WINDOW SKINNING

[captainkf]

I hadn't planned on replacing the windows in my bus with RV style ones due to the massive amount of work it would be, however I recently aquired some gently used window and am rethinking the idea. My main concern is how to deal with the "rain defelctors or gutters" on the bluebird body. I figure I would need to grind them off in order to skin over the area after removing the stock windows. Has anyone else done this? Pictures? I was thinking of using a 50' roll of glavanized flashing material as the skin. Should I use aluminum or stainless rivets? I have seen some conversions in which they used adhesives and liquid nails but this seems a bit dodgy. Are my concerns unfounded? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

-Richard

 

[Steve-SKO]

I used adhesives around the perimeter of the panels too make sure no moisture gets in and to keep down any vibration. Then I used stainless rivets to securely attach them.

I used aluminum plate to cover my windows to give extra strength and lower weight.

 

[shaggy-SKO]

I popped the rivets off the interior skin using an air hammer. If you use an attachement that is pointed like an awl and pop the center of the rivet, then use a chisel attachment to break the rivet.

I then ran my air hammer with the chisel attachment up between the metal frame of the windows and the posts on both sides and the windows pop right out. Sometimes you have to cut some caulking.

After cleaning up the caulk and grinding down to bare metal around the frame I tacked up some pre-cut sheet metal with caulk, then used a 60 ml syringe to extrude some JB weld around the perimeter inside and out. It holds it like a weld. Then I used some window caulk to caulk the inside and especially the tops under the rain shield where the JB weld couldn't go.

Tim