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driver's side sliding window shattered :(

November 09, 2014, 12:40:09 pm

I opened my driver's side sliding window this morning cuz I always like to stick my head out there and look when I back up, and the safety glass shattered... (sigh) ...I have a $250 deductible on my glass insurance. The window is flat so I suspect a talented glass guy could cut one out and install it for less than the deductible. It would be really cool if he could put a strip of channel aluminum around the edge of the glass so it won't shatter again when I open it in cold weather someday. Maybe I'll put some kind of dry lubricant in the window channel so it won't require as much force to slide open, and of course to stop it when it reaches the end of the channel, which is where it shattered. Have any of you dealt with this issue before? I'm not sure what to suggest to prevent this from happening to other people. Maybe some kind of soft stop at the bottom of the channel in front of the sliding window at the end of its travel? I presume the glass shattered when it hit the end of its channel too hard, perhaps combined with cold weather? I guess just be more careful than I was as you open the sliding window. The passenger's sliding window probably has the same potential shattering issue as the driver's window.

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Re: driver's side sliding window shattered :(

Reply #1 – November 09, 2014, 02:30:22 pm

Scott, try paraffin.

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Re: driver's side sliding window shattered :(

Reply #2 – November 09, 2014, 02:58:56 pm

Scott, Tempered glass shatters when it gets poked by a sharp object.  Check for sharp edge or projection that could have broken the glass surface.
Gary B

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Re: driver's side sliding window shattered :(

Reply #3 – November 09, 2014, 03:13:33 pm

I haven't ever heard of this happening before.  I agree with your suspected cause.  I went out on my coach and slid the window forward all the way and the glass contacts a rubber strip that is pushed into the aluminum channel on the vertical section.  Same piece of rubber found on all the other windows of the coach - usually in the radius of the corner.  Also found this rubber in the bottom track of the very same drivers window.  I wonder if your had fallen out or just slide down?

The sliding sections of these windows (Hehr is the manufacturer) comes out somewhat easily.  You remove the screen by pulling out (in forward direction) the bottom plastic track that it rides on.  The plastic track edges can crack so you need to be careful in this regard.  That should give it just enough vertical clearance to pull it out.  Then the window comes out similarly by removing the rubber pieces in the track of the aluminum frame. The handle is attached with screws. Silicone lube is helpful to get the rubber pieces sliding

I don't know who to suggest for a replacement - I would start with a auto glass place.  I would think the passengers side should be the identical part if they wanted to pattern it.

Some time ago someone (I think Barry and Cindy) recommended 3M 08897 for window tracks.  I bought some and it works as well as they said.

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Re: driver's side sliding window shattered :(

Reply #4 – November 10, 2014, 08:13:08 pm

I didn't have time to fix the window before my snowbird trip south for the winter. I went to a hardware store and bought some of that clear plastic film designed to weatherstrip windows and attempted to stick it on the screen so I'd have a window I could open. The film was so annoying that I decided to use transparent packing tape instead. I stuck it on the outside of the screen and then the inside. It makes an amazingly good temporary quick fix window. I ran a strip of tape down the edge when I stopped for the night to seal it tightly. I didn't notice any more cold air coming through the driver's side "window" than the passenger side window. There's more outside noise though... and it sounds like there's a Detroit Diesel about 30' behind me wherever I go now ...When I get to North Carolina, where I'm spending the winter, I'll see if I can get a glass place to make one of those sliding windows if I can't order one.

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