Motorman Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 To all Autosleeper owners. We have been looking at the Warwick Duo and it seems to tick all our boxes - a decent sized 3 way fridge, gas and electric hot water and heating, a good rear lounge, a kitchen with an oven and reasonable storage. But I was surprised that you can't open the rear windows. My wife is at the age where a good breeze helps her sleep at night and keeps the overheating at bay, especially on warm nights, so the lack of opening windows seems like a major deal breaker. Has this been a problem for anyone else? I understand the security benefits. I know you can open the roof lights, but not if it's raining, and the sliding windows at the front won't provide the airflow that she needs. Any thoughts and personal experiences would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 We've just returned from a weekend rally in ours in this heat. Yes it's hot at night but no hotter than at home. Rooflights open about halfway just in case we did get rain (you know what this country is like- three hot days and we normally get a storm), little sliding windows open with blinds up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 8, 2018 Share Posted July 8, 2018 We had a Duo for a couple of years but returned to an Executrive partly because for very little extra size you get a lot more space inside. If the Duo otherwise suits your needs then it should not be too difficult finding someone to replace the rear door windows with an opening variety - just make sure that they can be secured in the part open position to maintain perimeter security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 The “Warwick Duo” model is built on a Peugeot Boxer ‘window van’ base, which means that all the windows to the rear of the cab have been pre-installed before Auto-Sleepers commences converting the Boxer into a motorhome. These flush-fitting glass (rather than plastic) windows have been one of the model’s selling points, but a downside is that the larger windows cannot be opened for ventilation. There has also been speculation that the windows (being single glazed) may be more prone to condensation than the plastic double-glazed variety. Despite Tracker’s confidence, I’m doubtful that replacing a Warwick Duo’s rear-doors windows would be a practical proposition. Unlike the rear-doors of a ‘commercial’ Boxer panel-van, the Warwick’s rear doors have their flush-fitting windows bonded in place. I’m not saying that replacing a Warwick’s rear-door windows with opening windows would be impossible, just that it might be a lot more challenging (and expensive) than Tracker has suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 Autosleeper might be able to offer advice if you phone or email them as they have a thriving aftermarket modification and renovation section. The may well be other converters that do fit opening rear windows and as most car windscreens are bonded these days there is plenty of experience out there in removing and replacing a bonded window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 Something like this? https://www.google.com/search?q=rear%20window%20vent%20van&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b#imgrc=n6o9VjzPOVamZM: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 There are converters of Boxer/Ducato/Relay panel vans that install openable windows in the rear doors, and such windows have also been marketed for retrofitting. http://myselfbuildcamper.co.uk/rear-windows/ It really depends on how significant the shortage of openable side/rear windows will be to a prospective Warwick Duo buyer. If daytime ventilation is perceived as a major purchasing disincentive, leaving the side and rear doors open and fitting flyscreens to those openings might be a lateral-thinking approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinM50 Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 Well i can't see how a decent car/van converter wouldn't be able to fit electric opening windows for you. Fairly simple and straightforward, I'd have thought. Take a mechanism from an existing car and get the glass recut to suit? In the immortal words of JC, "how hard can it be" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Hmmm... I’m damned sure I wouldn’t be looking to buy a £55K Auto-Sleepers "Warwick Duo” with a view to having it hacked about to provide extra opening windows in its habitation area. (I don’t recall Jesus saying “How hard can it be?”, though "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” would often be appropriate when it comes to choosing a motorhome.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 ColinM50 - 2018-07-09 6:00 PM Well i can't see how a decent car/van converter wouldn't be able to fit electric opening windows for you. Fairly simple and straightforward, I'd have thought. Take a mechanism from an existing car and get the glass recut to suit? In the immortal words of JC, "how hard can it be" I expect that electric opening windows would be very expensive as a custom designed job and you would have to ask yourself the question - why bother when all you need is simple ventilation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I’m also doubtful that the flush-fitting glass panes fitted to the habitation area of Boxer ‘window vans’ could be modified to allow them to be openable. If these are made of safety-glass, cutting/drilling them (presumably) won’t be practicable and there’s also the heat-reflecting film on the glass’s inside surface to bear in mind. If the Warwick’s fixed windows are considered to be a possible deal-breaker, it would be worth discussing this issue on the dedicated Auto-Sleepers forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 The Warwick is ten years old this year, can't see AS changing the window arrangements now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 I notice that this company (“Van Pimps”) markets for Peugeot Boxers flush-fitting windows that have opening sections. https://www.vanpimps.co.uk/product-category/peugeot/peugeot-boxer/peugeot-boxer-windows/ https://www.vanpimps.co.uk/van-conversion-window-fitting-video/ I don’t know how Auto-Sleepers would react to a request to build a Warwick Duo model using the Van Pimp-marketed windows (Negatively, I suspect!) but the retro-fit option is available. There are currently 248 threads on the Auto-Sleepers Owners Forum http://www.autosleeper-ownersforum.com that have a “Warwick” reference, but a quick browse found no complaints about the lack of habitation-area openable side/rear windows being a real problem for owners. There is a thread “Warwick XL and use in heat” that refers to decals peeling off in hot weather conditions, but that’s another matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motorman Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 Thanks to everyone for comments and experiences. Spoke to Autosleeper who said it was 'impossible' to remove the bonded glass without doing damage, so we will look for another brand or think about air con... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazdog6007 Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 We had a duo and sometimes i wish we still had it.It's a very good van and still makes good money on the used market. In a couple of months (maybe sooner ) you will be firing up the heating.So live with it and save the money and agro. Only my opinion. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Motorman - 2018-07-11 5:56 PM Thanks to everyone for comments and experiences. Spoke to Autosleeper who said it was 'impossible' to remove the bonded glass without doing damage, so we will look for another brand or think about air con... It may be impractical for Autosleepers to remove rear door glass but I would imaginge that Autoglass would have some experience of removing and fitting it? If so perhaps you could source an opening window elsewhere and have Autoglass fit it? Being bonded it does seem likely that the glass will break if you try to remove it. No real problem if you don't want to reuse it and if it is laminated glass, but if it is toughened glass I would fully tape it up with something like wide masking tape both inside and out to catch the visciously sharp fragments as it shatters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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