Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #40 – August 09, 2018, 01:25:58 pm Quote from: pikewrench – August 09, 2018, 11:28:23 amSomeone /somewhere last week asked me if I had any electrical schematic for my rig. I have an electronic file containing the air, generator and 12v system along with other info. You can send me an email at pikewrench@epbfi.com for a copiesRick,Go up to almost the top of our Forum's page and then to last item on the right which will be "Media," then go to Foretravel Library and look for schematics. If you don't see one that you have, please upload it. A late smart phone camera will do a good job of digitizing it and then you can upload.Pierce Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #41 – August 30, 2018, 03:36:26 pm I replaced the plywood on the dash against windshield after finding I could stick my hand thru it. The padded dash with the foam back is a poor design as the foam will hold water leaked by the windshield. After removing the pieces I started by adding a 1" piece of angle iron (took 2 pieces joined by a weld and two bolts in case of needed removal) across the top of front wall(see pic.), curving the ends to fit the contour of the fiberglass body. Next I put pieces on the inside leaving a space for the dash lid hinges. I used cabinet 3/4" plywood 6 ply. Measured the angle of the nose to the dash, cut and assembled the supports that glued to the nose with six10 adhesive. I ran the plywood supports to within 1 inch of the sprayers for the windows. these two pieces glued and screwed with a glue block(After the glue dried the nose pieces were supported on the ends and weight was added to get the piece to bow slightly to help with installation). Blocks were added under the ends of the angle iron, another block was added under each one (two blocks total because of the curved fiberglass did not allow for a big piece). The top took more than a dozen fit-ups before I got it where I wanted. Glued all plywood edges and the top of the angle iron with six10, screwed all joints that could take a screw. Found some Formica countertop that colored match at a local countertop shop, contact glued it down and than sealed all edges with six10. Did reuse the defroster and such as theses are no longer made. ABS pipe glue worked great to glue the one defroster plate I broke in half. The underside defroster housing I used six10 and screws on it. Let the unit sit a week and moved it today thru an area that had caused me problems to begin with, had no noticeable windshield movement. Was considering adding 1 1/2" thin wall aluminum square tube from the curtain track area to the factory installed 2"angle iron on the front corners of the dash, but I think I will hold off on that for now. Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #42 – August 30, 2018, 04:48:32 pm Great work Rick....!! Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #43 – August 31, 2018, 11:35:53 am I would like to thank everyone for the information that was provided here. I probably would not have considered outer dash replacement in dealing with the shifting windshield. Learned that the six10 is great stuff, worked great on repairing the cracks on my tractor fenders. Chose the six10 over the 3M 5200 as the 3M product properties show it is flexible enough to allow movement. Time will only tell if this was a smart choice on my part. Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #44 – June 10, 2019, 02:18:08 pm Hi all, I Just read this thread Does any one have pictures of the grab handles on the front of the Grandvilla,I tried the search thingy but it doesnt have any thing on it, I made this frame up and welded and bolted it to the Bulkhead, But the screen is still moving, I need to triangulate it to the front fibreglass under the windows and back to my frame, I also need to put packers from the frame to the outside of my Coach, To lock that in position as well so it wont move, Last time I drove it I thought the windows would fall out, I also think a lot of my window problems were that the fitter who put my right side window in, Cut a peice of the top of it to make it fit, Did the wrong thing and being shorter allows the window to move, I havent been doing anything with the coach as I have been very busy repairing my boat to put it back in the water,But I have a new G/F and she wants to go away in the coach, So I will now get my coach going again,Thanks, Brian, Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #45 – June 10, 2019, 02:34:26 pm Using angles instead of square corners will yield a vastly stiffer" box". We should have the same or similar front frame section, Oshkosh. My nose is very solid at this point with a couple of angle iron rails running upwards. The grab handles dont seem to be attached to the structure. I will look again for better details. Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #46 – June 10, 2019, 02:49:57 pm Quote from: Protech Racing – June 10, 2019, 02:34:26 pmUsing angles instead of square corners will yield a vastly stiffer" box". We should have the same or similar front frame section, Oshkosh. My nose is very solid at this point with a couple of angle iron rails running upwards. The grab handles dont seem to be attached to the structure. I will look again for better details.Do you have any piccys of your angle iron rails running upwards, Our coaches are the same, Mines a 1989 model,Thaks, Brian, Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #47 – June 10, 2019, 04:18:39 pm My rails are stock and square . I may add some angle rails . Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #48 – June 10, 2019, 06:19:22 pm Here is a picture of my grab handles with my hand to give you idea of its size. I chose to only top the firewall with one inch angle sandwiching it between angle iron in front and back. Left out sections for the hinges. I had a center piece of plywood sticking out, but it did not go all away to the front. I took 3/4" cabinet grade plywood and ripped two pieces and got the angle of the front using an old carpenters angle finder. I ripped two more piece to go across the front all the way to the wiper motors. Transferred the angle to the top of the pieces and then let them sit with weights on them to bow them, took about a day using a backhoe bucket. Dry fit them to get the angle so the bow piece would mate up with the top. Cut, glued, added glue block, stapled pieces together, used waterproof titebond glue. Getting the right side in was tricky, ended cutting to much but added a filler. Six10 all of it together, added screws in the center pieces. You can see the ends of the handle bolt in the wood. Made a new plywood top from the same grade plywood. Made a template using 1/4 and then transferred. Took more than six tries to get the angle and contour right on the new top. Six10 and screwed it all together including the plywood edge to the fiberglass front. Probably could have eliminated the angle iron by gluing 10-12 inch strips on the firewall out to the Fiberglas front end on each side. The one picture shows the joint in the angle and where I ground the bolt flush Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #49 – June 10, 2019, 11:42:17 pm Thank you peoples for the Piccys of your repairs, It makes it so much more easier for me to sort mine out,I also had the problem that my dash was cut in half and reversed, Plus there are no Grandvilla's here close to look at, And they have all been converted to right hand drive as well.I just turned my coach around in my front yard and its still swaying side to side,But I have a better idea now how to stiffen it all up, Diagonal bracing from my firewall stiffener to the handles on the front, All my timber is still solid and no rot any where,And stiffeners to the out side walls of the coach from my brace, As per Piccy, There is a gap there to the outside walls,I will put a packer in there and that should make the sides of the coach rigid, Bottom of the Screen,I will extend the timber in the centre to go out to the base of the screen, That will stop it moving in and out, The centre line of the windows is near perfect,I will make a brace up that goes behind the seats to stiffen the top cap up and walls from moving also,I will be testing it all out before I put my new windscreens in, Just in case, I do have Plan B, I am getting the curves made up in Boat windscreen Plastic, If I break a windscreen in future, I will only have the straight bit of the screen to replace, A steel insert between the two, plastic to glass, I can get the straight glass any where here, But screens from the USA are 5.5 grand delivered, And the USA is the only place they make the grandvilla screens, They are unavailable here,Any comments are quite welcome, Thank you, Brian, Quote Selected
Re: Grand Villa Windshield Woes... Reply #50 – June 11, 2019, 11:23:03 am A couple of other small re-engineers.. I removed all of my trim/body strips and injected structural glue into the seams along with adding 3/16 big head rivits between the screw holes . This includes both caps and the entire side panels. Big improvement, less leaks , etc. I cut out the floor under the water tank and set the tank on tubes/plywood that sit directly on the frame rails . This removes the 500# of water trying to slosh around the nose cap. I took some precautions to allow the tank to move a little inside the box , but inspections have shown almost no movement . Quote Selected
Topic: Grand Villa Windshield Woes...