So, how many windshields have you replaced??? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Old Snipe · RV-Dreams Family Member

So, how many windshields have you replaced???

wmalefyt · RV-Dreams Family Member

None so far, but that's only about 12,000 miles on two long trips, one to Arizona and last summer to the Midwest. One good thing about living in Florida, not many stones but lots of sand! We do have a few stone chips on the paint below the windshield, but none on the glass.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We put 35,000 miles on our last motorhome and never even had a rock chip. 40,000 miles on this one and our score is the same as yours, three halves replaced so far. I think this windshield is more vertical so when a rock hits it is more likely to cause a problem.

mcw50 · RV-Dreams Family Member

You just never know when or where you might get a chip in the glass - and then what it will do to the windshield. In our first rig, we developed a large crack and had one half replaced. On the very next trip, we got another chip in almost the same place. We were on our way to an RV Rally, so had the chip "repaired" by a mobile repair service at the rally. Our insurance company paid for it. We were worried about glass as we headed to Alaska. We got a large chip in Salt Lake City - near the top of the glass on the rounded part....no repair service would touch it because of its location. We got another minor chip in the Yukon on our return trip that later developed a small crack. Those stayed the same and were still visible when we traded in our rig several years later with about 65,000 miles. We're three years into our new rig - 37,000 miles, and no chips.

RVDude · RV-Dreams Family Member

bjoyce - I envy you having windshield "halves." The popular trend now are those one piece "Imax style" windshields and I won't go on my soapbox of how that "style choice" increases everyone’s insurance because those 'shields exceed $2,000 a pop.

To eliminate tapping my vehicle insurance to cover a windshield replacement (thus driving up my not cheap vehicle insurance) I opted for a product/service called Diamon Fusion. For basically the price of 2/3 of the cost of a new 'shield, I get a full 4 year warranty against chips/cracks - completely separate from my vehicle insurance. That breakage coverage is in addition to the other benefits of the process - increased clarity, eliminate sand abrasion, Rain-X like effect on steroids, increased wiper blade life, etc. When my glass is replaced under the Diamon Fusion warranty they also recoat the new glass and continue the remaining part of my warranty.

Here's an interesting insurance industry report and here's the Diamon Fusion corp site.

jomago · RV-Dreams Family Member

It was not a rock chip , but a part of a wrecked car being towed(carried on a flat bed truck) that fell off car, hit the ground and bounced into the windshield on the drivers side.
This was quite dramatic with a loud bang, like an explosion. The part did all but penetrate the glass. The only thing that saved me was the membrane between the two layer of glass that held strong. The impact made a funnel shapped indentation that was over 12" deep and and 3' feet in diameter, right in front of my line of sight. I was wearing large subglasses so didn't get glass in my eyes. The glass covered everything and traveled as far back as the bedroom. Did get some cuts on my face and legs(wearing shorts).
Of course when you're still a 100 miles from home what do you do. About the only thing you can do is keep driving much slower till you get home. The part had to be ordered and a week later when it arrived it was the wrong side ( inspite of the number etched into glass) and had to be reordered. In all it took about a month and cost $1000, which the wrecker company payed.

Never did see the part until just before impact. It also did some lesser damage to the fibreglass front shell that had to be repaired.

-- Edited by jomago at 07:24, 2007-03-18

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

One in the last 3 years on our way back from Puerto Penasco. Not a bad road just bad luck as the rock hit the flat drivers side of the windshield. Lucky we drive a truck. Replacement was $167 cash. With insurance it would have been about $250 and at a dealer it would have been about $500. Same windshield excellent installation. We love capitalism when we figure it out.

Larry and Jacki

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Diamon-Fusion farms out their insurance and you might not get the best service as Sean and Louise experienced if it actually does break - http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com/2007/02/sunset-at-sunset.html . Scroll down to find their experience.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well a couple days ago what looked like an ordinary truck went by us on a two lane highway in Nebraska and "bang, bang" we had two brand new rocks chips. We drove around town and didn't see anyone advertising rock chip repair so we bought the $10 kit at Wal-Mart. We did the repair in the morning before the sun came around to the front of the rig since the sunlight cures the resin. It looks about as good as we have had done by a "professional". It is not perfect but should work.
We are leary of anyone who is associated with a place that can replace your windshield since they have incentive to cause the chip to crack or to come up with a reason why it has to be replaced.
We will now carry one of the kits with us. We don't want the chip to become a crack because we took too long getting it repaired. Takes about half hour. I figure $10 plus tax plus 30 minutes of my time is worth not dealing with an insurance company who is looking for any reason to raise my rates.

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill,
We have noted the chip repair kits but have never used one. We have used a fellow down the street who does the job and it worked well. Glad to hear from someone who actually bought the kit and used it. Let us know it you start having a problem with it as time goes on.

Larry and Jacki