Broken Journey Windshield

smlranger · 01-01-2011, 04:26 PM

As we prepared to depart for home from Myrtle Beach, I was cleaning my windshield from the outside and noticed a small crack near the top of the right panel. By the time we stopped for breakfast 5 miles from the RV park, the crack had spread 8" downward. I believe I have the infamous
Winnebago rust-induced broken windshield.

I will be checking with a repair shop next week. I am of the opinion that if I am going to pay someone to deal with the rust, I will want to also remove the left panel and deal with all of it. I realize they will likely break that panel during removal.

I know many have had this issue. I am curious if insurance will cover any of it. Also, is Winnebago the only source for the windshields? I have seen the adds for RV Glass Solutions but not sure they work thru the local auto glass shops. I do know that a local Guardian auto glass franchise advertises 'auto, truck, RV' so I will be checking with them.

Ed O. · 01-02-2011, 05:18 PM

I have an 04 Journey and had the same thing happen to me. My insurance paid for the window. The glass place sanded and repainted the metal frame and just included it in with the glass prep. This was the passenger side window. A year earlier I had the coach in the shop to have some interior stuff done and one of the employees pressed to hard against the drivers side window and it broke. They too had to sand and paint before replacing the glass. I would just wait until your other side breaks by itself so the insurance can pay for it. Insurance won't do that kind of preventive maintenance..........

FleetMan · 01-02-2011, 05:59 PM

There are other suppliers for Winnebago windshields. Check www.nomadglass.com as one source to get a quote from. They are headquartered in Idaho but have a nationwide net and their agents do the work at your site. I recently had a driver side windshield replaced by them. They sourced the glass from a plant in Oregon which I think is/was the glass company for Country Coach. They cleaned up some "Winnebago" windshield frame corrosion in the process.

Pusherman · 01-02-2011, 06:46 PM

Duncan glass in Indiana can supply your windshield.

You can also work with a (good) local RV shop who will work with a local glass company who will replace the glass, and if the frame needs reworked, the RV shop can repair the frame, and the glass shop installs the glass. That's what we do.

wagonmaster2 · 01-02-2011, 07:03 PM

I had the passenger side windshield glass replaced a couple years ago while in Forest City and they itemized the panel repair seperate from the price of the glass so consequently the insurance didn't pay for the repair work. Cost me little over $100 best I can remember for that work. Great if the glass company can do all the work for one price with the insurance paying for all of it, less the deductible.

I checked with a local glass company before I knew I was going to FC and they had no problem with the glass, but since I didn't know at that time that Winny had this bad problem of rust in the glass panel I didn't ask if they were capable of repairing it.

Wagonmaster2
2004 Meridian 36G

smlranger · 01-02-2011, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pusherman

Duncan glass in Indiana can supply your windshield.

You can also work with a (good) local RV shop who will work with a local glass company who will replace the glass, and if the frame needs reworked, the RV shop can repair the frame, and the glass shop installs the glass. That's what we do.

Don, there is no good local RV shop in my area. However, the automotive body shop that repaired my coach a couple of years ago can do the work. I had talked to them about doing this if I ever developed the windshield frame rust problem. He said he would use POR 15 on the metal.

I removed the interior trim today and there is no visible rust on the inside and the sealant looks intact along the entire length of the glass. However, I can see some rusty stains on the plastic trim so there is obviously some leaking. Having the coach out in the snow and cold over Christmas may have caused the break.

Pusherman · 01-03-2011, 06:12 PM

Gary, check the outside moldings around the windshied. If there are any signs of the rubber pushing out, it may indicate rust below. This is where the leaks develop.

Old Snipe · 01-03-2011, 06:50 PM

I had the windshield in my Journey replaced last summer. There was a tiny chip way up high that turned into a crack with the heat.

I documented the replacement in my blog, you can see how it was done and see the rust spots that were repaired.

R Sanity RV Adventures: Cracked!

Hope this helps give you an idea of what is involved. The windshield is held in so tightly by the sealant, I don't see how you could remove one without breaking it to inspect the frame. The repairmen had to use a heavy duty tool to get my old one out and it cracked way beyond the original crack.

Best Regards!