brittle, and cracked. Not a problem, I'm not going to re-use it.

Pop the window out and clean the window frame extrusion with paint thinner. The extrusion must be clean and dry for the adhesive to work.

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2) Use the old window to trace an outline on the Lexan Sheet. The original acrylic window is about 3/32 thick.. My new Lexan window is about 3/16 thick twice as thick as the original.

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3) There is a ridge that the window sits on in the frame extrusion. cut and trim the new window so it fits perfect on this ridge. (I used a dye grinder with a sanding wheel to sand off the edges of the window until it fit perfect on the ridge of the frame..

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4) Once the window fits, use masking tape to mask the window and the frame. The masking tape on the outside of the window should line up with the edge of the ridge on the inside. You should be able to see the ridge through the window. Masking tape will make for a nice straight line and will keep the adhesive from getting all over the window or frame.

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5) After the tapeing is completed, pop the window back out. Use fine sand paper to scratch the outside exposed edges of the window surface. The scratching will the adhesive bond to the window. Wipe off the loose material.

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6) Run a small bead of adhesive around the ridge that the window sits on.

7) carefully position the window on the ridge, press it against the ridge/frame to get good contact with the adhesive.

8) spread a thick layer of adhesive on the outside edge of the window. make sure the adhesive gets down into the extrusion angles etc.

9) Use a straight edge and carefully go around the entire widow and squeegee a nice angle all the way around the window.

10) After about 15 minutes (The adhesive starts to tack) carefully pull the masking tape off. As you pull the tape off the window, you'll neeed to press against the window to keep from pulling the window pout of the frame.

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The Lexan sheet I used was clear, I'll get some of that window tint film later and apply it to the inside.

The Adhesive is the stuff they use to install windshields. It cures hard, but slightly flexible.You should be able to get this (or something similiar) from any supplier that supplies auto body shops.

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OK good job, now you have a weather tight front that looks cool :ThumbUp: But is scratches easily :o .

Check out NASCAR racing suppliers. The cars use a poly front windshield, they have tear-off coverings that are optically clear and can be removed in about 2 seconds. Change it when need and keep you Lexan scratch free.

Http://www.tearoffguys.com

Check it out

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  • 9 months later...

I've had several people ask about the rubber keepers on the front and side windows.

The rubber doesn't seal the window, it just holds the window against the frame. Note that the window sits on a ledge in the frame. On the side windows, there are drains that allow water that accumulates in the outer frame to drain. If these drains are plugged, water could seep past the window and leak inside. (Left drawing)

The Front window is the same, but with one major difference, it doesn't have drains. so the "tightness" and Cleanliness of the window against the frame is vitally important, so any water that is pooling in the frame cannot seep inside. (Center and Right drawings)

Attached are a couple drawings we did (Marsha) for a thread regarding window leaks.

post-4544-0-27983700-1327494252_thumb.jp post-4544-0-09378900-1327494256_thumb.jp post-4544-0-44712900-1327494259_thumb.jp

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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Thanks for the detailed how to because this is just what i need to do. I replaced some rubber keepers to stop water coming in. And now need to reglaze them as you described. Is it the same for glass paned windows? I shot compressed air into drains with no success from inside and out. Do the interior plastic window slides affect a windows waterproofness? Thanks!

I've had several people ask about the rubber keepers on the front and side windows.

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I drilled 2weep holes in my frame, made the inside much drier

Wme

uote name='waiter' timestamp='1327494299' post='25778']

I've had several people ask about the rubber keepers on the front and side windows.

The rubber doesn't seal the window, it just holds the window against the frame. Note that the window sits on a ledge in the frame. On the side windows, there are drains that allow water that accumulates in the outer frame to drain. If these drains are plugged, water could seep past the window and leak inside. (Left drawing)

The Front window is the same, but with one major difference, it doesn't have drains. so the "tightness" and Cleanliness of the window against the frame is vitally important, so any water that is pooling in the frame cannot seep inside. (Center and Right drawings)

Attached are a couple drawings we did (Marsha) for a thread regarding window leaks.

post-4544-0-27983700-1327494252_thumb.jp post-4544-0-09378900-1327494256_thumb.jp post-4544-0-44712900-1327494259_thumb.jp

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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  • 11 months later...

