Glass Panes

Photos by the author

After a freak accident, the large window in a new fifth wheel was shattered — and then field replaced — while in an RV park

Sometimes RV owners do dumb things. I have a playbook in this arena, but we’ll dispense with my campfire stories for now. A good friend of mine who owns a 42-foot luxury fifth wheel that remains parked in a resort recently purchased a smaller “fiver” to take on trips — and is still getting used to it. One evening after happy hour and dinner, he decided it was time to close the big side window behind the theater seats. Unfortunately, he’s a strong guy and, using too much force, he slid the movable pane a little too hard — right into the other side of the frame. You guessed it; the window shattered — and fractured my friend’s ego.

Since rain was in the forecast, my heavy-handed friend filled the void with plastic and cardboard, all held in place with artfully applied duct tape. It wasn’t exactly breathtaking, but it did the job. Unfortunately, searching for the right shop to replace the window presented an issue for my friends, who were just a few days into their inaugural cross-country journey. And, with RV suppliers working overtime to keep the OEM channels full of product as record numbers of people rediscover RVing, it wasn’t just trying to make an appointment at a reputable shop that was problematic — replacement parts also are tough to come by right now.

Fortunately, there are two good resources for procuring replacement RV windows: Clear Vision Windows (clearvision.com) and Easy RV Window Replacement (easyrvwindows.com). Both companies offer online services that will guide the owner through the process of finding a replacement window. You will have to go through several measurement sessions and provide make and model information (including the VIN and manufacturing date), but in most instances, the proper window will be available. You just have to be in a place where you can receive it.

As luck would have it, the folks at Tiara RV in Elkhart, Indiana (www.tiararvsales.com) were able to order the window (cost was $211) and a day later we performed the installation right onsite at the Elkhart Campground (www.elkhartcampground.com).

Replacing a window isn’t a particularly difficult installation, and just about anyone with basic mechanical aptitude can do the job, but a window of this size is heavy and requires a second person to make the swap.

Cardboard and plastic covered the broken windowpane, certainly making a visual understatement for this new fifth wheel. The makeshift window repair was peeled off before the window was removed, leaving an ugly mess of stuck-on tape adhesive.

Plan on spending around an hour or so making the window swap with help from a friend — plus a lot more time cleaning off sticky residue if that same friend is fond of using duct tape to perform emergency “repairs.”

Remaining duct tape was carefully removed from the exterior sidewall, but the “repair” was up for a while and the sun baked on the adhesive.

Using a long Robertson #2 bit, all the screws were removed from the inside frame. The window valance made it difficult to get a good grip on the screw heads.

It’s best to use two people to pull the window away from the wall opening (as seen in lead photo). There were still pieces of glass embedded in the frame, so care must be taken when handling the window. The rubber seal is pulled away very carefully. A new seal was not ordered with the window; fortunately, there was still enough stickiness on one side to reinstall the material on the new window.

There was a big glob of silicone on one end of the window frame used in the manufacturing process. A razor knife made short work of leveling out the surface. The old rubber seal is carefully placed on the window frame. It is not the best way to go, but sometimes a field repair requires some resourcefulness.

After the new window was in place, another friend was posted outside to make sure it did not pop out and drop to the ground. The inside frame was then set in place.

Screws were driven through the inside frame and into the new window. The crease in the window frame made it easy to drive the screws without drilling pilot holes. The valance was removed to make it possible to drive the screws straight and pull the window frame tightly into the sidewall.

After applying the silicone, spray water on the silicone bead so it can be touched without it pulling away from the RV and use a finger to smooth out the surface.

The gooey mess left on the RV — caused by using duct tape to hold the window patch in place — was removed with 3M Adhesive Remover, available at most auto parts stores and online. It’s fairly expensive at $17 for an aerosol can, but will save a lot of elbow grease. After spraying the affected area with the Adhesive Remover, a plastic razor blade was used to scrape away the tape remains.