Upper window

[griz]

Great site all.
I see that some units have the upper window closers on the outside and some on the inside. I believe the new is handle on the inside, if this is correct what year did it change. I believe having it on the inside is the way to go, yes. thks.

 

[Phil]

No shure

Yo Griz
I have out side flaps. I have a 99 Grandby .

 

[griz]

no problem having them on the outside.

 

[Phil]

They work for me

I have a small step ladder I use. I did forget to roll them down a few times I like them on the outside . I saw a one FWC that made small poles for the flaps and made window awnings.

 

[jcfly]

04 Hawk - outside flaps.

Love that avatar photo, griz.

 

[Phil]

Outside flaps rule:d

 

[griz]

thks guy's. i thought having them on the inside would work out better.
however no big deal i guess. i did think that the rain would pool if they were outside. and if the wx. change at 3 am u did not need to get the mrs. out of bed to close them. ya rite.
again guys thks.................

eye see that there is a hawk up for sale in NE that would be nebraska ?

 

[ScottBailey]

Griz,

Both have inside flaps. The older ones have storm flaps outside.

Storm flaps outside is better in serious weather, but most folks are OK with the new style.

 

[pods8]

I think the switch was ~05'. The outside flaps roll upwards so there isn't a place for rain to pool as you were worried about. As scott mentioned the older models have both inside and outside flaps (plus an inside clear plastic flap) so there are no privacy issue requiring a trip outside. For short intervals of closing up the camper (to move sites and such) you can leave the upper flaps rolled up so you don't have to put them up/down each time.

On other tidbit some of the late 90's early 2000's had adhesive based backed velco used on them that sometimes "oozes" I've been told. Not sure what year that stopped exactly (mine had a replacement liner after that point w/o that type of velcro but still with exterior flaps).

 

[pods8]

Double post

 

[robojeeper]

awing shade

here is reason outside flaps are good.I got this tip from the archives.It really helps on keeping sun out.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

here is a link to the little "home made" pieces so you can prop the old windows open ...



http://dodgeram.org/ki4cy/camper/WinAwnings.htm







.

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

The really, really old units had no outside flaps. They sewed a 'gutter' into the inside bottom of the window that trapped the water dripping down the velcro and channeled it to the outside of the soft sides.

Then somebody got the bright idea that outside storm flaps would be a big improvement, and the integral gutters wouldn't be necessary any longer. I personally think they were "too clever by half," as Dorothy Parker used to say.

I have the outside flaps, and they still allow water to infiltrate into the inside of the camper where, unimpeded by the little sewn in gutters, it continues down to pool on the inside edge of the hard sides until one of us sops it up.

The very best method might have been to add the outside storm flaps back while still keeping the gutter-ey thingies.

P.S.: I have the 2001 sticky crap oozing out from beneath my velcro. It's icky. Our solution is to have the top replaced at the factory as soon as we have the extra cash.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

here is the story I heard about the outside storm flaps when I got here (wrong or right, im not sure, but it seems to hold true from what I see day to day) ...


All of the older four wheel campers (1973 - 1995 approx.) were made without the storm flaps on the outside. From my experience and listening to customers over the years, these windows worked pretty well at keeping the water out. The most common problem I see on the older campers like this is that the pop-up material and the plastic windows shrink just a little over the years. So on the old campers, sometimes getting the clear plastic window to have a good seal is tough. But once you put the inside privacy flap in place it did the trick to seal up the windows and keep the water out.

When the moved the FWC factory from Colorado out here to California, they hired a new company in Sacramento to start making the soft-sided "pop-up" portion for them.

The new manufacturer had not made these before and just could not get it made right where the windows wern't leaking. Instead of figuring it out and doing it the right way, their way to try and solve the problem was "add the outside storm flap".

The outside storm flaps were OK, but most all of our customers found them difficult to deal with on a daily basis. They required more stitching in the pop-up liner, had more velcro to deal with, and most people could not reach them to open/close them without carrying an extra step stool with them camping.

In early 2004 we started bringing all of this work in house. We made a big sewing room here at the factory, hired sewing staff, and started testing and re-designing the windows for almost 6 months before we were happy with the end product. I think it was Oct. 2004 when we started making all of the campers again without the outside storm flaps (we went back to the past).

So far, so good. We have been happy with the new windows and the customers seem to be happy too !











.

 

[Puffins]

My 95 had inner flaps only. Once I seam sealed them no more leaks.

 

[highz]

I have a newer FWC with the inside flaps. After being in a few thunderstorms with downpours and wind-driven rain, I've had no leaks. I'm also glad I don't have to lug around a step-stool to deal with outside flaps. I'm one of the happy customers Stan mentioned.

 

[DirtyDog]

I have a newer FWC with the inside flaps. After being in a few thunderstorms with downpours and wind-driven rain, I've had no leaks. I'm also glad I don't have to lug around a step-stool to deal with outside flaps. I'm one of the happy customers Stan mentioned.

Ditto

 

[pods8]

I'm also glad I don't have to lug around a step-stool to deal with outside flaps.

Its the same one we use to jump in/out of the rig so its not a big deal. I'd be fine with either style assuming the rest of the camper fit my liking.

 

[Barko1]

The most common problem I see on the older campers like this is that the pop-up material and the plastic windows shrink just a little over the years. So on the old campers, sometimes getting the clear plastic window to have a good seal is tough. But once you put the inside privacy flap in place it did the trick to seal up the windows and keep the water out.
.

Got that right I was wondering why my clear plastic windows don't quite fit. Once I get the main flap over I have not had any leaks and I have been in some pretty nasty rains.

And speaking of rain having a rear slider in the truck sure makes it easier to get dogs into the camper when pouring without ending up with wet smelly pooches to spend the night with in close confined quarters.

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Here is the story...

And what a well told story it was! Thanks, Stan.