Broke a window due to cold temps?

[UglyScout]

So I was using my camper over the weekend and it was pretty freakin' cold overnight -- got up in the morning - lowered the top and one of the clear plastic windows exploded and broke!! What the heck??

Anyone else have this happen?

Camper is a '93 and the top/fabric/windows are all original.

Temperature was probably 15-18 degrees.

I'm all bummed out now....

 

[Desert Rancher]

I have a friend who had the same thing happen on a Sunlite. Sorry to hear.

 

[Ramblinman]

I was wondering if this might be and issue. Out of curiosity, did you heat the camper before lowering? The cold is always hard on equipment. The concerns me as I hope to use mine in the cold a lot.

 

[UglyScout]

I was wondering if this might be and issue. Out of curiosity, did you heat the camper before lowering? The cold is always hard on equipment. The concerns me as I hope to use mine in the cold a lot.


I had been running the heater overnight - so it warm 'warmish' inside...

 

[Ramblinman]

Sh%*ty luck ... how are you going to fix it?

 

[pods8]

I recall reading on the turtle expedition that when it was cold they couldn't use the fabric portion of the camper for fear of damage while it was brittle. Not sure what temps that concern comes into play though.

 

[Ramblinman]

I am wondering if there is some type of application that one could apply to the material/window. I recall a post talking about this ... was it "303" or something like that? Not sure if this would help cold weather durability. I operate in the cold weather quite a bit and know that it is hard on equipment. (-27 Celsius /-16 F in a Wall Tent this November)

Perhaps the Omnipresent Stan could chime in with his thoughts?

 

[MarkBC]

A lot of people use their pop-up-soft-side campers in single-digit weather and below-zero weather without this happening.
I bet that the main factor was how old the plastic was. I don't know what material the windows are made from...but many/most plastics age to brittleness (especially with exposure to sun)...eventually.

 

[UglyScout]

A lot of people use their pop-up-soft-side campers in single-digit weather and below-zero weather without this happening.
I bet that the main factor was how old the plastic was. I don't know what material the windows are made from...but many/most plastics age to brittleness (especially with exposure to sun)...eventually.



That is what I contributed it to. Age and temps. One or the other wouldn't have been a problem - but together it just made the window explode.

 

[craig333]

303 will help keep it from getting brittle. But age does eventually overcome all

 

[White Dog]

I'm curious whether the window can be fixed without having to return the camper to the factory. Can the fabric be taken off and then shipped back to FWC? Can local tent and awning companies fix the windows?

Keep us informed on how this turns out.

 

[UglyScout]

I'm curious whether the window can be fixed without having to return the camper to the factory. Can the fabric be taken off and then shipped back to FWC? Can local tent and awning companies fix the windows?

Keep us informed on how this turns out.


I don't plan to take the fabric out of the camper. Nor do I plan to have the factory do it. I'm pretty sure it would double the cost of my camper if I bought and had a new fabric section installed

My plan as of today is to find a new piece of window plastic - cut it and have a boat shop sew new velcro on it. Then somehow attach it to the remains of the old window, it might make it harder to open the window - but should be eaiser and cheaper than trying to make a solid fix.