TheSamba.com :: View topic - Anyone ever fabricate rear side windows that open?

Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:44 pm

I would buy, especially on the rear drivers side. It's darn near impossible to clean that glass on the inside behind the closet. A slider window setup would fix that, so long as we can get to the bottom tab "locker" that lets it slide....

Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:36 pm

How's this? :D

If they didn't post try going to
http://picasaweb.google.com/dnd.obryan/JalousieWindows

I love the flow thru ventilation especially when it's raining. :D

Dave O
'87 Westy

Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:03 pm

dobryan wrote: How's this?

Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:16 am

McVanagon wrote: dobryan wrote: How's this?

Interesting. Got any details, like, where did you get them, or how did you make them?

Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:28 am

Yes. I used this article
http://www.everybus.com/dworkin/vgon_jalousie/
as a guide.

I double checked the dimensions against the glass I removed from the Westy to get the right fit. I obviously had to extend the rear side piece to match the curved shape of the original window, and I had to remove the glass and cut down the frames to be shorter for the passenger side one. No big deal really, just some tedious work.

BTW, I was also able to get a set of seals for the Jalousie windows that included all the little seals around and between the window panes so they seal real nice.

This has totally transformed the comfort of the Westy. I really do get great flow thru ventilation even on very hot days, and don't have to worry about rain coming in. I can get a breeze across my face when I am sleeping on a hot muggy night. :D

It also is great for expelling heat from the Dometic fridge area since I can keep the window open behind the fridge in all weather.

It's a great way to go if you've got the time and patience.

Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:54 am

Thanks for all the kind words. There is one other option I would consider, since i saw how easily the frame could be reworked, i thought a nice pop out window, like the ones I have on my Beetle 1/4 widows would be cool. Oh how i like to dream........, any one want to donate some Beetle pop out frames. I figure two of those shold be able to do one rear window.

Wed Nov 28, 2007 1:15 pm

That double Jalousie job is just... about... perfect. That is exactly what I need for summer camping and rain in Winston.

Plot, plot, plot, scheme...

Will raid wrecks for the window frames, just for starters... And maybe I can find a good source for rebuilt jalousies...

LUST!

Best!

Wed Nov 28, 2007 5:28 pm

The jalousies I started with were in rough shape. But after some elbow grease with sandpaper and steel wool I was able to take off the old oxidation from the aluminum and they shined up real nice. I also rescreened them (just like doing a screen door). The frame extension is made from scrap aluminum which is then bonded to the original jalousie frame like in the drawings. Not hard to do but a PITA. I definitely found the use of a table saw and a router to be a BIG help. :D

This arrangement works so well that I never even open the sliding window on the sliding door anymore. That is good because that window always screeched at me. :lol:

Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:57 pm

dobryan, can you open the sliding door with the jalousies open?
BTW, beautiful job on those windows. It's on my someday list.

Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:51 pm

Yes, I can open the slider. In fact the pic I showed is the amount that the rear window will open and let the sliding door clear it. I always open the sliding door first and then look as I open the jalousie to see how far I can open it before it will interfere with the door. My last step in this project it to put a stop in the jalousie so I can't open it too much.

I'm glad you like it. :)

Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:11 pm

I don't know if dobryan's still around, I recall no recent posts. I have a set of jalousies = 2 louvered windows on order from a Breadloaf salvage yard, they're also selling me seal rebuild kits and screens that the hardware store can repair.

The plan is to rebuild 'em, clean 'em up, and follow the old article for the passenger's side middle, and try to back-engineer what dobryan did on the rear passenger's side.

Quote: One thought I had was to pull a rear passenger's rear window frame from a wreck and weld the Jalousies into that, with a plate attached to fill in the curved part and that painted.

Okay, when were you guys ever going to tell me that there ARE no window frames?

:shock:

I mean, there are for the sliding windows, but not for the glass on the rear passenger's side. So it'll be a matter of cutting a piece of metal to fit the window profile and attaching that to the rear jalousie. That'll be easier, but complicated... May have to leave the window out of the van for a bit, unpleasant thought.

I will do my usual verbose reporting on how it goes, but if anybody has any advice or specifics, I am scrabbling, groveling, and grateful for same.

I repeat...

Help!

:shock:

Best!

Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:44 pm

msinabottle PM'd me asking for more information. I will start a new topic for this. Give me a few days to get my act together. :D

Glad everyone likes what I did.

BTW, On a hot day last summer I did an experiment. The outside temp was 93F and a gentle breeze was blowing. I put the bus in the driveway in full sun, opened the Jalousie windows the amount shown in the pics, put a thermometer inside on the stove top and waited. I was surprised that after one hour the inside temp was only 3 degrees above the outside temp. The great cross flow ventilation kept the inside from overheating. I'm sure the result would not have been as good without the gentle breeze. :)

Regards.

Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:24 pm

I just posted a new topic on my installation here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=283728

Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:27 pm

Hey MS,

If you're interested, these double Jalousie windows show up from time to time on the German Ebay; I was going to buy one a few weeks ago before the continuing existence of my engine became dicey.

http://cgi.ebay.de/Lamellenfenster-VW-Bus-T2-T3-Fe...dZViewItem

edit: Adding pic:

and another type of window; says its for a Joker model, though I'm a bit pressed to believe this is OEM... maybe I misunderstood the ad.

Won't be cheap, but would allow matching jalousie set up on both sides, or possible enable you to collapse the middle and use it in the rear passenger window.

if you need some translating or help in communicating with the seller, let me know. My German is passable.

Best,

Lanval

Tue Nov 02, 2010 7:06 pm

Resurrecting the dead here...

Wellington, did you ever mount that window? I would love to see pics of the finished product.

Wed Nov 03, 2010 3:34 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=958793

You can see one of Wellington's windows on the opposite side. He made 2 of them, lucky me. The driver's side factory window has no built in screen but with the window all the way open, I can insert a screen with 1" to spare and close the window holding the screen in place. It works well overnight for camping and ventilation of the downstairs sleeping space. I have not tried driving with the screen in because I worry about it falling out.

Thu Nov 04, 2010 2:56 pm

:shock: expensive......

the ones from south africa have the plastic vent included,latch is on vertical part of glass.225$ :x

Thu Nov 04, 2010 3:06 pm

If anyone wants the Jalouse windows, give these guys a call. http://airheadparts.com/ They had a stack of about 25 of them at a VW show I went to all for very cheap.

Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:25 pm

There is another option, as shown here http://www.griffco.ca/interest/

Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:26 pm

Thread Resurrection...

I was reading the Jalousie Window thread (having seen Winston's personally, they are quite impressive) I started thinking again about rear sliding windows. Has anybody tried RV replacement windows? I started looking around and saw this website:

http://www.motionwindows.com/prod1800.php

I figured it was a dead end until I saw the shape of the example window on their order worksheet:

http://www.motionwindows.com/order-summary-worksheet.pdf

I sent them an email to see if they've ever had their windows used in Vanagon applications, and/or whether or not they think it's possible. I haven't heard back yet.