Skylight replacement

[michaelivan]

Now that I have somewhat worked my way through the heat pump issue, on to the next problem.  My 03 Windsor has developed a crack in the shower skylight.  There appears to be 2 layers to the skylight.  Without tearing everything apart I just was wondering if the inner panel is separate from the actual skylight and can be reused.  All I can find online are single pane skylights and since we travel in some very warm areas the added layer seems to help control the heat in the rear area.

[6Wheels]

Try searching for dual pane RV skylight.  All kinds of choices.  For looks I would replace as a unit., plus you might want to look at tinted skylights if you are trying to keep heat out.  

https://www.bing.com/search?q=dual pane rv skylight&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&pq=dual pane rv skylight&sc=0-21&sk=&cvid=3DA6159E8B5A4109B906991D2CACD030

 

[wamcneil]

Mine is rectangular and double. I replaced the outer only with tinted Ikon. The inner bubble was in great shape and reused. 
Cheers

Walter

[michaelivan]

12 minutes ago, wamcneil said:

Mine is rectangular and double. I replaced the outer only with tinted Ikon. The inner bubble was in great shape and reused. 
Cheers

Walter

Thanks for the help.  Mine is neo-angle and I have a couple of options.  I have found outer skylights from Ikon and Specialty Recreation.  Both look like they will fit.

[6Wheels]

https://dicorproducts.com/product/self-leveling-lap-sealants/

[coastal_front]

About 3 years ago, a perfectly aimed small tree limb fell and went completely through the neo-angle skylight in our '03 Camelot sitting in my driveway getting ready to head to Florida.  I called a large repair facility near the Villages (Florida) (since changed hands and now Lazy Days) and they said they had it in stock. I verified I wanted tinted, 2 layer and they agreed. After they had the old one torn out and the replacement completed they told me they only had single layer and not tinted - "they don't make the 2 layer anymore" - which I knew was not correct. Well, I can tell you first hand that the tint and two layers make a BIG difference in the heat transmitted into the coach. 

[wamcneil]

4 hours ago, michaelivan said:

Thanks for the help.  Mine is neo-angle and I have a couple of options.  I have found outer skylights from Ikon and Specialty Recreation.  Both look like they will fit.

I'd imagine yours is similar to mine except for the shape. There's nothing about mine that makes it inherently a '2-layer skylight'; it's just a regular outer bubble and a slightly lower inner bubble. Screws go down through both to secure them to the roof. Apparently the outer bubble does a pretty good job of stopping the UV; as far as I know mine were original from 2003 and the inner bubble didn't show any sun damage. The outer bubble was hazed all over and cracking.

Couple-years ago when I needed to order a replacement, I had a hard time determining whether the new bubble was a '2-layer' bubble and would have room for the inner bubble. So I measured as best I could and hoped for the best. Ikon's smoked skylight turned out to be almost identical to my old outer bubble.

Cheers,

Walter

Edited September 21, 2020 by wamcneil

[vanwill52]

It seems it is usually easier to find the outer skylight than the inner one.  When I replaced the ones on both my 1993 Dynasty and on my present 2000 Dynasty, I was unable to find the domed inner member.  I replaced it with a plain flat sheet of polycarbonate about 1/8" thick.  Unless you are quite tall, that will probably serve you well.

Almost all of the skylight failures I have seen began near the screws.  The outer shell is simply not mechanically strong enough to squish down the sealant between each screw without an obvious "dome-shape" between them.  For both my installations, I welded together a sub-ring and a cover-ring from aluminum flat stock.  The lower one I made from 3/16 thick aluminum and it served to bridge the imperfections in the roof and present a smooth flat surface to mount the skylights on.  The top one was 1/8 thick.  Sandwiching the two layers of skylight between the two layers of aluminum made a bulletproof fix.

Be sure to use sealant that is approved for use on acrylic or polycarbonate.  I know from painful experience that the wrong sealant will begin propagating small cracks very shortly.

The sandwiched assembly has been on my 2000 Dynasty for seven years.  Sorry, I have no pix available here now.  I am in Dillard, GA enjoying Paul Whittle and his group of kit-car enthusiasts as they carve up the twisting roads.

[veraken]

Surebond is a good substitute for butyl tape since it butyl based.

http://www.surebond.com/SB-140/

If you need a source for a new skylight, here are some
https://www.eztopsworldwide.com/

https://www.icondirect.com/skylights/

http://www.foxlite.com/