MC8 window painting or replacing

[jok]

I have a 1977 MC8 that was converted before I purchased it. All the side windows are still in and some are behind interior walls. Some of the inside glass in the dual pane windows is cracked and looks bad from the outside. I am thinking of either replacing the glass or painting over the exterior of the glass where the interior is covered on the inside.

Is there a trick to releasing the latches at the bottom of the window frame from the outside so I can remove the frame? I really don't want to try to access the latches from the inside, since I will need to tear out some wall covering. As a last resort I can break the glass and release the latches, but that is not a desirable choice.

Has anyone had experience painting over the exterior of the windows. I am thinking of using a gloss black paint.

Any ideas and help is appreciated.

Thanks,
John

[letz4wheel]

I know this doesn't exactly answer your question but on my bus the PO just covered the windows with painted sheet metal. He pop rivited it to the frames. It does make it look a litte better but I am sure it is not the most desireable method. It works for me right now because at least it is done...unlike many of my other projects 

doug

[Ednj]

If you remove the hindge pins on the top of the window frames (outside)
they should come out.

[JackConrad]

Painting the glass gloss black will absorb heat (which will have to be eliminated by the ACs) and may cause the glass to try to exxpand in the frame possibly resulting in crackng.  Jack

[mc8 tin tent]

  John
Jack is right on target on this,painting the glass black will cause them to crack!!!!!!!!!
Please don't ask me how I know this ,THEY WILL CRACK!!
   Dwayne

[jok]

Thanks for the info. I know I will need to replace at least two windows. I will try taking the top pins out. It looks like a tight fit at the top because of the roof lip, but the window frames don't need to raise much to clear the latches. Painting the glass is now off my list of possibilities.

I am wondering about window tinting. I used some on the inside of a window on the Prevost and it looks great after 4 years. Has anyone tried using window tinting on the outside of a window?

Thanks,
John

[Lin]

I am not near the bus now, but I think that a couple may be painted black.  Some are covered with something like plywood.  Since they are painted, I have not yet investigated what the coverings are made of.  I have been thinking of getting back down to the original windows and covering them with custom decals.  I found a source that says they can make them to order if you give them a nice big file.  They charge $10/square foot.  I would guess that if decals can be made to be mounted on the exterior, there must be some window films that can too.

[Tony LEE]

if they are tempered glass, you will probably get away with painting them black -- but if they are laminated and you paint them on the inside, THEY WILL CRACK