30" Wiper Blade Replacement

[IMDSailor]

Hi gang, I'm having one heck of a time locating 30" replacement wipers. I found one source Ackands-Granger 2 weeks ago. They said they could have them for me in a week, you guessed it there're still not here. These blades are hugely expensive so I would like to go to the 28" size for a couple of reasons, one for the cost difference and the other for availability.
My wiper arms have the Hook style connection for the bade, the problem being is that the width of the arm prevents a standard blade from attaching to it. Now I could file down the arm to fit, no problem, but my question before I attempt that is; If I did that would the radius of the hook fit the matching radius of the receiver on the 28" blade?
Anybody know? or have a better idea?

Thanks,
Stewart

[Cbones]

Have you tried Camping World?TruVision Wiper Blades - Diesel Equipment Co - Automotive Accessories - Camping World

[Triker56]

28" blades are not that expensive to try

[Melmoses]

I chose the route of replacing the wiper arms with ones that will fit the 28" wipers that I can buy at Walmart. I did this at least two years ago and I think I spent around $45 for new arms and wipers. The 30" wipers just kept wearing out and were expensive as well as hard to find. So going to the 28" was my choice. I think the 28" is less hard on the wiper motor and so it will last longer. Actually don't notice the difference when driving in the rain - I don't miss that 2" on the end.

[billyb]

One thing that yOu can try is yOu put that pipe insulatiOn material Over the wiper, whenever you don't use the unit. My blades have lasted 5 1/2 years, knock on wood.

[bailiff]

I had a simular problem finding 32" blades and their outlandish price. I went to Walmart and bought 28" blades which give me way more than enough sweep height. Best of all, not $40 each.

[IMDSailor]

Hi Guys, thanks for the responses. Right now supply isn't the issue. I actually managed to get a Blade today, hopefully the second will be in tomorrow. So I'm biting the bullet this time and spending the money on the 30" Blades, hopefully I'll get more than two seasons out of them, I do use the pipe insulation in the winter.
I was looking forward and trying to establish if modifying the current wiper arms by making them narrower to fit standard 28" automotive blades would work. Filing down the arms to fit wouldn't be a problem, the 28" blades are narrower than the 30" ones, my concern is if the hook at the end of the wiper arm, which holds the blade in place, would fit the receiver on the 28" blade or would it too be to large a radius, thereby potentially allowing the blade to fall off because of a sloppy fit . If I don't know that before filing down my current wiper arms I could potentially be trashing them as they would no longer be the right width for the stock 30" ones and once again causing, now by my own folly, a sloppy fit. I have this mental vision of my wiper blades flopping to and fro as they go back and forth.

Thanks,
Stewart

[lllkrob]

Or you could purchase the correct 28" blade replacements here:
http://www.rvpartscenter.com/Product...ID=150&CID=507

[IMDSailor]

Originally Posted by lllkrob

Or you could purchase the correct 28" blade replacements here:
http://www.rvpartscenter.com/Product...ID=150&CID=507

Cool, thanks for that. I, foolishly, thought that a 28" blade was a 28" blade. I did not realize that they came in different widths. But that looks like it would do the trick. Now to find someone in Canada that sells them. The Duties at the boarder despite NAFTA are murderous.

Thanks for the info,
Stewart

[PyrateSilly]

Did you try looking at truck stops? We found our size for not that much money at a truck stop. Or try different auto parts stores for them.

[donie]

Originally Posted by billyb

One thing that yOu can try is yOu put that pipe insulatiOn material Over the wiper, whenever you don't use the unit. My blades have lasted 5 1/2 years, knock on wood.

I v replaced the 30" on our Monaco.
After having a difficult time finding them, I went to Kmart and got two
kids foam tubes. Split them lengthwise and cut to fit.
So far, they work great.
Just my two cents.
As an after thought, I found 32" blades for 48 ea.
at RVSuperstore website.
Hope this helps.

[augar boy]

Did you use the different colored foam type floats like used in the swimming pool that come in different size diameters? And did you attach them to or over your existing wiper blades?

[michelb]

FWIW, I recently replaced the wipers on ours with 28" from Walmart. The 'clamp' didn't actually fit (the ones on our motorhome were made to bolt into a metal frame) but I just re-used the same holes on the mount and used screws to drill them into the plastic clamp and they hold and work fine - I'll see what it's like after a year or 2 but so far so good and the wipers were $15CND each (In Canada where things are usually twice as much as in the US).

[billyb]

You have got to use the insulation tubing on the wipers all the time except when You're running. The hoT summer Time Sun is whaT really wrecked The rubber