Re: [VAL] Re: window question

["Forrest Mcclure" <forrest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello everyone,

I took myself off list earlier this year, but being stranded at home by
winter thought I'd get back on.

I'm late getting into the window question, but can tell you for certain that
Airstream tempered glass windows were introduced with the 1966 models. From
'66 through '68 the glass was "Corning AS-2 solid 5H Chemically tempered m1
safety plate," and starting in 1969 Airstream began using safety laminate.
This doesn't mean that your trailers from the '70's all have tempered or
laminate safety glass because previous owners may have replaced them with
something less, and your front wrap around windows may be plastic. That I do
not know. Although I do not own a '70's model, I recently examined the
original windows on a 1970 Tradewind, and on each pane of glass, in the
lower left or right corner I could read that it was a safety laminated
glass. I wish I'd written down exactly what it said, but I am satisfied that
safety laminate is OEM. Also, being a safety laminate, the inner and outer
layers are tempered glass with a film of plastic inbetween.

This topic has come up on the list before, but the consensus seems to be
that prior to 1966 the glass used was a single strength (3/32" thick) flat
float glass, the same as you can get from nearly any hardware store. Repair
shops may well be reluctant to replace broken windows from that earlier era
with OEM because of Federal transpotation regulations. However, this may
just be an excuse - I doubt the regulations are retroactive. Instead, I bet
repair shops replace glass with plastic for liability reasons, and because
it is simply easier and safer to work with.

Forrest
WBCCI #2761
'66 Globetrotter & '66 Overlander