Remove windows and skin with steel, or paint glass and frame over?

[SilentReprieve]

Originally Posted by Tango

Yea but at least tin foil keeps the aliens from getting inside yer head!

note to self... go to costco and buy tin foil in bulk roll....

[Rovobay]

sub'd for build ideas.

good stuff. I think if I am doing all this insulating I might as well delete windows I don't need. perhaps get all new RV windows at some point in the build to replace them all as I intend to use this when elk hunting in November!

[Twigg]

Originally Posted by Rovobay

sub'd for build ideas.

good stuff. I think if I am doing all this insulating I might as well delete windows I don't need. perhaps get all new RV windows at some point in the build to replace them all as I intend to use this when elk hunting in November!

You can certainly delete windows in stages.

I'm starting by deleting 5 on each side, but removing and skinning over others later on wouldn't be a problem.

[Rivetboy]

So, how much does each complete window weigh?
As in compared to skinning and insulating. Is it a wash?

[losthighwaydrifter]

Originally Posted by BurlKing

at $220 a sheet, thats a little spendy. I'd go for 18-20g cold rolled sheet metal. $20-$30 for a 4'x8' panel and then just paint. it'd be significantly less, and no reason to add galvanized on the outside unless you do not plan on painting it at all. use a rivet gun and just pop them over the windows in place from the outside, dont forget a seam sealer around the edges where the rivets go. then your spray foam after the steel on the inside, then close it up with plywood.

Where can you get colled rolled for $20-30 for a 4x8 sheet even at 26 gauge here in the steel city(Pittsburgh) 18 ga cooled roll 4x8 is $148. and I buy it in bulk to get that price.

[FamilyCircus]

I don't know how relevant this might be. I am using Duraplate which is used as trailer wall material. It is a multilayer material that is used as the walls on trailers. It is pretty light and very strong and insulated to a point. I will be spraying foam into the cavity left by the removal of the windows.

You can but this stuff from Wabash trailer repair facilities and at times get scraps for free since they need complete sheets to build or repair trailers.

Im getting 11 pieces 30 x 26 for my deleted windows from their scrap bin for free.

I am going to use windshield urethane sealant and rivets to secure them into the spaces.

Ill post pictures once I get them in.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by losthighwaydrifter

Where can you get colled rolled for $20-30 for a 4x8 sheet even at 26 gauge here in the steel city(Pittsburgh) 18 ga cooled roll 4x8 is $148. and I buy it in bulk to get that price.

That's a shame. I get 4x10's for $60.

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

That's a shame. I get 4x10's for $60.

You must know a guy. Do you know a guy? Man, I paid 40 bucks for 2 28" square pieces of 18ga cold rolled. I only had hatches to do, so not too bad I don't guess. Would cost me a fortune to do a roof raise!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Drew Bru

You must know a guy. Do you know a guy? Man, I paid 40 bucks for 2 28" square pieces of 18ga cold rolled. I only had hatches to do, so not too bad I don't guess. Would cost me a fortune to do a roof raise!

If they cut it for you maybe they charged you for cutting it.
I do know a guy.
But anyone could buy it for not too much more from the same place.

[2martins]

Originally Posted by FamilyCircus

I don't know how relevant this might be. I am using Duraplate which is used as trailer wall material. It is a multilayer material that is used as the walls on trailers. It is pretty light and very strong and insulated to a point. I will be spraying foam into the cavity left by the removal of the windows.

You can but this stuff from Wabash trailer repair facilities and at times get scraps for free since they need complete sheets to build or repair trailers.

Im getting 11 pieces 30 x 26 for my deleted windows from their scrap bin for free.

I am going to use windshield urethane sealant and rivets to secure them into the spaces.

Ill post pictures once I get them in.

OMG I would LOVE to get pieces of that size out of a scrap bin. I paid $450 for 7 windows worth of 25.25x 29 plus a 13" wide one of cold rolled sheet cut to size. Ridiculous.

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

If they cut it for you maybe they charged you for cutting it.

Yeah, could be. I have no idea if prices are regional or kinda standard.....we've got a lot of steel suppliers in the area, though, so I figgered it'd be cheaper up here but I guess not!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Drew Bru

Yeah, could be. I have no idea if prices are regional or kinda standard.....we've got a lot of steel suppliers in the area, though, so I figgered it'd be cheaper up here but I guess not!

Nothing is cheaper "up there".
I only get a small % off and I only pay $60 for 4x10's. I do cut my own, but I can have it cut to whatever I want for cheap or free depending on how busy they are.
I keep trying to hook people up with cheap steel but no one locally seems interested.
ANyone in FL or nearby that needs steel give me a shout.

[Harold 1951]

I just bought 18 guage galvanized sheets for $112 a 4x8 sheet....$3.50 a sq ft. cut scraps were much cheaper.....got them from a company that sellls plumbing and heating supplies...used for duct work.....

[2martins]

Originally Posted by FamilyCircus

I don't know how relevant this might be. I am using Duraplate which is used as trailer wall material. It is a multilayer material that is used as the walls on trailers. It is pretty light and very strong and insulated to a point. I will be spraying foam into the cavity left by the removal of the windows.

