U.S. alternative to Seitz top hinged windows
- Thread starter rrliljedahl
- Start date
Ramdough
Adventurer
The risk with altitude is that as the ambient pressure drops with altitude, the gas inside the window wants to equalize by expanding or venting. This will either break glass or the seal between the panes. The spacers (usually aluminum) have tiny hole in them that lead to a desiccant that helps keep the gas dry between the panes. Once the seal to the outside is compromised, the desiccant is used up and the window starts to condense between the glass making the windows fog up from within.
There are companies that claim to have solved this issue, but they all claim that the technique is proprietary.
My hunch is that the panes are sealed with a compliant sealer and the panes are not fully clamped so they can expand or they use a bladder of some sort to pressure compensate.
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There are companies that claim to have solved this issue, but they all claim that the technique is proprietary.
My hunch is that the panes are sealed with a compliant sealer and the panes are not fully clamped so they can expand or they use a bladder of some sort to pressure compensate.
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greygoos123
New member
https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us Follow the link and put in your zip
Yea, thanks for the sales pitch, but no thanks. The problems with Dometic windows supply, service, and quality,...... are well enough known.
greygoos123
New member
It was not a sales pitch. i am not associated with any company whatsoever. I was just trying to be helpful and have been a member here for quite some time.
I just spent several months at altitudes between 3500 and 5000 m (11.000 to 15.000 ft) in SA. I had no issues with my Dometic windows nor did I meet any other Overlander who had issues no matter who made his windows. I agree however that the Dometic windows are poor quality especially the bug screens.
Fair enough, but the link you posted would NOT be helpful. Dometic window division (Seitz) does not support the North American market. You will get nothing but stone walling. There is zero support for their window products here either. A truly helpful link is this one: www.ternoverland.com Their products are much better quality, and their service is top notch. The Tern windows do have a pressure equalization valve as well.
greygoos123
New member
Thanks for the info. I am glad I am back on this forum and can enjoy the experience and advice of others
Ramdough
Adventurer
Here's a few more I just took. Still need to stain/varnish the inside wood to protect them but small detail
It's hard to tell from previous pictures but the L angle frame goes outside. The T angle frame goes inside so that it also acts as a window stopper. Both frame parts overlap to create a good seal.
Let me know if you're looking for something else...
Cheers
David
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Had some time to think more about it.
Have you had the window open when it is really windy? Any concern of wind slamming the window shut or damaging anything?
Abitibi
Explorer
I can't see this happening. The slides are fairly tight and require a person to shut the windows. Plus if it would be that windy I doubt I'd keep the windows that wide open...
If it was an issue for me I could easily add a lock mechanism to keep the windows ajar.
I've had them on for a couple months now and my only regret was not building them sooner!
Cheers
David
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If it was an issue for me I could easily add a lock mechanism to keep the windows ajar.
I've had them on for a couple months now and my only regret was not building them sooner!
Cheers
David
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Ramdough
Adventurer
Does your glass have any feature to deal with altitude? Anything special? How Mitch elevation change have you done?
That feature is usually advertised/emphasized by the big manufacturers.
Thanks
Ramdough
Adventurer
Sanity check question?
Background....
So, on a whim I searched R values for windows.
A single pane glass is around R-1
A double pane is around R-2
A triple pane is around R-3
Then you get special coatings and argon gas fills to push them up even higher. R-5 is pretty good with coatings and argon.
I then searched window glass thickness. Standard windows are 3/32” to 1/8”.
Then I looked at what glass windows are offered for campers. My guess is that camper glass is probably not the top end argon filled coated glass.
So we are looking at around maybe R-2.
If one 1/8” glass is around R-1 and two 1/8” glass with air in between is around R-2...... why deal with pressure issues at altitude at all and just get thicker glass? Sounds like you are getting R8/inch.... by this logic, one 1/4” glass is about as good as a standard double pane air filled window.
Thoughts?
Maybe the tables online seam wrong? I did find them multiple places from government sites. Maybe those are poorly made minimums.
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Background....
So, on a whim I searched R values for windows.
A single pane glass is around R-1
A double pane is around R-2
A triple pane is around R-3
Then you get special coatings and argon gas fills to push them up even higher. R-5 is pretty good with coatings and argon.
I then searched window glass thickness. Standard windows are 3/32” to 1/8”.
Then I looked at what glass windows are offered for campers. My guess is that camper glass is probably not the top end argon filled coated glass.
So we are looking at around maybe R-2.
If one 1/8” glass is around R-1 and two 1/8” glass with air in between is around R-2...... why deal with pressure issues at altitude at all and just get thicker glass? Sounds like you are getting R8/inch.... by this logic, one 1/4” glass is about as good as a standard double pane air filled window.
Thoughts?
Maybe the tables online seam wrong? I did find them multiple places from government sites. Maybe those are poorly made minimums.
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I think that looking at the thermal transmission numbers is probably a better measure than R value. Glass is a poor choice if insulating value is a concern. Acrylic is 4x to 5x lower thermal transmission than glass. Even one pane of acrylic will beat any glass scheme you can come up with. Double pane acrylic is as good as it gets.
Coachgeo
Explorer
welllllll... I don't know..... a small camera and a monitor inside to look at will end up with significantly more Rvalue and less issue with thermal transmission when one take into account the same square footage as any window you compare it with. Purchase price and installing a cam and monitor probably turns out significantly cheaper too.