dual or single pane Peninsula sliders

[bevans6]

I know the common wisdom is buy the best, which would be the dual pane - but - I am having a hard time justifying the extra cost...

Situation - bus is a Canada based bus, which means that even in summertime we get evening/night temps in the mid 70's 95% of the time.  I don't even have a bedroom AC unit.  Second - I'm only putting the Pen windows in the bedroom, both sides, for open airflow.  The rest of the windows are stock MCI single pane.  Third - bus has stock roof, no raise, no insulation. So I am scuppered anyway for heat intake during a sunny day.  Fourth - the bus won't hardly start below about 25 degrees anyway, and I have no plan to spend more than a night or two a year in it on the road driving back from the south in the middle of winter, so added insulation value for cold weather isn't striking me as a high priority.

So - with all that, do I spend the extra several hundred smackers and add the extra weight, or do I stay lean and mean?

Thanks for your thoughts...  Brian

[luvrbus]

What ever flips somebodies switch Brian a single pane window works good with the warm window treatment I have dual pane windows are they worth the extra cost I really can not tell that much difference than the single panes we had in another bus.I don't think RV double pane windows are sealed just a air space between the 2 panes  


good luck

[cody]

Brian, just as a thought, how far are you from Elkhart Indiana?  Trina at RV Surplus normally has both single and double pane sliders with screens in stock and the price is cheap lol, Bontragers also normally have a good selection , the price I've been paying for double pane tinted sliders with screens runs around 20 to 40 dollars each depending on who is the salesman at the time lol, what you need is the measurements for the windows you need, I bought some for my bus and when Paul (Dreamscape) heard about them I got some for him too, it took almost a round the world voyage to get them from here to texas but I think they worked out ok for him, just as a thought, the you can get all 4 windows for under 200, last time I priced penninsula windows they were pretty much double the cost for just one window, a phone call to trina or to Bontragers could be a huge savings.

[bevans6]

Cody, the only people I've heard of that have exactly fitting drop in replacements that fit in the OEM frames are Peninsula.  Ar eyou saying that RV Surplus has them too, to be an exact OEM fit in an MCI MC-5C?

For my application, the windows must fit  in the OEM frames and retain the emergency exit capability with the exit bar.

Brian

[Ace]

Here is an email I received from Jeff at Penninsula:

Thank you for taking the time to e-mail us today regarding the windows that
you are considering for your Prevost conversion.  In order to accommodate
the curvature of the bus, the windows for the coach are built in two
separate panels.  For this application, the original frame is used.
Step 1:  The existing windows should be removed from the coach.
Step 2:  The original glass should be removed from the window frame.
Step 3:  The frames should be shipped to Peninsula Glass for new window
installation.
We take the original frame and build two complete window assemblies that
will mount within the original frame.  The upper half will be a non-opening
fixed panel.  The lower window will become a half-slider with operable
screen.  I have attached some photos for you review.  There should be two
different sizes of side windows.  We will call them the "large" and "small"
for the ease of discussion.
Large Side Window Insert
$556.00 ea. (Series 1800 dual pane, t-slider, black anodized aluminum frame,
solar cool bronze tint or dark grey limo)

Small Side Window Insert
$454.00 ea. (Series 1800 dual pane, t-slider, black anodized aluminum frame,
solar cool bronze tint or dark grey limo)


Personally I think he is mistaken on the bus I have and thinks it's an XL because I have little to no curvature in my windows! It's a ceiling vent for me before I spend that on windows with screens!

[cody]

Brian I didn't know you wanted to retain the original exit apparatus for the stock windows, my sliders open up about 2 ft wide so if needed I could enter or exit with very little problem, I just went out to the bus and slid one of them open, the opening is 25 inches high and 24 inches wide, that size would allow me to exit with little difficulty, I don't know what your window sizes are but mine are roughly 52 wide by 28 high.

[bevans6]

Hey Cody, it's that emergency exit thing plus I want to retain the OEM appearance of the bus.  I prefer it to the closed in side look of many conversions.  thanks for your advice,though, I appreciate it.

brian

[cody]

Just trying to help lol, when your as poverty stricken as I am, you do a lot of research in order to make the nickles go as far as they can, it used to be pennies but with inflation it's nickles now.  With the economic collapse of the S&S industry it's been a boost to those of us looking for new surplus items for our buses, the supply is drying up tho and getting harder to find.

[bevans6]

Canadian Mint is going to do away with pennies shortly, smallest coin will be a nickle.  the question is round up or round down on making change?  High transaction business, that is worth a lot!

Brian

[Dreamscape]

I have the four windows installed that cody mentioned. They have worked out very well for our application...........broke!

They are made by Hehr, and the quality is fantastic!..

FWIW,

Paul

[Don4107]

First bus converted by PO has stock insulation.  Never again.  Second bus has every nook and cranny insulated. Good insulation is one of if not the most import things to add to a bus to make it more comfortable.  Good insulation will let you have less heating and AC and cost you less in the long run.  Doing everything you can to insulate is the best time and money you will spend on a conversion.

Good luck
Don 4107

[cody]

Don is right, insulation is critical to the comfort level in a bus, many factors contribute to make the bus comfortable, I'd prefer duel pane windows over single pane because of the noise reduction and limited heat transfer of the duel pane, I haven't changed out my front side windows on my iggle yet, thats the window with the angled front and the difference between them is incredible, in cold weather the front window is covered in condensation that runs down the glass and pools at the bottom, if the weather is cold enough I've actually seen it freeze, the duel pane is warmer with no condensation at all. ceiling and wall insulation is another important component of a quiet, warm or cooler bus, many factors enter into play and when the magic formula is met it cuts the cost or effort of climate control down to a manageable level, makes it more enjoyable for everyone.

[BG6]

I have yet to see a post which reads "Damn, I wish I had bought single-pane windows!" 

The real questions are how many nights you will sleep in the coach.  Divide the added cost by that number, then decide if a better night's sleep is worth the cost.

The vast majority of your heat transfer is through the windows.  Your walls and ceiling are insulated, but that one thin pane of glass is not.

Of course, there is the alternative of putting in the cheaper, single-pane glass, then cutting hard-foam insulation to fit the inside, and Velcroing it in place at night (in reality, you will probably keep it there pretty much all of the time).

[luvrbus]

Huge difference in dual pane windows like the RV people use and thermopane like homes I found out none of the RV windows have any type gas Peninsula, Attwood, or Hehr they use a air gap, regular glass and are not sealed.
I personally think my Peninsulas are over priced and the mickey mouse screens they use are junk but for a direct replacement not much of a choice except Peninsula.   


good luck

[BG6]

Huge difference in dual pane windows like the RV people use and thermopane like homes I found out none of the RV windows have any type gas Peninsula, Attwood, or Hehr they use a air gap, regular glass and are not sealed.

Coach windows need vents because your coach may run in air densities between several hundred feet below sea level (Salton Sea on a cold night) to more than 10,000 feet MSL (Donner Pass on a hot day).  You need that space between two pieces of glass to equalize.  There is still plenty of insulation (the vents are small with no crossflow, so the airspace is still dead).