Out with the Old and in with the New

Yesterday and Today we've been getting the windshield replaced.  If you've ever seen a picture of the Trekker you know this is one monstrous large window.  It is over 5 feet tall and 8 feet wide.  That's over 40 square feet of personal viewing pleasure.

Here is a picture and video of the removal of the cracked windshield:

The old windshield had to be beat with a crowbar to break it enough to bend over to fit into a large dumpster:

The replacement glass is held in place by a special adhesive. Large suction cups are secured to the rig sides and top and to the windshield itself.  Then ropes are tied to pull the glass back to the rig and into the adhesive as it cures.  It takes 8 hours to set to the point where rig can be moved at all.  Below ia a picture and a video of the men installing the new windshield:

To do the initial install took 1 whole day.  Then today we went back and the did the final "touch up" around the glass.  more of the adhesive is used this this time AROUND the window (the original adhesive is applied on the frame BEHIND the window and the window is pulled into it to bond it to the frame.  This second round brings the adhesive out so the adhesive and glass are level all the way around the glass.  It doesn't take long to apply, but you have to sit for 8 hours again while the adhesive is curing.

A couple of interesting facts about the windshields:

1.  They are manufactured in TURKEY and shipped here in crates of 10-12 depending on the make and model of RV they are installed in.

2.  The glass is NOT recyclable in broken windshields.  Safety glass is multi-layered and has an adhesive between the layers so it does not shatter when it break like normal glass would.  This makes in un-recyclable because you can't separate the adhesive from the glass.