Viscount Royal Windows

[Deleted]

To all you resident gurus and fonts of caravan knowledge,

Recently brought home a Viscount Royal who may be lying about her age. All of her side windows are domed perspex of various hues of a rosy pink. Because she is pretty sound and mostly original, I'd like to keep her that way.

So here are the questions; none of the pictures of Viscounts have domed windows, so are these original? If they are, is it possible to get a tint that is not black?

The next problem is that none of the smaller windows with a single winder closes flat. The opposite side to the winder is up to 5mm off being flush. Tried moving it along the rail as suggested in another post, with nil result. Any ideas?

And the final question; as a result of the closing issue, the previous owners put a screw through the frame . Any ideas how to fill the hole?

Thanks for the help :-) ( just the beginning I'm afraid ... Lol.:-D )

[kiwijim]

Howdy Random,

It sound like the previous owner may have changed the glass in the windows with an early version of the Acrylic bubble window that were produced by Camec,
these early windows did have a pinkish shade of color and in my opinion didn't look very good from the inside.

there is a far better colored window produced today ( although not cheap ) they are available at this site......

caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=986_36_805&products_id=9603

As far as the windows not closing correctly,
If your windows have winder boxes on both sides of the windows with arms that push the window out, these could be out of alignment, meaning one side will push or pull the frame out sooner than the other side.
If this is the cast, there will be a aluminum rod at the top inside of the window, this can be pushed to one side so as the rod will come out of the winder box,
then it is a simple matter of turning the other winder box so as the window is equal distance out on both sides of the frame, when you achieve this, replace the connecting rod back into the winder box, the window should now open and close correctly.

As far as filling the holes in the frame, this can be done ( if the window is taken out of the caravan, by laying flat on a work bench and then using a soldering iron, running solder into the hole, then after slightly over filling the hole, Sand it back with a very light emery paper, last of all, give the filling a polish with some Metal Polish, it all takes time but We"re in no hurry, are we ?

kiwijim

[Rattles]

caravansplus.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=986_36_576_490


Check out the panel sizes on the second half of this page, if they mate up with sizes you will have no problems obtaining new bubble panels, if not just replace with glass, just remove the frames and take to a glazer, Just remember to obtain new rubber wedge for the sealing of the new panels/glass, inspect the dust seals and they probably will need replacing and is much easer to do all when frames are removed and dissembled.



To Help in repairing the windows see link:
caravansplus.com.au/catalog/help-window_repair.php

As above appears the winder boxes are out of sync.

I would just fill the holes with a small dab of grey silicone sealant (slap my wrist) after cleaning any burs around the holes.

Rattles

[Deleted]

If the domed windows weren't original I feel no compunction keeping them and I will replace them with perspex. All of the rubber seals need replacing Rattles, and if anyone has any hints on how to remove the weathershield strip that has been crimped into place and is now so brittle, it just breaks when grabbed, I would love to hear it because I am running out of swear words! As for the closing issue, sorry I didn't make myself clear. It's the small windows with only one winder not closing on the opposite side to the winder. To be honest, the big double winder ones also don't close properly either , and I'm hoping that it is just the winder out of alignment. I won't slap you Rattles,(well, not until I know you better ) I was thinking putty type filler, but I'm intrigued by Kiwijims solder. And as I have to sand and polish the frames anyway, plus I know a guy... so I might give that a crack .
I'm happy to take the time Kiwijim, the old girl is almost usable as she is, first jobs have been resealing the roof and fixing a couple of completely broken windows so I can take the kids away on holidays , and the rest Will happen around that.

[Rattles]

The windows that are not closing correctly do they have the Bubble panes as well, if so the plastic may be warped, is it possible to mount a winder box and tie bar, Even with glass opening from one side is asking for glass to be broken, look at my previous post and the link has all the parts needed to add another winder, you will not need another handle but the Starlite Cross Shaft and Windout Window Link Box and Winder Control Box ( left or right hand ), You will have to slot the window frame ( just copy position and shape of the other side) not a difficult job, I converted four old push out Viscount windows to wind out a few many years ago.



