Community Forums

texaspenny · 09-24-2010, 04:23 PM

Hi....we have an 05 Allegro Bus with Driver and Passenger side window and now the front door are foggy

....would like to repair them but don't know where to go....any suggestions
Thanks for your help......Penny and Larry from South Texas

Luv2go · 09-24-2010, 05:41 PM

Penny and Larry: Here is a previous thread that has a link to a website that shows how one person fixed them himself.

Good Luck!
Stewart

Algoma · 09-24-2010, 06:08 PM

These guys are the best, suncoastdesigners.com, had all mine done there early this year.

nbounder · 09-24-2010, 08:55 PM

I did mine myself. Bottom line - use a hacksaw blade to get between the glass and the sealing membrane - I think it's a butyl rubber seal. Use the blade to cut , then bend, the separating membrane out of the 'sandwich'. Now we have a nice space about 2-3" between the panes. Let it sit for a day or so to allow the moisture to escape. At this point, there's a choice. 1) simply cut off the separating membrane so it's exposed to the air, and there will not be any more condensate collecting. or 2) take a can of pressurized 'air' and fill the space, then re-seal it with silicone sealant. I only have done option 1. A friend was going to do 2) but I never got feedback from him. You can do a window in less than an hour without removal, if you are lucky! Yes, you lose the insulating ability of a dual pane, but most knowledgable folks I spoke to said it was near worthless anyway. My experience concurs.

Ernie n Tara · 09-25-2010, 11:37 AM

nbounder,
You probably don't lose much of the insulating value, if any. Air is the insulator and its still there; loss would be due to air circulation or loss of the spacing between the glass panes.
I would expect that condensation might still be a problem if the window is not sealed.
Ernie

Gary RVRoamer · 09-25-2010, 06:09 PM

Closer to you than Suncoast is the RV Fog Dr. in Searcy, AR.

RV Fog Doctor Repairs and Reseals RV Dual Pane Window Streaking

hamguy · 09-26-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie n Tara

nbounder,
You probably don't lose much of the insulating value, if any. Air is the insulator and its still there; loss would be due to air circulation or loss of the spacing between the glass panes.
I would expect that condensation might still be a problem if the window is not sealed.
Ernie

In a properly working window, there is no air in the space between panes. It is a vacuum which is a lousy conductor.

Hvnbnd2 · 09-26-2010, 11:13 AM

I also have a foggy passenger window on my Southwind rig. Just got. I live in the Bellevue, Washington area. Does anyone know where I can get it fix in my location? Sounds like it is difficult to fix myself since it is a sliding window.

Gary RVRoamer · 09-26-2010, 04:04 PM

The RV dual pane glass is not a vacuum type - just has dry air inside. They get foggy when moist air penetrates the seal between the panes.

Very few dual panes have a vacuum - too hard to maintain a seal tight enough for that and it makes the glass more vulnerable to breaking due to the pressure differential. The high priced units have a gas like argon or krypton in between becasue it has a lower heat transfer than air (nitrogen/oxygen), but I don't know of any RV manufacturer who uses that grade of window.

Ernie n Tara · 09-27-2010, 08:07 AM

A further note on how the windows work. As Gary noted there is air (or a rare gas) between the panes. When the seal breaks, the window starts to act as a pump; as it warms up, the air expands and some leaks out. Then when it cools off air (with moisture) is drawn into the space between the panes. Eventually, this fogs up the window. More than you probably wanted to know, but the reason that I would expect problems at some point if the window is not resealed.
Ernie

hamguy · 09-27-2010, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

The RV dual pane glass is not a vacuum type - just has dry air inside. They get foggy when moist air penetrates the seal between the panes.

Very few dual panes have a vacuum - too hard to maintain a seal tight enough for that and it makes the glass more vulnerable to breaking due to the pressure differential. The high priced units have a gas like argon or krypton in between becasue it has a lower heat transfer than air (nitrogen/oxygen), but I don't know of any RV manufacturer who uses that grade of window.

Yup, I didn't know they used gas backfilled windows. They start the panes out with a ~15PSI differential.

I get a kick out of people that insist on perpetuating the false tale that if you shoot a hole in the side of an airplane, the result will cause everything inside to be sucked out. T'aint true.

texaspenny · 09-28-2010, 08:46 AM

Thanks we are going to Fog Dr. Monday in Ar sure appreciate everyones help!!! this is a great site for getting help!!
penny & larry ebest
Rockport, Tx

Iron Man · 09-29-2010, 07:51 AM

We have an appointment with Suncoast Designers for Nov 2. They will be repairing the big drivers glass on our Essex. They said it will be 250.00 and will take 3 or 4 hours to complete. I will post a review when they are finished.

buck62 · 09-29-2010, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron Man

We have an appointment with Suncoast Designers for Nov 2. They will be repairing the big drivers glass on our Essex. They said it will be 250.00 and will take 3 or 4 hours to complete. I will post a review when they are finished.

You will be please with Suncoast Designer's, I had three windows repaired last spring, drivers and and passenger side and a large exit slider all had fogged due to bad seals and being SE-GI brand windows. Driver side is $250 and all others are $200. Removed all three one day and the repaired windows were installed the next day. That have 15-20 RV sites with water and 50amp hook ups. They do a very professional job and I saw motorhomes from every manufacturer, some were just getting a couple like me others were doing every window. They give you a five year pro-rated warranty, 100% first your then 20% reduction each year after the first. If the window pane is etched due to being fogged for a long time and cannot be cleaned they do carry the popular sizes of replacment panes and I believe they said it was $10 a pane. Suncoast Designer's is a residential/commerical window company but seems to have found the niche market for RV windows. Their website has a video that explains the complete repair process and what they do.