Properly pressed and sealed thermal pane glass units for your RV or Motorcoach Windows.
We carry the same tints of glass to match any replacement glass unit within the window(s) on your rig. We can fabricate units that sit within the frame next to a factory unit and have no difference in appearance.
Factory double pane units are typically sealed with Poly-isobutylene, which is a great moisture vapor barrier and secondary sealant for insulated glass units- in most applications. However, with RV windows the units are typically required to be too thin for their square foot-age/shape for their frames, and sit within a black frame which retains too much heat around the dessicant spacer and secondary sealant- causing them to fail prematurely. The secondary sealant fails due to the heat and moisture is allowed into the atmosphere of the glass unit(s).
Most factory units are either 7/16" or 1/2" in overall thickness. A few select manufacturers make 5/8" thick units for their windows. The thicker the glass unit (more vacummed air space and/or thicker glass used) will insulate better and retain more longevity before they fail. We see such large, unique, shapes made with 7/16" thick glass units, where the panes of glass even touch in the middle... Windows look great, but not functional at all.
Double Pane glass units work to push some of the UV Heat/Light off away from the glass unit with the exterior tinted pane or with a Lo-E (low emissivity) coating on it. Then use the air space barrier to further insulate between the interior pane.
*If the glass unit is installed inside out, or has a tint pane as well on the interior it would build up too much heat within the glass unit, causing it to fail pre-maturely.
*The greater the air space, the better the unit will actually insulate, and more longevity in its life- before failing. This is why larger squarefootage and odd shaped windows need more air space to be warrantied properly.
*If the double pane glass unit is installed with improper adhesives and/or chemicals impoperly (to prep) could cause the glass unit to fail prematurely.
*When double pane glass units fail, they become 'etched' over time. This is from glass reacting to the moisure, the UV light focuses heat in certain areas and marks the glass beyond being able to be cleaned. Similar to leaving spots on a newly painted black car in the sunlight. This typically happens on surface #3, the outward facing side of the interior, clear, pane.
We can fabricate insulated glass units out of any glass which can be tempered. Below are the most commonly used tints we stock to match the glass units throughout the industry.
Clear-
Bronze-
Green/Solar-
Standard Gray-
Privacy Gray-
Off-Set Insulated Glass-
Off-Set Insulated Units are built for frame-less windows which are double pane. The exterior pane is larger than the interior pane, and the interior pane sits off-set from the exterior pane edges which allows to to fit within the subframe.
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Exterior Interior
These glass units are built with Green/Solar or Clear glass as the exterior pane when the glass is used for 'driver operational viewing'. When the glass unit isn't crucial for 'driver operational viewing' Privacy Gray glass is used as the exterior pane. The interior pane of glass should be clear glass, so the Insulated Unit doesn't build up too much heat within it. Green/Solar glass can be used as the interior pane in some glass units. More is explained on frame-less windows/glass here.
Exterior Interior
We build Off-Set Insulated units. To replace broken, fogged, or glass units which become loose or fall out of the windows. We use a urethane as the secondary sealant around the desiccant spacer to better bond and seal the units. Frame-Less units already have to be perfect, these have to be exceptionally perfect to fit and operate properly.
There is no 'cost effective' way (at this point) to build these in laminated units which would guarantee they are fog-free for life. We have been replacing as single pane 1/8" thick glass units for customers' who don't want to deal with seal failure/fogging again. This can be done with any current 'off-set' units in stationary glass or vent/active glass units.
Things to consider if weighing options of changing double-pane off-set units to single pane, frame-less units:​
*Main benefit from double pane glass in an RV/Motorhome is sound insulation. The main area you would want to maintain sound insulation is the bedroom (keep the outside out). ​
*All windows have weepholes and weatherstripping is made to weep as well- this allows for heat transfer.​*Single pane glass 1/8" would be more apt to 'sweat condensation' when great temperature differences between the intrior and exterior. Again, the window sash is built to weep this out.
​*Largest window on your Motorhome/Motorcoach is your windshield, and it is thin laminated glass(1/8" glass + 1/16"PVB + 1/8" glass), it sweats with no weepholes to egress the water.
​*If converted to single pane 1/8" frame-less glass the exterior appeareance is exactly the same. Interior looks identical with the exception of the interior (clear pane) of glass not being there.
Frame-Less Glass Units look great, but they are weak on the edges. We have found an edge protector to protect the glass on the foward drive direction of the glass. Which can prevent total loss of the glass unit(s) if the edge were to come in contact with a rock or hard object thrown up from the road. You can check this out here
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