The link to the window repair covers most of the process , and at the bottom of the page the process of replacing the weather seal is documented and once you have done one the rest will be easy.

If you do modify the small windows do not forget to photo document and post as others I am sure will be interested.

There is a product around that enables to fill and weld Aluminium, there used to be a chap flogging the product at the Caravan Shows. It is not ordinary solder it is a special alloy. see links below:
www.durafix.com.au/index.php
and a video :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jijW310xvp4

Rattles

PS If you show where you hang your hat in your profile, a forum member may be able to pop around and help/advise, also a picture is worth a thousand words.

[Deleted]

Good on You, Rattles!! Mystery solved! Well one anyway, You said something about the perspex, and I realised that the kitchen window that has glass shuts perfectly, it's that rotten, less than 2mm thick, bubble perspex Windows that don't. So this morning I pulled apart the one finished window and put it back together without the perspex only to find it has warped. (smiling cos I have an answer) which leads to more questions along the chicken and egg kind. What bent first, the frame or the perspex?? And, did the lack of thickness of the perspex allow or contribute to said warping? The flexibility of the bubble certainly did not help.

Anyways, I have 14hr nightshift tonight and tomorrow so nothing more can be done for now, But then I'm on leave and the bits I need should be in and so will the New perspex. . I will post photos hopefully tonight. Thanks Guys!!

[Rattles]

If your windows have the plastic corners the corners most probably will also be out of square (bent). Pull the frame apart (again) and check the bottom section of the frame is true. if not a gentle bend until it is and then change the corners to new ones.
The metal corners are available @$2.27 each and according CaravanPlus are the better type see link:
caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=962


Sheet Perspex will be quite flexible, the metal corners will help, but depending upon the length of the window (the longer the window the greater the chance of the frame twisting again) the best answer after fixing the twisted frame is to fit another winder to the other side, the cost is around $30 per window.

Good luck you will crack the code.

Rattles

[greedy53]

i'll add my bit the window closing is most likely a pusher has not being lined up right, or remove the rod that goes across the top and set them f4om that

[Deleted]

Hi - the windows and seals of my early 70s valiant van are not in great shape; am thinking of taking the frames out and replacing with perspex; a friend has said that Perspex will go milky after a time...is this true or are there some better products on the market now?

[Rattles]

Acrylic Sheet is a better product for glazing, it is as clear as glass and much lighter, I used it a few years ago to replace the glass in curved china display cabinet doors and the doors were much lighter the Acrylic sheet looked just as good as the old curved glass in the doors.

See Link

www.cityplastics.com.au/glazing.html

Rattles

[Deleted]

Thankyou

[Deleted]

Hey guys, time for an update, Thanks to you, I was able to work out that the frames were warped, both sorts, So while my darling husband used two bits of timber and a clamp to squeeze out some of the excess butyl mastic (who knew there was such a thing?!? ) I put some pressure on the window to go straight. Success!! Now closing flat. ;D ;D

My darling husband also adapted a new slide latch, and then made a catch to match. He was very pleased with himself until I put in an order for a dozen more. Lol. He has almost redeemed himself for his taillight faux pas. We went down to Seaford, where Roger was extremely helpful in working out my cutting pattern for my new perspex Windows, fitting it all onto one sheet, and throwing in a piece to fix the horse float, and confirming how to cut it.

Now for the bad news. The window corners and end plugs came and they are waaaay too big so I can't finish them off. Waiting to hear back from the suppliers. Oh, and I broke the glass kitchen window putting the glazing wedge in. Oh well. Two steps forward and one back!

I have photos and will get them up shortly

Thanks again guys.

[Deleted]

Finally got all the devices to connect (without teenager assistance - not that old after all! ) so here it finally is.

After resealing the one side of the roof (the side that started to show a leak, am waiting for the rain to stop long enough to get the rest done), I tackled the bunk windows as there was water damage around them too, and wasn't exactly sure if they were leaking or the water was coming in from higher up.



