Sliding door glass add-on

[ncranchero]

My ‘18 didn’t have a glass in the left slider when I got it ? Merging into traffic just using the mirror was just uncomfortable, especially after my ‘14 was equipped with the glass. I had a local glass company install one a week or so ago. Much better, much safer. The Ford/Carlite glass was $195, installation $45. Worth every cent!

[desert_connect]

Very nice window upgrade. Your post got me inspired to look online for sliding door windows and came across Van Windows Direct out of Victorville CA. They have solid windows and then I stumbled onto their 1/2 sliding window for either L or R side sliding door, 380$ each. Kinda spendy but less than the used wagon doors I found in Yuma at 600$ each. 

 

Were you around when they installed your window? I was just curious if you or anyone else knew how difficult it was to remove the plastic cover. From looking at your pictures (thanks) you posted it looks like it is glued in with a butyl tape or caulking. 

 

[Fifty150]

5 hours ago, ncranchero said:

The Ford/Carlite glass was $195, installation $45. Worth every cent!

 

 

Agreed.  Such a luxury to be able to look over your shoulder, and actually see.  

[zalienz]

14 hours ago, desert_connect said:

Were you around when they installed your window? I was just curious if you or anyone else knew how difficult it was to remove the plastic cover. From looking at your pictures (thanks) you posted it looks like it is glued in with a butyl tape or caulking. 

 

 

The solid panel and all fixed glass is glued to the vehicle using urethane adhesive. To remove them, it involves taping off the surrounding area with gaffers tape, and then using a windshield cutout wire tool or a power tool with a metal blade, depending on the application. With the wire tool it's usually a 2 person job, with 2 T-handles and sharp wire that slowly saws its way through the dry urethane adhesive. Once the panel is removed, most of the remaining adhesive is removed with a razor blade and then cleaned with rubbing alcohol. Installing the glass then involves a power caulking tool, some primer depending on the adhesive, and laying a bead of adhesive around the perimeter of either the glass or the body. Then carefully laying the glass into place and taping it to hold it into position. Drying time varies with different adhesives. This is the same process for windshields and fixed quarter glass.

[desert_connect]

9 minutes ago, zalienz said:

 

The solid panel and all fixed glass is glued to the vehicle using urethane adhesive. To remove them, it involves taping off the surrounding area with gaffers tape, and then using a windshield cutout wire tool or a power tool with a metal blade, depending on the application. With the wire tool it's usually a 2 person job, with 2 T-handles and sharp wire that slowly saws its way through the dry urethane adhesive. Once the panel is removed, most of the remaining adhesive is removed with a razor blade and then cleaned with rubbing alcohol. Installing the glass then involves a power caulking tool, some primer depending on the adhesive, and laying a bead of adhesive around the perimeter of either the glass or the body. Then carefully laying the glass into place and taping it to hold it into position. Drying time varies with different adhesives. This is the same process for windshields and fixed quarter glass.

Thanks, zalienz.  Nice to know what I am facing. I kinda figured that it might be an adhesive caulking. I've replaced several windshields and windows in the 70s using the butyl rope cord and a primer but never adhesive caulking only. For removal I used a tool that was a knife on the end of an offset handle with a T handle pull cable but being too short it would not work for this application. Everything has changed in 40 years!

[herb]

I have to admit that is very nice ,  luckily for me i never had any issues with merging / parking , lane changing ext.. and i never rely on mirrors i always look , the drivers side window is big enough to allow it but i have heard more than a few with these vans say they do have issues with that stuff so a window is a good option. 

[jrm223]

I've never had any trouble seeing things in my "small" mirrors (same as pictured above), although I would like to upgrade to the "large" ones. No windows at all behind the front seats and mine is an XL, so no cameras, sensors, doodads, thingamajiggers & whatchamacallits, lol. But, I've also previously had F150's & an F350 that had camper shells, so I couldn't really see through the back on those, either. But it's good that you were able to get what you need for relatively cheap, at least! Looks like a clean install, too.

[Double Nickels]

An oscillating tool would probably work well for cutting out the panel. 

[mrtn]

On 5/19/2019 at 1:20 AM, ncranchero said:

Merging into traffic just using the mirror was just uncomfortable, especially after my ‘14 was equipped with the glass.

 

 

[desert_connect]

For anyone interested.......I purchased and installed a passenger sliding door window with an opening window. I will post more on my build thread, 2017 TC XLT simple camper.

 

 

[jrm223]

Is that a taxi window or something? Aftermarket? I haven't seen any TC windows like that before, lol. 

[Fifty150]

Very unique window.  Looks good.

[desert_connect]

1 hour ago, jrm223 said:

Is that a taxi window or something? Aftermarket? I haven't seen any TC windows like that before, lol. 

It is an aftermarket "AMA" window sold through Van Windows Direct.

[davidparker]

@desert_connect that rocks!  I will look at your build thread for more info.  Nicely done!

[mdarren]

On 6/7/2019 at 12:12 AM, desert_connect said:

For anyone interested.......I purchased and installed a passenger sliding door window with an opening window. I will post more on my build thread, 2017 TC XLT simple camper.

 

 

 

Nice upgrade. I dig the opening window!