WME - I also drilled two 1/8 drain holes on the outside, at the lowest point, one on each side. When I drilled the holes, water ran out, so I know even thoug mine is sealed pretty good, it still got water in there behind the glass.

FOLLOWUP - On this last trip, rain, snow, sleet, car wash, etc. No water in the inside of the frame.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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  • 5 months later...

I was wondering where eactly did you drill the holes on this drawing ?

Seems like a good idea. I'm having a little leakage on the inside of the frame from the front window. I plan to redo the seals and drill some sweeper holes.

I really appreciate this forum. Thanks you very much.



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Drill a hole on each side, lower corner. Use a nice sharp bit, 1/8 to 1/4 hole, Careful, when the drill goes thru that it doesn't hit the plexiglass as it may crack it, take it slow and easy, not to much pressure on the drill.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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  • 4 months later...

Hi waiter,
I am grateful of your information. I have been getting rain coming inside from that channel that you explained . I want to drill the drain holes but I am not very clear. I am attaching a picture of where I understand to drill the hole . The white spot on the picture is where I think that I should drill the drain hole. Do you think that I am okay. It measures 1/4 of an inch from the bottom of the strip. The metal strip is about 1 and a 1/4 inch wide. Thanks again.

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Mason, You frame is different than mine.

I suspect you need to pull the entire frame out and reseal the frame.

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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Two people make the possibility of droping the glass window much less. But a careful person can do it.

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I was thinking to get couple of suction cups and attach them one inside and one out side of window. I have a hard time finding some one to help . I have to learn how to do this safely.

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I was thinking to get couple of suction cups and attach them one inside and one out side of window. I have a hard time finding some one to help . I have to learn how to do this safely.

Make a scaffold. 2 step ladders and some long boards. Doesn't make much sense trying to fix your window and falling on your hood.

Linda S

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Good thinking Linda "the ladders" . I will get some more pictures. And explain the water leak in more detail in a new blog because it might not be necessary to take out the window. It looks sealed up all around very good. Earlier when it was raining I saw that the leak comes up from between the glass and very next rubber gasket from inside and drips very slowly into that channel. So I put silicon all around the outside of the glass as you can see in the picture.Did not stop the Leak.

Very Grateful.

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The orange marker in the picture shows where the water springs up from (very slowly from the bellow into that adjacent channel ).

Is it possible that the water gets there from the lights above? Should I drill small holes in the strips as waiter did?

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Mason, Look very carefully at your frame on the outside, it is different than mine.

On my frame, The window sticks out about 3/8 of an inch from the mounting lip of the frame.

I drilled the hole on the bottom of the frame.

It appears as if yours is flush (viewed from outside)

JOhn Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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Yes my side windows look like yours and have a slot for drainage. But my front window has a flat molding outside(about 1 and1/4 inch wide ). But the inside of it looks like yours. Same channels. Does the hole have to be on the bottom like yours or can the drain hole be on the side about 1/4 inch from bottom?

Thanks.

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Waiter can you tell me how deep the glass sinks inside the molding from the top of the rubber gascate that you said is not a support? Thanks·

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The problem is, how far down from the top of the exterior frame should you drill the hole. The safest way to do it would be to remove the glass from the frame, measure how far down, then drill the hole so its at or near the bottom of that trough.

I believe that's what your asking me, and I don't know the answer

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

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Take the window out. Put it flat on a table and pull the rubber molding out. You should see a tiny groove where the glass meets the frame. Fill that with Captain Tollys crack sealer. Needs to be warm out and you need to do it several times keeping window flat at all times. When completely dry, a couple of days. Stick the rubber molding back in and put your window back in. I bed the windows in butyl tape. Push in firmly before you go inside to screw it back in and it won't fall out. You window looks exactly like the front windows on my Tiger and this fixed all the leaks. Mine was leaking so badly in fact that the first few times I tried to seal it the Captain Tollys just flowed right through and ended up on the table. I had to use some butyl tape pushed around the window on the other side just to keep it in place enough to fill the crack. All fixed now

Linda S

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Karin that rubber doesn't seal anything and is not intended to. Just a keeper thing. The real seal is the window to the frame of the window. Pulling the window out completely and resealing with automotive type sealer would be the best alternative but since they are usually stuck pretty good at least a few places the glass would probably break. Captain Tolly's is the only other alternative I know of the will search out the tiniest cracks and fill them.

