Windows, Vents & Doors - Vintage Airstream. Windows. Q: Who made the windows on Airstreams, and how did they vary?
A: The windows were made by Hehr International from almost the start through 1. Corning/Phillips made the operable windows from 1. The window had a large formed drip- cap over the window. They too had the large drip cap over the window. Crank openers replaced lever type in 1. The window was called the Hehr “Clear- View”. The frame and glass were the new beefier aluminum extrusion frames, but the drip cap was the older large style formed cap.
Of course Airstream never did anything linear or cleanly by model year, so there is variability and overlap, with the Clear- View showing up as early as 1. The window part number begins with a C 1. The drip cap is recognizable as being a smaller L shaped extrusion.
Openers (operators) varied, with at least 3 different styles being used. They closed against a 3. Later models came with a metal banding to beef up the the flimsy and often delicate design. Where can I get new ones? A: The strip you are referring to are the glass retainer strips or “glazing”, and there were numerous styles over the years. Replacement material are available from Vintage Trailer Supply for the 1.
Hall. Mark windows. The material used on 1. Airstream dealers. Q: The openers on my 1. What is wrong, and what can I do? A: Crank openers (operators) first appeared in 1.
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Hehr style of opener lasted until 1. It was patterned after casement window openers, but they had a weak link. The gears were cast from soft pot metal, and by turning the wrong way with the window closed, or opened against a resistance, they are easy to strip the teeth off the gears. Replacement is the only option, and generic replacements are available from RV dealers/suppliers, such as Vintage Trailer Supply.
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What gives? A: Prior to 1. Then things got messy. Hehr operators used varied by year, model, window and factory. Blaine. 1. 95. 9 to 1. Vintage Trailer Supply. These are still available from some Airstream dealers. Q: A window on my late 1.
I get a replacement? A: From 1. 96. 6 to 1. Corning Glass (frameless).
In the past the only solution is to have one made from acrylic or plexiglass, but did not last. Vintage Trailer Supply is now making true safety glass replacement windows for this era. To replace, access the window hinge from the inside of your coach. You will find some sheet metal screws. Remove those screws and pry open the hinge. Additional installation tips can be found here.
Q: I’m missing a whole window, where can I get a replacement? A: Unless you can find an exact era and almost the exact model donor, your only course is to have a welding or machine shop fabricate one by building up an equivalent using a lay- up of stock aluminum extrusion pieces per your measurements and using one of your other windows as an example. The butyl bedding tape is available from RV dealers, the single- strength glass from a glass shop, and the glass retainer as noted above. Extrusion for 1. 96. Airstream dealers.
While new US building codes don’t allow them in new construction, they are still used in the tropical areas and in the greenhouse industry. What can I do? A: Replacement drip caps still made, and are available in all the sizes Airstream used from Vintage Trailer Supply for those that are damaged beyond repair. They come in 1 inch increments and are measured from the outside of the flange. Bent existing ones are made from soft aluminum, and can be removed and straightened with smooth flat- nosed (duck bill) pliers. They appear to be all foggy. What can be done? A: These are called “Vista.
View” window. The vintage Vista. View windows were a sealed double pane. The exterior piece of glass had a reflective film applied to its inside surface for privacy and solar/UV reflectivity. These windows had a tendency to become “un- sealed”, allowing moisture to condense between the two panes of glass. This, in turn, causes the reflective film to fog and deteriorate, and sometimes actually detach from the glass. There three types of Vista.
View windows, each with their own method of repair listed below (courtesy of Can- Am- RV). These repairs can be accomplished without removing the exterior aluminum frame from the trailer, thereby not disturbing the original caulking where the frame fastens to the trailer shell. Can- Am has the gasket material in two sizes to fill the space in the frame when the inner glass is removed. This material costs $3. Canadian or $2. 0. U. S. You need the smaller size for snap ring windows and the larger for windows without the snap ring on the inside.
