spospe Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Has anyone had any recent experience of the use of "Athermic" glass, as fitted to current Autosleeper Peugeot models, such as the Windrush? I am particularly interested to hear how well this glass copes with condensation. Any advice / personal knowledge will be most welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirage Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 We had an Autosleeper Warwick for four years and found the Athermic Glass not to be a problem, the windscreen was always by far the "wettest" of all the windows as it is in all vans (unless you use a cover). On cold winter nights condensation does form on the glass but was never enough to run, you can however feel more cold through the glass than perhaps you might from the usual double glazed windows. I liked the windows overall, easy to clean and always looked smart, also felt more secure than plastic windows. These Panel Vans are not really suitable (in my opinion) for all year round use, more a three season van no matter what windows are fitted, we did find carrying a fan heater in December to be beneficial, mainly because in the case of the Warwick the blown air outlet was solely at the rear. The sliding door can be a nuisance in very wet weather especially if you have upholstery close by, be prepared to use the cab doors or rear doors on occasions. Hope the above is of use and if you have any further queries please ask, we have sold ours and ordered a caravan after twelve years and three motorhomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Thanks Mirage, just the sort of feedback I was hoping for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 More comments here: http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftoptitle-86539-3m-scotchtint-athermic-single-glazed-windows-on-pvcs.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted November 9, 2012 Author Share Posted November 9, 2012 Thanks Derek, do you know how the glass performs in sunny conditions as well as the cold? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Will Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 You don't have to have wet dripping on to the seats as a £5 spent on a rain gutter will stop the drips when the door is opened, I have retro fitted to my Mondial GT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 spospe - 2012-11-09 7:14 PM Thanks Derek, do you know how the glass performs in sunny conditions as well as the cold? 'Fraid not. It would seem (from on-line comments) that athermic glass insulates against the heat effects of strong sunlight. Also that, when used for vehicle windscreens, the glass's metallic content can interfere with GPS signals. On paper, then, a PVC with athermic glass windows might be preferable to one with the plastic double-glazed variety if it's planned to use vehicle in hot sun a lot, but I'm doubtful that single-glazed athermic glass windows will be as effective as double-glazed plastic windows when it comes to retaining heat in a motorhome. It's stating the obvious, but motorhome manufacturers don't specially choose athermic glass for the panel vans they are going to convert. If the manufacturer of the panel van didn't provide a 'window van' version with athermic glass, the motorhome converter certainly would not be fitting athermic glass rather than plastic windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel wood Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 We have had an Auto-Sleepers Symbol ES with the athermic glass for 4 years and have used the van in all months/conditions and not had a problem with the glass. We don't even use silver screens for the windscreen. The erberspacher system is not effective, only directing air to the back of the van although the lounge is in the front! However, a small panel heater (which can be left on all night) is effective and in very cold weather a small fan heater (which we do not leave on all night) is useful. We chose the van not because of its windows or heating but because it was the ideal layout and size for us and our lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted November 10, 2012 Author Share Posted November 10, 2012 Thanks for all comments. I am easier in my mind now about choosing a van with said glass, as there do not seem to be any major downsides to its use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Athermic glass is only fitted to the windscreen of a vehicle and not any side windows.it consists of a metalised reflective material in the centre the laminated windscreen. The athermic glass should reflect uv light and Therefore reduce the heat build up in the vehicle through the large area of glass that is the windscreen. The only downside to a vehicle with athermic glass apart from costing more, is the reduction of signal a sat nav might receive through it. Hope this helps in your decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 shaggy - 2012-11-10 11:36 PM Athermic glass is only fitted to the windscreen of a vehicle and not any side windows... This would be true for most motor vehicles, but (as spospe says in this thread's first posting) the Peugeot Boxer 'window van' on which some Auto-Sleepers panel-van conversion motorhomes are based has athermic glass side-windows. This is confirmed by Auto-Sleepers's sales manager, Dave Clarkson, in his posting on the MHF thread I provided a link to above. "...In reply to your enquiry regarding the windows fitted to the Warwick, these are single glazed athermic glass, the properties of the athermic glass means that they act in a similar way to double glazing, in other words warm air from inside the vehicle is kept away from the cooler external air temperature. We have been manufacturing with the athermic glass for over 5 years with no complaints of condensation. When the Warwick was first launch the perception was that these windows would cause condensation issues, however this was soon dismissed when on test with the press. Also added is the privacy tint to allow greater privacy when moving around the internal of the vehicle, as the tint is designed to be clearer when looking out rather than when looking inside the vehicle. Also the use of the window van with the factory fitted bonded windows offer's greater security over the standard double glazed acrylic windows offered by our competitors, whilst also giving you a greater amount of vision throughout the length of the vehicle from inside. Externally these windows offer a more aesthetically pleasing view of the vehicle, making this model look sleeker and longer than a standard panel van..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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