U.S. alternative to Seitz top hinged windows

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Damn, those look really gorgeous. If I was building a cabin, I'd be buying the Outbound. Not only do I have a special place in my heart for small businesses, but their service/care/support appear to back up what looks like a stellar product.
"The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory." -Gucci

PS--did you get roller shutters too?
 

mk216v

Der Chef der Fahrzeuge
Yes the first picture is actually the black out shades and bug screen rollers

Ah, gotcha, thanks.

My stepfather is a huge boater and he had found this company in the UK that makes roller shades/blinds, in case anyone is looking specifically for them. Looks like they'll be doing motorhome stuff soon. They have a US distributor and sell at West Marine and Port Supply;
http://www.oceanair.co.uk/
http://www.oceanair.co.uk/marine/products/roller-collection-windowshade-2

Hatch shades too; http://www.oceanair.co.uk/marine/product-category/hatch-screen
 

Reijsigher

New member
I am new on the Expediton Portal, so a hello to all of you. I am not new to adventure travel. My longest overland, 8 month, was in 2000 with MB 1213 from The Netherlands to China, Mongolia and back through Siberia and Ukraine.

That MB i equipped with the Seitz windows, this was not a big success. Because of the flexing of the box these windows don't seal 100% fine dust enters the box and worse of all enter the rollos. In the Gobi dessert i decided to disassemble them all to polish the plastic glass (could not see trough them anymore) and clean the not proper working rollos.

Now i am designing a box for my next project a MB Unimog 1300, former German army. Many decisions to make as well on the windows. My new windows should have hardened real glass (no more polishing) they should be having rounded corners, absolutely be sliders and have an aluminum frame.

I knew from long long time ago when i converted my first VW T4 that i used full glass standard windows from the French company Boidron, these guys produce over 15.000 windows annually.

The rollos should also be aluminum framed and work with the harmonica system, i found the dutch company Horrex making the real thing.

Links:
Windows
w w w. boidron. fr/uk/indexUK.html
w w w. campingshop-24. de/wohnwagenzubehoer-und-wohnmobilzubehoer-/fenster-und-rollos/spezialglas-schiebefenster/36048/sicherheitsglas-schiebefenster-fuer-kastenwagen-rahmen-schwarz
Rollos
w w w. horrex .nl/consumer/raamsysteem/

PS, Seems i am not allowed to place links........
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
I think you will be able to post links after a couple of messages... or perhaps a day or two... just a precaution against spam-bots.

I wonder why you want them to be sliders? They can't be opened during rain (compared to a top hinged awning window) and you get less air flow since at least 1/2 of the window is blocked.

Real glass windows are much better but there is a cost and weight penalty - especially for insulated windows.

Please repost your links once you are able to - I would be interested in the reason for your choices.
 

Reijsigher

New member
As a fellow adventurer with a beautiful MB kurzhauber, while reversing, accidentally destroyed one of my Seitz side windows I promised myself never to install again hinged windows in an next to build expedition truck. Luckily it was a Seitz window, any stronger window construction would had possible even created damage to the frame of the box. This accident resulted in a 3 month experience how to strongly close the window opening with plastic bags and duck tape.

The rain issue is for me not a real issue, the last 5 years i live close to the equator and have to deal with the rain season, you vastly learn to open only windows on the lee side of the vehicle.

Rounded corners are obvious, although I gave the corners a 5mm radius some started to initiate a crack in the outer (0.8mm metal) sheeting.

PS the previous links can be copied and past into your browser and after removal of the spaces they will work.
 

Mark - Norfolk

New member
Thanks for the links to Outbound windows. I wish I'd found them earlier!

I am building a Unimog camper in the UK, and have already fitted Seitz S4 windows. I stupidly left one open and caught it on the car lift, breaking the acrylic panel.

The price for a replacement panel is a complete rip-off (whole window assembly GBP 265, acrylic only GBP 209). I refuse to pay it - hence the research here - or ever to use Seitz windows again. They are not that great quality for the price, are flimsy, and the fly screens and blinds ill-fitting and extremely delicate.

I'm ordering one Outbound window to have a look at it and to replace the broken Seitz. Twice the price, but in metal and appearing more than twice the quality. Proper-double-glazed toughened glass too, not scratchable acrylic.

I'm new to motorhomes, and have discovered that most fittings aimed at the caravan/camper market - in contrast to the marine market - is very low quality, and very overpriced.
 

java

Expedition Leader
FWIW I used Motion windows in mine, I felt the plastic was going to get too scratched, They will make any size/shape you want. The double pane is very nice, but you still get condensation on the aluminum frame.

Packaged and shipped nicely.
31995258711_3b45068580_b.jpg


Sliders with screens in all of them. Built in shades would be nice....
32028430454_980091bedd_b.jpg
 

Mark - Norfolk

New member
FWIW I used Motion windows in mine ...

They look good too, but I'll stick to the Outbound, as buying from Europe saves me a lot in shipping and customs fees (I'm in the UK).

Likewise, the Outbound windows also have a separate blind and bug screen module. There's an option for extra-fine bug mesh, which I assume is for excluding midges/no-see-ums. A worthwhile investment! The Seitz bug screens don't seal around the edges, and the mesh looks quite coarse.
 

steve66

Observer
I have the Eurovision windows, much better quality than the seitz(dometic).

The mesh is black rather than the white of the seitz. Better to see thru and doesnt show up our fine red dust so much, I'm yet to fit mine but very confident they will be great. I'm planning to make clip on external covers out of clearshield to protect the acrylic on narrow tracks.

Mine are 800x1200, price in Oz is less than half the US price shown in that link,

cheers Steve
 

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