Community Forums

chasfm11 · 06-30-2008, 11:42 AM

As you can see by the picture below, the outer gasket on the driver's side of our windside has separated. It appears that there was some sort of an adhesive holding it fast as there is no place for the lip on the inside of the gasket to mechanically fasten to anything.

Recommendations? I'm particularly interested in thoughts on the type of adhesive that I need to use

Thanks,

Charlie

chasfm11 · 06-30-2008, 11:42 AM

As you can see by the picture below, the outer gasket on the driver's side of our windside has separated. It appears that there was some sort of an adhesive holding it fast as there is no place for the lip on the inside of the gasket to mechanically fasten to anything.

Recommendations? I'm particularly interested in thoughts on the type of adhesive that I need to use

Thanks,

Charlie

LVJ58 · 06-30-2008, 11:57 AM

You might want to contact an automotive glass company and ask them which type would be th best to use. Just a thought

chasfm11 · 06-30-2008, 01:09 PM

Thanks, Jim. Most of the glass companies around here cannot spell "motor home". I don't want to assume that what works in a passenger vehicle situation will also work for me. The trim and gaskets on most cars appear very different that what I have on this MH.

Many of the auto glass companies around here go through help pretty quickly and not all of them speak English. It is just one of the hazards of living here in Texas.

AFChap · 06-30-2008, 03:38 PM

If you don't trust a glass company in your area, call any RV dealer and ask them what glass company they use. Most of them sub-contract their glass work to local glass companies. I'm sure there are some glass companies in the Dallas/Ft Worth area that have motorhome experience!!

Are you sure the windshield has not moved? Some have problems with the glass "popping out" of the rubber & frame. You need to be sure you are fixing the real problem and not just one of the symptoms...

chasfm11 · 07-01-2008, 03:29 AM

Thanks for the heads up about windshield movement, Paul. Actually, that is one of the first things that I checked. The driver's side of the windshield appears to be solidly attached. I especially checked along the inside right where that gasket is loose. I'll peek at the areas right next to where the gasket is still attached to see if the inner strip of the gasket is really used as a wedge between the body and the glass.

I'll give my dealer a call today and see who he uses for windshield work. He has been in business 30 years and I'm sure he has had to use a glass company locally a time or two.

I'm often surprised at how little MH experience exists in this area. More often than not, going into a shop reminds me of the commercial a few years back that showed a guy rubbing his hands in circles and saying "transmission - I always wanted to fix a transmission." I'm already the victim several times of techs learning about MHs while working on my vehicle. Perhaps I've become too cynical.

J Walker · 07-01-2008, 04:06 AM

From your picture you have a different windshield mount than most MHs. I have examined several including mine and they have one gasket with two grooves. One groove fits the front cap and the other fits the windshield. It lets the windshield "float" in its groove and thus relieve stress. The gasket holding the windshield in your case seems to be separate from the gasket coming loose. Thus the outer gasket seems to be for the purpose of keeping the elements out and appearance. It appears that the gasket has no mechanical or structural function and could be reliably re-attached with any adhesive that will bond to rubber, fiberglass, and glass.

quikduk · 07-01-2008, 05:54 AM

Jim might be right. It looks like the outer gasket is a "beauty" piece and not for the mechanical sealing of the glass.

You can call Duncan Systems at (800) 559-9149. Ask for Tracy. She helped me when I needed to replace my windshields, gasket and locking strip. Perhaps she, or others at Duncan can help you find a qualified motor home glass installer in your area.

BTW, who makes the Georgie Boy model?

chasfm11 · 07-01-2008, 06:27 AM

Georgie Boy was an independent company who build RVs for quite a few years. 3-5 years ago, Georgie Boy Manufacturing (GBM) was acquired by Coachman and the product line was significantly altered. They only make a few models now, I guess in order not to compete with other parts of Coachman. I would judge their overall quality to be OK in the vintage of ours. I have no ideas about what their quality is like now, as a part of Coachman.

I have sent my dealer the picture as well and if I din't get a response in a reasonable timeframe, I'll call Duncan Systems as you suggest.

Thanks for your help.

Charlie

chasfm11 · 07-03-2008, 06:40 AM

Update:

It is fixed. The repair bill was $85. As Jim pointed out, this was a cosmetic fix and easily something that I could have done - with the right information. I believe that I paid a very fair price for the service but I want to contribute what I've learned so that others won't have to.

- the product used was called Betaseal and it is a urethane based adhesive. It was applied to both sides of the lower part of the gasket and tape was used to hold the gasket in place.
- the adhesive was allowed to set up about 8 minutes and then the gasket was pushed in, causing the adhesive to ooze out both sides. On the glass side, a razor blade was used to cut off the excess. On the fiberglass side, a rag with a solvent (unmarked but it may have been Acetone) was used to clean up the excess.
- a strong black tape whose consistency I did not recognize was applied and needs to stay on for up to 36 hours. The gasket will have shrunk some as a result of being out of place. The tape needs to hold it in place in the direct sun, allowing the gasket to loosen a bit and settle into its groove.

There were no unique steps or procedures that I won't have done on my own in this repair. The company that did it is the only company with experience in MHs in the Ft. Worth area. They tell me that they always have a lot of business after the NASCAR events where hundreds of RVs with thousands of people congregate for a week. They service everything from broken windshields to those pushed out by intoxicated bodies slamming into them. The tech who came to my house did 75 MHs himself last year. He claims that the way Newmar puts in windshields is among the most difficult. To me, just him knowing about Newmar products and that the they were different for others confirms his experience. I would gladly call this company again if I had a serious windshield problem (on any vehicle) but will be doing future cosmetic repairs myself.

Charlie

AFChap · 07-03-2008, 01:49 PM

Charlie

I'd like to know the name of the place you used -- we are in the DFW area a good bit during the year and might need them. Also, it would be great if you could post a service review at http://www.rvservicereviews.com/ for future reference!

chasfm11 · 07-03-2008, 05:31 PM

The business is called Auto Glass Center. It is on Riverside Drive in Ft. Worth. I'll try to remember to post a review next week.

Charlie

Mike and Claudia · 07-03-2008, 07:07 PM

Just for your general information---

We were in Indiana last year and noticed that my windshield and gasket were coming apart from the motorhome on the lower corner.

I called my insurance company and they recommended an RV glass place, Glass Solutions, I think. They had a technician from a local company come out and he took the windshield out, regooped it, and reinstalled it.

The insurance company did not charge me a cent because they said that by calling them, I had saved them big bucks over the price of a new windshield.