Double Glazed Windows

Hello Jim and Marie,
I am not sure anyone on the BOG has the double glazed Galaxy windows. A couple have the European Dometic ones, but we do not really recommend them because first of all they are not tinted... And while we do like the locking mechanism on them, we do not like the screen wind up mechanism and light screen that has to be rolled up each time you open the window, and then again each time you close the window. From working with those windows, we feel that while they look nice, not being tinted means they will let in a lot of heat, and the screen arrangement will mean they will be maintenance intensive in the long run... They are not in either Directors personal vans for those reasons...

On the Galaxy double glazed, again we are not real happy with them, because we have seen that the seal between the two layers is not that great. Understandably there has to be gas exchange so they do not suck in or balloon out in hot/cold weather, but we have seen bulldust collection in them, so we have reservations...

In all fairness, the "Thermo Pane" concept is probably more for the snow than anything else. Yes it would help in the extremes, but closing the curtains helps even more, and traps a larger dead air area, in my experience. In other words: When the air is struggling in 45 degree weather in a larger van, the curtains closed helps far more... The same goes for extreme cold with the Webasto diesel heater on, the curtains closed will do a better job...

Do what you wish, but this is our experience... Ask yourself why they are not on our own personal vans, and why we are trying to save you the money?? Not sure they are worth the dollars or the weight..

My best judgement on the matter,
Regards, Lone Ranger...

Jim & Marie, I had a look at the Galaxy so called double glazed.
I say so called because the gap between the inner and outer panes is open to atmosphere.
Sure to get bulldust in eventually as fine dust will go to anyplace where air can travel to.
Probably possible to seal the breather holes but then the air may heat, expand and damage the window.
A "proper" double glazed window has an inert gas or a vacuum between the panels.
Prevents transmission of heat and sound.
Air will carry both heat and sound.
Maybe at a reduced rate with the galaxy but not as it should be.

Regards
Bob

Thank you Lone Ranger & Turist for the feed back. That is the beauty of such a good service of the BOG Forum and of course it's members. Many thanks. Our minds are now made up. Steven ..... Take that off our order.
Celubrious Salutations
Jim & Marie

Jim,

I was informed by friends who own a Boroma caravan and have the Dometic double glazed windows that they in fact available in Tinted form. They made the enquiry towards the end of last year why they were available in Europe and not in Australia, and as a result Dometic began importing them, but they had not arrived in time to go into their van that was completed in February this year and they had to have the non tinted ones. I think they were going to do the same as Conrad has with his van, and that is to have Tint A Car put a film on the inside of each window.

Our Boroma friends had the Camec double Glazed in their previous van and were so impressed with them that they insisted on double glazed in their new van. They also travelled a lot of dusty roads and never had a problem with dust getting inside them.

Conrad is impressed with his Dometic windows, and his van is definitly better insulated than ours with single glaze windows. The only problem that I see with them is that where there are lots of flys you have to open window without screen in place then pull screen down. The blind on them also makes it a full black out when the lights are on.

Having had the opportunity to compare windows in to vans travelling together for a number of months, I believe that the double glaze is worth the extra cost.