Anyways, found that the butyl mastic was the original, and had dessicated long ago, and water had got in somehow/where;





Cleaned it all down, replaced the butyl mastic between the frame and the aluminium sheet, and the sheet and the window frame. Then, because I didn't have the patience to wait for the proper 3mm gasket to arrive, I replace the flyscreen using 3mm autowire, using a little gadget that feeds the wire onto the channel with the front wheel and then pushes it in with the back wheel. It worked a treat. The edges are a little rough because the stanley knife blade needed changing.



Then I put the window back in only to find that it didn't close flush, and none of the fixes I'd researched made a jot of difference. And as an aside, getting the old weathershield out, and getting the new in, is a pain in the donkey, to put it incredibly mildly. I invented new swear words doing them and I've only done the three smallest windows. The photo doesn't really do it justice, but that's a >6mm gap between the window and the frame on the side closest, while the far side is flush;


Generous assistance from Kiwijim and Rattles helped narrow down the problem; the windows had warped.


I leant on the offending corner, and my husband Phil used two bits of timber and a clamp straighten out the warp in the frame itself, squeezing out some excess mastic in the process (only one out of the 2 had that problem, but both windows were actually warped) and now both close flush. ;D ;D ;D

Now, my problem is that to repair other windows, I need window corners and end plugs but the ones Caravansplus recommended are too big;




and I agree with Rattle's advice that, given the bend in the frames, changing all of the corners to metal would help avoid that happening again, so anyone got any helpful hints, I'm all ears. We think we have come up with a fix for the window locks, but I'm not allowed to post pics of the first one because it was a "rough". I will do photos of the next one though, by hook or by crook!

I have the acrylic/perspex ready to be cut to replace the flimsy, mistinted bubble windows (yep, don't like them ) and I got the one glass one that I managed to break last night, replaced this morning for $10 and 5 minutes :)so feeling like I'm moving ahead again. Tomorrow is supposed to be dry, so I will finish the last parts of the roof. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again guys, your help is priceless.

Random

[Rattles]

Random - Looking at your picture and assuming all the pictures are of the twisted window, a window of that size should have 2 winders, a second winder would solve the twist, I would set the winders with the window shut and locked.

The corners in your picture do not look like the ones in the link
caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=962
Did CaravanPlus supply the wrong ones ??

Rattles

[Deleted]

Hi random,
A problem you might be having is that your windows are not made by starlite!
Viscount copied them and ended up with a court case re patents in the 70s.The bubble panes were standard and the windows are all slightly different to starlite ones,hence your size problems.
Cheers
Hughdeani

[Deleted]

Hey Rattles, the photos are of the pair of bunk windows which would be less than 500 x 250 ish ( from memory) and the same size as the kitchen window that didn't twist and also only has one winder. They seem to be sitting flat but am going to check again when the perspex is in.




As for the corners, that is the order number I used. Did they send me the wrong ones? I e-mailed them when they arrived, but I'll ring tomorrow to confirm.

Hugh, they better have won that court case, because none of the starlite stuff fits so it can't have been that similar!! And in your experience, is there a get around for replacing these parts?

Random

[Deleted]

Hello Random,
There is a "cheat" to remedt\y this problem:
When clamping the window to allow the mastic to dry - place a 3mm spacer under the opposing corner so the first corner to contact is opposite the winder - as the window is closed, the winder pulls in the minimal twist to give a good seal.

Chris

[Deleted]

Thanks Chris,
sort of did the opposite by clamping in the winder side.

I'm actually in need of a cheat for replacing the window corners. At the moment the only way will be to grind down the metal ones - and do it in a way that the holes still line up. Trickier because one side (can't remember if it's the top or side) is thicker than the other. And one needs two grooves, the other only one. But where is the fun if there is no challenge?? Hahaha
Random

[Deleted]

Sorry, I know this is a late reply to an older thread, but for anyone who is wanting to replace their old brittle window seals and is finding it a "royal" pain, on page 2 of my build thread I've got a solution. I just used a hair dryer to heat up the brittle rubber, and it went soft again, allowing it to be pulled out in one piece, instead of snapping off every cm.

On holidays now and time to get stuck back into our baby, woohoo!

ditzygypsy.proboards.com/thread/1645/1976-viscount-royal-r65595


Ray