Linda S

Oh and all the rubber keepers on mine are new. Still needed Cap Tollys

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For the past year I have been draining the water from inside whenever it rained. I've been puting one end of a paper towel in the channel and the other end in a plastic bottle. It collected 12 ounces of water for every 5 to 6 hours of the rain or less. Now that I understand how this water gets there by waiter's drawings and all of these discussions. I have decided to put one more coat of silicon and go from there. It doesn't seem to be a bIg problem any more to me. I gave up the drilling option and collect the water from inside for now and learn more.

Grateful:-)

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  • 1 month later...

The previuos owner of my unit spread some type of caulk all over the window it looks terrible given that this panel is flat fiber glass has anyone glassed it over, then refinished the inside? i don't see any advantage to this window being there.

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  • 1 year later...

Mason, my opinion is you need to remove the entire window assembly and work from there as I did on my 89 Dolphin. One other suggestion. While working in that area, check your running lights above to ensure you have a water tight seal on all of them, I have 5 right above the glass. After all the the work I did, I was getting a leak along the inside frame of the window (expletive deleted). I pressurize the cabin and used children's bubble solution as a leak indicator. It had nothng to do with the window fix itself, the leaks were along two of the above running lights where the silicone had separated. The water entered the cracks, gravity took it down and the water came out around the frame. Good luck! If I can do this most anybody can.

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  • 2 months later...

Very helpful information! My dolphin had severe frame damage from leaking front window, which had been tarred into the frame as one repair. Glad to know there are options for replacing the window. The once overwhelming project is getting done, one step at a time. Retirement is a perfect time to strap on the tool belt once again

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  • 3 years later...
On 1/25/2012 at 6:24 AM, waiter said:

I've had several people ask about the rubber keepers on the front and side windows.

The rubber doesn't seal the window, it just holds the window against the frame. Note that the window sits on a ledge in the frame. On the side windows, there are drains that allow water that accumulates in the outer frame to drain. If these drains are plugged, water could seep past the window and leak inside. (Left drawing)

The Front window is the same, but with one major difference, it doesn't have drains. so the "tightness" and Cleanliness of the window against the frame is vitally important, so any water that is pooling in the frame cannot seep inside. (Center and Right drawings)

Attached are a couple drawings we did (Marsha) for a thread regarding window leaks.

post-4544-0-27983700-1327494252_thumb.jp post-4544-0-09378900-1327494256_thumb.jp post-4544-0-44712900-1327494259_thumb.jp

John Mc

88 Dolphin 4 Auto

Bring this back from the dead.

Where would one find the rubber keeper? I have a 92 Warrior that a previous owner calked over the keeper because it was cracking and now I have a leak. I am going to redo the seal of the window frame to the motorhome and would like to redo the keeper as well.

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Carefully remove a section of the keeper and compare it to this selection...https://www.pellandent.com/RV-Window-Seal.

If you have the time lay the new one out in the sun for a couple of weeks, this will help preshrink it. Most commonly the keeper strip will gap where the ends meet or pull out at the corners.

Being cheap I used some of the old preshrunk keeper from a big window to seal a smaller window. Worked great and after 2 years no gap. The newer stuff  shrunk a bit and so I cut a filler strip and used a bit of glue on the ends to seal it.

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20 hours ago, WME said:

Carefully remove a section of the keeper and compare it to this selection...https://www.pellandent.com/RV-Window-Seal.

If you have the time lay the new one out in the sun for a couple of weeks, this will help preshrink it. Most commonly the keeper strip will gap where the ends meet or pull out at the corners.

Being cheap I used some of the old preshrunk keeper from a big window to seal a smaller window. Worked great and after 2 years no gap. The newer stuff  shrunk a bit and so I cut a filler strip and used a bit of glue on the ends to seal it.

Awesome, thanks for the info.

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