Seitz windows - North American dealer?

[Devil1964]

Hi everyone, I am looking for a pair of Seitz top-hinged windows for my G-Wagen camper conversion. I'm having trouble locating a dealer in North America. So far I've only found them in England and Germany, and they won't ship to Canada.

Anyone know of a supplier of these windows? Thanks!

 

[Byrdseye]

Check with Global Expedition Vehicles.

 

[mhiscox]

Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to check that he was still a source . . .

Darrin Fink, builder of Fuso FG and FM campers, is an authorized dealer of Seitz windows and they can be ordered through him. You can best contact Darrin through the e-mail and phone listed on his company's website at:

http://www.ruf-inc.com/index.htm.

Creative Mobile Interiors in Columbus, Ohio, is a second source I have worked with. They can be contacted at:

http://www.creativemobileinteriors.com.

A word about "expectation adjustment" is in order. These are great windows and I swear by them. But the distribution system is not all it could be. Darrin and Owen's CMI people are plenty knowledgeable, but once the order goes in to Dometic (the US distributor) and Dometic works with the factory in Germany, actually getting the windows can take a long time and there's a chance of them arriving broken or mis-sized. Of the fifteen or so Seitz windows I've dealt with, six have arrived broken or the wrong size.

The point being . . . use the windows, they're great, but allow plenty of leead time and don't cut the holes until the windows are in hand.

 

[18seeds]

anybody know how much these windows go for?

 

[spencyg]

I would much sooner chase a supplier of marine hatches before barking up this tree. Have you seen the stuff that Bomar makes? Another company, Lewmar also does some extremely nice marine grade hatches....definately overkill for every single Expo rig out there.

Check it out, even at their prices I'm sure you'd save hundreds per hatch....

http://www.pompanette.com/bomar

Spence

 

[mhiscox]

I would much sooner chase a supplier of marine hatches before barking up this tree. Have you seen the stuff that Bomar makes? Another company, Lewmar also does some extremely nice marine grade hatches....definately overkill for every single Expo rig out there.

Check it out, even at their prices I'm sure you'd save hundreds per hatch....

http://www.pompanette.com/bomar

Spence

Spence is absolutely right about the much higher quality of Bomar and Lewmar hatches and portlights, which are nicely made and come in different levels of "ruggedness," depending on whether your boat needs to withstand 10-foot or 60-foot waves. With the possible exception of a roof hatch, the marine hatches are likely overkill.

The bigger issue, though, is that these marine hatches and extremely expensive (sometimes four figures) in the sizes that most people would want for big cabin windows. Seitz windows, for all the shortcomings in getting them, will likely be about a third the price. Also consider that the price of the Seitz windows includes the shade/screen combination, whereas the shade/screen combination has to be purchased seperately for the Bomars and Lewmars at considerable additional cost.

The size selection is also quite limited. Most of the over-the-counder marine "windows" are much smaller than "look-at-the-deer-honey" camper windows.

However, if you want the And Pompanette is considered the "bargain" place to get this non-bargain equipment. (Also, Diamond SeaGlaze is another manufacturer worth checking.)

 

[ski_bike_camp]

Ruf, no longer distributes Seitz. I had a very nice email exchange with them.

I am still looking for a distributor or an equivalent style window.

Any thoughts?

 

[Victorian]

xp campers are using them. Not sure if they are selling them to the public... Maybe worth contacting.

 

[mhiscox]

xp campers are using them. Not sure if they are selling them to the public... Maybe worth contacting.

Also T@b trailers and a couple of slide-in camper builders. Also, EarthCruiser either uses them or their equivalent, it appears.

Let us know how it goes. No one seems to have announced yet whether the "buy a replacement" strategy works.

There is another, more current ongoing thread on the topic here:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/140945-U-S-alternative-to-Seitz-top-hinged-windows

------

Note to Andreas: Am I missing something, or aren't you the most excellent person to solve this problem by starting to import the Anhui Maygood awning windows? Slide 'em right in with the panels?

 

[Victorian]

Also T@b trailers and a couple of slide-in camper builders. Also, EarthCruiser either uses them or their equivalent, it appears.

Let us know how it goes. No one seems to have announced yet whether the "buy a replacement" strategy works.

There is another, more current ongoing thread on the topic here:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/140945-U-S-alternative-to-Seitz-top-hinged-windows

------

Note to Andreas: Am I missing something, or aren't you the most excellent person to solve this problem by starting to import the Anhui Maygood awning windows? Slide 'em right in with the panels?

I may have to get a sample send to our factory and let our team have a look... There is tons of crap available in Asia... It's tricky to find the good stuff!

UPDATE: They only do bigger production runs for custom windows. If we want samples we have to buy at least 20 windows. Without seeing the product first, I'm having a hard time justifying the expense....

 

[mhiscox]

I may have to get a sample send to our factory and let our team have a look... There is tons of crap available in Asia... It's tricky to find the good stuff!

Here's hoping it works out. FWIW, one camper builder I know ordered the minimum from Maygood maybe three years back, which was at the time 10 units. He needed seven for his camper and sold the remaining three on eBay. If I'm remembering correctly, his opinion was that there was no substantial difference between an official Seitz window and the Chinese knockoff except, I think, that Maygood did a better job of packaging them for shipping.

Also, from the other thread, posted by David506th:

Got a quote back on some windows, still waiting on the 35-60mm thickness. These are the ones mentioned above that come from China.


RV Window
Model: MG09RW
Description: black outer aluminum frame, white PU inner frame, with flynet and sun shade. Standard windows for wall thickness 25-35mm.
MOQ:20 pcs total or 20 pcs for one size only

1)1000*500mm USD 191.40/pc
2)1000*600mm USD 205.81/pc
3)500*350mm USD 102.62/pc
4)800*500mm USD 156.47/pc
5)1200*800mm USD 284.64/pc

Give it serious thought, my friend. With your panels, camper building is going to become a lot more practical. Solving the window problem would make things even better . . . it seems to me that it would be a very synergistic pairing.

 

[Victorian]

Working on it... Currently doing testing with them at our factory. Goal is also have two or three different sizes in stock, so that people don't have to buy 10 or 20 pieces of the same size as mentioned earlier.

 

[IdaSHO]

Is the entire line of Seitz windows only available with poly lenses/panes?

Seems like a great way to save some weight, but also tough to keep clear.

Whats the word on long term usage with regards to cleaning and scratching when compared to glass?

 

[Victorian]

Is the entire line of Seitz windows only available with poly lenses/panes?

Seems like a great way to save some weight, but also tough to keep clear.

Whats the word on long term usage with regards to cleaning and scratching when compared to glass?

Well, plastic scratches... Glass is more durable but will break sooner than plastic. There are two options: affordable and platic or expensive and glass. Pick one.

 

[IdaSHO]

Well, plastic scratches... Glass is more durable but will break sooner than plastic. There are two options: affordable and platic or expensive and glass. Pick one.

Wow, just a touch defensive.


To be honest, I dont think Ive ever seen a modern glass RV window broken.

Nor have I ever considered them expensive.


Do you have a cost comparison between the two? As close to apples to apples as possible?