Windshield replacement FYI

[Bob Nodine]

We had our windshield replaced yesterday here at the SEA rally in Lakeland, FL and just thought I would pass on a few things I learned.  We have been very lucky with the windshield and the coach still had the original windshield installed when the coach was manufactured.  We have had chips repaired over the years and they worked until we were down here in Florida last Feb. On the way down a truck threw a rock into the windshield and we had it repaired while at a campground. This time it did not prevent a run and the company refunded our cost. Our next long trip after that was up to North and South Dakota in August and we encountered another rock that ran almost immediately. So it was time to replace the windshield. We live in the Knoxville Tn area and I did not feel comfortable having a glass shop there replace the windshield and decided to wait until we got down to Florida where we knew the law requires zero deductible on windshield replacement and there are lots of experienced techs. 

A little research revealed that there is a large windshield warehouse in Lakeland and that also was the upcoming location for the FMCA SEA rally. With a little more research found out that RV Glass Solutions would be at the rally and made the necessary arrangements with them to have our windshield replaced while here. I highly recommend getting your windshield replaced at a rally where you know you are going to get techs who are familiar with all the brands of motorhomes and replace coach windshields often. You are also spared the inconvenience of having to take your coach to a glass shop and staying there overnight. We learned yesterday that if you have an older coach like ours with the rubber gasket the coach must sit for at least 8 hours without moving after the windshield is installed. If you have one of the newer coaches where the windshield is glued in then the coach must sit between 18 and 24 hours before it is moved.

 

[Dr4Film]

Bob,

I am pleased to read your report of RV Glass Solutions as I have an appointment for Monday February 17th to have our original windshield finally replaced at their shop.

Since owning the coach in 2003 we have had numerous very tiny stone nicks and then one huge stone chip the size of a half dollar that we sustained on one of our trips to Alaska. About three years ago one of the tiny nicks high above the drivers side decided to shoot off a crack that grew slowly moving diagonally down towards the curved area over the next 6 months and it finally stopped once it got to the edge of the glass. Been driving with that since then as it really wasn't interfering with my vision.

Got an email advertisement from FMCA in regards to RV Glass Solutions and decided to give them a call. It was the easiest and most professional service call I have ever made. As you know their shop is in Lakeland and that's where we are headed after the Monacoers Rally at Lazy Days. They have 50 amp power for us inside a gated area for Sunday night. Then on Monday they will replace the windshield. I asked about the gasket and they said that unless it is damaged then they do not recommend replacing it which would be at my cost. The rain drip rail at the top is separating in three places but they do not replace those and suggested taking it to a RV shop for replacement. However, I am going to fill in the cracks with some type of material once the new windshield has been installed.

[Bob Nodine]

Richard the guys from RV Glass Solutions did an excellent job on our coach. First they covered our dash and taped up the defroster vents so debri would not fall into them. Next they used a curved tool to loosen the gasket from the windshield on both the inside and out and then removed the old windshield and set it in the truck. After that they spent quite a bit of time cleaning out the groves in the gasket.  I noticed they cleaned the inside of the new windshield while it was still in the truck and then inserted it into the gasket. They did not even remove the wipers and just kept them out of the way. Next they taped up the painted surface around the gasket and used a power caulking gun to apply Bostik 70-08A sealant into the gasket on both the contact with the windshield and the contact with the halo. Then they cleaned up the excess Bostick and cleaned the outside of the windshield and finally removed the cover from the dash. They used a battery powered vacuum cleaner to remove any dirt and debri that was still on the dash.