[MLB]

On 5/18/2019 at 6:20 PM, ncranchero said:

My ‘18 didn’t have a glass in the left slider when I got it ? Merging into traffic just using the mirror was just uncomfortable, especially after my ‘14 was equipped with the glass. I had a local glass company install one a week or so ago. Much better, much safer. The Ford/Carlite glass was $195, installation $45. Worth every cent!

 

Safelite wanted $500+ installed.  Bought one to do myself.

 

[jrm223]

16 hours ago, MLB said:

 

Safelite wanted $500+ installed.  Bought one to do myself.

 

 

Whoa! I paid them around $380-390 w/ tax to replace my '15 XL windshield a couple years ago - and they had to drive an hour from their nearest location out to me here in rural Texas, lol. I didn't feel like taking half a day off from work to go to them. 

[Fifty150]

7 hours ago, jrm223 said:

 

Whoa! I paid them around $380-390 w/ tax to replace my '15 XL windshield a couple years ago - and they had to drive an hour from their nearest location out to me here in rural Texas, lol. I didn't feel like taking half a day off from work to go to them. 

 

 

Safelite does not have fixed pricing.  Every location charges different prices for the same thing.  It depends on where you are at.  Just like everything else, some areas are just more expensive.  In my area, independent shops charge less than Safelite, for parts and labor.  But they are not paying for franchise fees.  

[MLB]

On 1/29/2021 at 10:42 PM, Fifty150 said:

 

 

Safelite does not have fixed pricing.  Every location charges different prices for the same thing.  It depends on where you are at.  Just like everything else, some areas are just more expensive.  In my area, independent shops charge less than Safelite, for parts and labor.  But they are not paying for franchise fees.  

 

That extra 7-10% off the top is a real *itch. 

[Fifty150]

That's business.  I could sell the best burgers.  Made with the best beef and only fresh ingredients.  And make pretty good money.  Or I open a McDonald's franchise, sell Big Macs, and make twice as much.  The value in paying the franchise fee.  Volume from a recognized name, nationwide ad campaigns, and you get everything supplied by the chain at a much lower price.  

 

If you could make $1,000,000 on your own, would you pay 10% off the top to make $2,000,000?

Edited March 3, 2021 by Fifty150

[MLB]

On 3/3/2021 at 2:37 AM, Fifty150 said:

That's business.  I could sell the best burgers.  Made with the best beef and only fresh ingredients.  And make pretty good money.  Or I open a McDonald's franchise, sell Big Macs, and make twice as much.  The value in paying the franchise fee.  Volume from a recognized name, nationwide ad campaigns, and you get everything supplied by the chain at a much lower price.  

 

If you could make $1,000,000 on your own, would you pay 10% off the top to make $2,000,000?

 

yeh that sounds great.  The ACTUAL numbers for most franchisees are not quite so glamorous (Mid 40's is avg wage).  

When you're busting your butt to make 50k and you're paying franchise 100k, it doesn't feel so nice. 

But you're right, nobody is standing in line to get "mikes hams" even if they were the exact same things as HoneyBaked.

Edited March 6, 2021 by MLB

[Fifty150]

6 hours ago, MLB said:

The ACTUAL numbers for most franchisees are not quite so glamorous

Never what they sell you on at franchise trade shows.  

 

Franchise concept makes great money for corporate.  The franchisee has to buy everything from corporate.  Look at McDonalds.  You buy the entire restaurant from the corporate office.  Then everything, from cleaning chemicals, to napkins, to little ketchup packets, to the employee uniforms.....are ordered from corporate.  Yet, people do it.  

 

I think the worst arrangements are things like Amazon and FedEx delivery routes.  But that only shows my ignorance.  There are probably people who lose a lot more with Merry Maids.  Probably tons of other franchise opportunities which don't work out as well either.  

[MLB]

Not all true about having to buy everything from Franchise. At least in ours and other systems I know of.

 Many proprietary items yes, but you can buy cleaning supplies and ketchup packets where ever you choose.  I spend as much money at Costco/Sams as I do from our franchise vendor.

We buy shirts (Sams or Costco) and use local printers to keep money local but the franchise vendors isnt' much more expensive.  

From what little I know Amazon and FedEx are pretty bad deals in general.  Can make money, but work your butt off to get it. 

Certainly preferable to avoid the fees if you know enough to run a business. 
I didnt' and wouldn't have survived without their assistance and setting up of vast resources that we could never achieve on our own.  
There is a 30 second tv spot that is ready to download and use for holidays.  And pre-done marketing pieces for print for any occasion you can think of.  A library of ads to use.
They've set us up with simple to use email blast services, social media advertising platforms, facebook pages, etc etc.   NObody can do all that at the local level when you are running your butt off doing business.
So it's good with the bad.  Like most things. 

Edited March 23, 2021 by MLB

[JET]

OK - I just did the driver-side metal-for-glass replacement, but is the 'reveal' mounding necessary?  I don't see it in the above photos...

[MLB]

On 5/20/2019 at 4:21 PM, Double Nickels said:

An oscillating tool would probably work well for cutting out the panel. 

 

There is no cutting of metal.  Despite threads and videos showing them sawing the panel out, NOT what you do on the 2014+. 

As noted above, you cut through the adhesive and remove the whole panel. The hole for the wndow is already there. 

I bought the misinformation and bought jig saw blades and almost bought a specialty metal cutting too.  Also got moulding to cover the cut edge.  
Doh

Edited May 20, 2021 by MLB