You can but this stuff from Wabash trailer repair facilities and at times get scraps for free since they need complete sheets to build or repair trailers.

Im getting 11 pieces 30 x 26 for my deleted windows from their scrap bin for free.

I am going to use windshield urethane sealant and rivets to secure them into the spaces.

Ill post pictures once I get them in.

After reading this I went to Sparks to my local trailer place and I can also get free, used duraplate in excellent condition. It seems just as sturdy as the 18 gauge cold rolled steel I got but lighter although obviously thicker. The windows are aluminum and they don't cause whatever mixed metal issues people worry about, so I don't see why the duraplate aluminum skins would.

Did you come up with this idea yourself or has someone else done this successfully? Would you use this for roof hatches or only window replacement? Did you investigate the sturdiness of this product vs 18 gauge steel? Are you going to do anything to go around the cut edges to help prevent delamination before installing?

I am very tempted to use this myself for the remaining windows and roof hatches, but if I should really just buy steel for the roof hatches, or use the trailer DOOR duraplate rather than the trailer wall kind, I will. Does anyone know?

I love free and I love keeping serviceable stuff out of the landfill, but I don't want to set myself up for leaks or replacements in a couple of years.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by family wagon

A quick note on the galvanized-or-not question: Some common coatings won't bond well to a hot-dip galvanized surface. Almost everything with a Rustoleum label is in this category. Their only product that comes to mind as specifically labeled for, rather than being labeled not for, galvanized material is Latex Aluminum Primer.) Some automotive primers are suitable; others aren't.

Other kinds of galvanization hold paint more willingly: instead of hot-dip, galvanneal or electro-galvanized. These may cost a bit more than hot-dip and are likely to be more difficult to source.

That said.. I've used mostly galvanneal on mine, with some hot-dip before I learned galvanneal is available to me, and what little I've painted hasn't been exposed to any kind of weather yet -- I'm still praying the paint will stick.

Check out "PRO CRYL" primer from Sherwin Williams. Expensive ($60/gallon) but good stuff designed for application on galvanized metal. Being acrylic, it will not saponify (make a soap layer between the paint and zinc) like alkyds (oil based products) will and slip off later. I've been using it on my build and am very impressed with it.

[Stele james]

We deleted all our windows and reused our interior roof skin to do it, it's of riveting and seam sealer.

[Ninjakitty]

I deleted all my side windows. I used 20 ga gavanealed sheet metal. I originally was covering 4 windows with a sheet. Well, after the first sheet went up I had no more assistance. So I covered two at a time.

SS Pan head metal screws and a healthy amount of Dynatron 550. No leaks.

However, I really like how Tango did his and if I were to do it again, I would skin from inside like he did. I would probably use 18 ga for that but would still use galvanealed sheets.

I'm in Central Florida, right by the ocean. This steel has held up nicely against the salt air, even unpainted.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Ninjakitty

I deleted all my side windows. I used 20 ga gavanealed sheet metal. I originally was covering 4 windows with a sheet. Well, after the first sheet went up I had no more assistance. So I covered two at a time.

SS Pan head metal screws and a healthy amount of Dynatron 550. No leaks.

However, I really like how Tango did his and if I were to do it again, I would skin from inside like he did. I would probably use 18 ga for that but would still use galvanealed sheets.

I'm in Central Florida, right by the ocean. This steel has held up nicely against the salt air, even unpainted.Attachment 28734

Looks good and I like your methods. I've got a pile of 18ga I bought for bus projects. Deleting hatches and that kinda stuff. Its PERFECT for skinning. 20 will work too! 16 gets too hard to work with and is overkill IMO, although I've used it too.
The Dynatron 550 is good stuff. I use it too.
Bus is looking NICE!

[Ninjakitty]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Looks good and I like your methods. I've got a pile of 18ga I bought for bus projects. Deleting hatches and that kinda stuff. Its PERFECT for skinning. 20 will work too! 16 gets too hard to work with and is overkill IMO, although I've used it too.

The Dynatron 550 is good stuff. I use it too.

Bus is looking NICE!

Thank you ECCB.

After doing this, I feel 18 ga is probably the perfect thickness for deletes, especially like this. I went with 20 ga because the lady that runs the metal shop I got it from recommended that gauge. Haven't noticed any oil canning but I also have 2" of spray foam inside.

I used the 550 on your recommendation and it is a great product. I've also used the Sika Construction Adhesive. It's about the same color and consistency of the 550, but about half the price.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Ninjakitty

Thank you ECCB.

After doing this, I feel 18 ga is probably the perfect thickness for deletes, especially like this. I went with 20 ga because the lady that runs the metal shop I got it from recommended that gauge. Haven't noticed any oil canning but I also have 2" of spray foam inside.

I used the 550 on your recommendation and it is a great product. I've also used the Sika Construction Adhesive. It's about the same color and consistency of the 550, but about half the price.

I may lose my steel hookup next month so I'm considering ordering maybe 6 more 4x10's. I only pay 50-65 per sheet.