Models: The first year Double Pane Vista. View Windows were available was 1. Once it is out you can pry out the plastic inner pane and start cleaning out the caulking around the edges eventually you will be able to push the outer pane through to the inside (from the outside of the trailer) and remove it completely. Clean the inside of the frame out completely and wipe it with a solvent so that it is totally clean, make certain that the solvent does not run down the outside of the unit and damage the clear coat. Next clean the glass off completely (you can remove the remains of the old tint with a razor blade) and wipe it off with a solvent such as lacquer thinner as well. Coat all of the inside surfaces of the window frame with about a 1/8. Take the clean glass and push it into the silicone and then push in the rubber gasket (smaller size).
That will take up the extra space in the frame. Then all that is necessary is to clean off the excess silicone on the inside and out and let the remainder harden. The trailer should be kept dry for 6 hours and not be towed for 4. When it is done with the rubber gasket in place it looks professional, like the factory made it that way. Non Snap Ring Windows (Glass Inner Pane) – 1.
Models. These windows are the most difficult to do. The inner pane is glass set in the gooiest caulking you have ever seen.
First you need to break the inner pane with a hammer and a screw driver near the edge, don’t go through and break the outer pane. The larger chunks of glass in the middle will drop out easily but the small shards of glass stuck in the caulking need to be pulled out one at a time with pliers. NOTE: WEAR SAFETY GLASSES AND GLOVES. It does not happen very often but every once in a while one of the outer safety glasses explodes and it will throw glass 1. Cut the lip off of the outside by running a sharp utility knife all around the inside edge of the frame. Then you grab the molding on the inside with pliers and pull it out of the frame with the last of the glass pieces and the gooey caulking.
Unlike the earlier snap ring windows, the outer glass will not come out through the inside frame, so you need to clean the glass and the frame with it still in place in the trailer. Clean the inside of the frame out completely and wipe it with a solvent so that it is totally clean, make certain that the solvent does not run down the outside of the unit and damage the clear coat. Next clean the glass off completely (you can remove the remains of the old tint with a razor blade) and wipe it off with a solvent such as lacquer thinner as well.
Coat all of the inside surfaces of the window frame with about a 1/8. Take the clean glass and push it into the silicone and then push in the rubber gasket (larger size) that will take up the extra space in the frame. Then all that is necessary is to clean off the excess silicone on the inside and out and let the remainder harden. The trailer should be kept dry for 6 hours and not be towed for 4.
When it is done with the rubber gasket in place it looks professional, like the factory made it that way. Q: How do I replace the built in screens on the windows of my 1. They aren’t removable. A: Remove the pop- riveted window opening trim and the opener. Remove the old screen and use as a template for the new screen, allowing 3/8. Use heavy gauge galvanized insect screening (Vintage Trailer Supply is one source). Using a good quality screening tool at an angle (looks like a pizza cutter), roll the crimp into the flanges, alternating sides.
Fold over any remaining screen and roll it into place. Trim the corners of extra screen. Where can I get a replacement?
A: There were numerous styles used over the years – all of which are no longer available. The openings measured a standard 1.
Hehr. The late 1. Solardome”, a metal framework with plastic panels. This later versions can have the plastic replaced with acrylic and re- riveted. Earlier versions that require replacement require the installation of a complete vent assy or a “Fantastic Fan” conversion which comes with a very good copy of the original Hehr vent lid in gray thermoform plastic from Vintage Trailer Supply. You can’t tell the difference from the ground, or from the inside if you reuse your existing trim. Vintage Trailer Supply continues to look for a source to replace the original plain vent cover. Q: Are the large domed vent covers available?
A: Up until 1. 96. Vintage Trailer Supply has made a very nice replacement. Soak the openers in a container or “PB Blaster” or “Kroil” or “Knocker Loose” until they operate. Keep these valuable operators working with annual applications of Lithium grease to the internal risers.
Q: I lost our back Service Panel door from our ’6. Airstream on the freeway.
Where can I get another? A: These are very scarce. I’m surprised no one has started making them commercially. Right now the only option is to have a sheetmetal shop make one using their shears and pan brake. It involves covering 5 sides of a 1/2. A new handle is attached to the outside sheet before joining the two. A modern RV lock assy (looks just like the old ones) is installed as per the original.
Doors. Q: What is a “Suicide Door”? A: It is the style of entry door where the door hinges on the left (back) side, allowing the door to open into traffic (suicide in a car) and the slipstream while traveling. This can result in the door slamming back into trailer, causing great damage.
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