New Windows

[rideandfly]

7 hours ago, jd1923 said:

I hope for you that these windows fit into the roughout openings of your hull with an easy installation! I'm looking forward to reading the first window mod thread on our great Forum! 😂

Our previous camper had Dometic/Seitz awning style windows that could be opened during  light rain, really liked  those windows, but they were plexiglass.  Talked to Oliver about retrofitting an Oliver, but they are not ready to release information about retrofits, yet.  Just looking and learning for now. 🙂

 

 

Edited June 6 by rideandfly

[routlaw]

Perhaps I am beating a dead horse on this subject and thread but wanted to add a few things that might be of interest to those with Lippert 8800 series of windows. This past week I ordered 3 sample packs from Steele Rubber in NC which includes many if not all of their rubber weather stripping and glass sliding seals they manufacture. They arrived today. The samples seem to be well made, albeit very expensive for what they are. On my unit the outer most rubber w/s does not nor has it ever touched the sliding glass window and in fact misses the glass by a full 1/8th of an inch. Needless to say our windows were more like a sieve than a sealed window. Weeps holes do little to nothing to mitigate the incoming water during heavy rains. 

For those of you who need to replace their exterior rubber w/s for what ever reason the part # I have ordered is 70-4500-257 and this sample does indeed provide a relatively tight seal against the sliding window. This part also has a tighter fit in the channel, a good thing. No doubt the wrong w/s was installed on our windows given its rather loose fitting in addition to it not being wide enough to seal against the sliding window. Effectively the original does nothing at all to seal water.

Steele Rubber company has a huge amount and variety of gaskets and seals making it nearly impossible to determine the correct fit without the sample packs. They also produce a much different type of glider seal/track that appears to be better and less likely to allow further leakage into the window channels. The ones that came with these windows do nothing to prevent water from entering into the channels and dripping into the cabin. The part # for that item has conflicting information between the website and the sample pack ID's they sent. It is either 70-3577-58 or 70-3577-256 come in 8ft lengths and priced at nearly $49 for each length. The exterior w/s piece is sold by the foot at $7 per foot. 

In addition to the effort of sealing the windows I have also finally added gutters over the windows. I put this off for a long time mainly because I didn't have faith in these small channels being effective during a downpour. I also installed them a bit different than most by gently curving the ends diagonally away from the window. The sharp bend pointing toward the ground never made sense to me and also caulked above and under the J channel to provide a longer lasting seal, hopefully.

Thanks, hope this helps some others 

[rideandfly]

1 hour ago, routlaw said:

In addition to the effort of sealing the windows I have also finally added gutters over the windows. I put this off for a long time mainly because I didn't have faith in these small channels being effective during a downpour. I also installed them a bit different than most by gently curving the ends diagonally away from the window. The sharp bend pointing toward the ground never made sense to me and also caulked above and under the J channel to provide a longer lasting seal, hopefully.

 

Nice looking installation!

The previous owner of our 2015 LE2 also installed gutters, they divert loads of water, too!

 

 

 

[Steph and Dud B]

On 6/10/2026 at 8:23 PM, routlaw said:

the part # I have ordered is 70-4500-257

Is that white or black?

[Steph and Dud B]

I'm pretty diligent with our sliding windows, cleaning the tracks and drain holes regularly, but they let me down last night. We were away from the trailer when a heavy thunderstorm rolled in. Came home to my bed soaked. Found a drowned stink bug in the outer track. I think he blocked either the track or the drain hole. Fortunately, it's hot and sunny today and the mattress is on the picnic table to dry, but if it was a rainy week we'd have a problem getting things dry. That's the downside of these sliding windows.

[routlaw]

1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:

Is that white or black?

black

[routlaw]

1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:

I'm pretty diligent with our sliding windows, cleaning the tracks and drain holes regularly, but they let me down last night. We were away from the trailer when a heavy thunderstorm rolled in. Came home to my bed soaked. Found a drowned stink bug in the outer track. I think he blocked either the track or the drain hole. Fortunately, it's hot and sunny today and the mattress is on the picnic table to dry, but if it was a rainy week we'd have a problem getting things dry. That's the downside of these sliding windows.

Yeah I hear you on that. Likewise have also been fairly diligent about cleaning the windows as well. Doesn't matter this is a very flawed design and made somewhat worse by the fact the channels lean in the wrong direction for proper drainage. By that I mean the side of the Oliver rest at about 5-10º in the opposite direction (inward) that would allow the water to flow out of the weep holes adequately effectively backing up and filling both channels of the sliding window. With that in mind I have drilled larger weep holes in one experimental window. Two holes per weeping slit on either side. Also looking into a way of eliminating the natural water adhesion which prevents easy water flow from the channels. Pipe cleaners have not worked at all. 

Just this past week we ran into the same issue, new twin beds installed and no sooner than that and we received several days of rain. Mattresses and all were very wet, had to remove the entire enchilada to dry and mop up and this was after having cleaned the windows out thoroughly the day before. Because of this I am now in the process of re-engineering a better prevention system that hopefully will mitigate water intrusion to begin with. If this effort fails we will be buying other windows to install. Is it any wonder so many stick built trailers have rot issues? Its not because stick building is so inherently bad, after all most houses are made with sticks but the windows installed on the vast majority of these trailers are designed to absolutely allow water to flow into the trailers. 

Previously I ad considered installing window awnings on the Oliver but didn't like the idea of drilling holes into the outer shell and didn't particularly care for most of the fabrics offered with what products I found. 

[Steph and Dud B]

At least we finally got to try the dinette as a bed. Too small for me, but Steph was able to fit. Will be good for our grandson someday.