broken glass

B. Sitton Posted 2015-03-15 10:16 AM (#2591) Subject: broken glass Extreme Veteran Location: Ignacio Colorado A couple weeks ago a friend showed me that the heat of the sun (coach is facing south) has broken one of his windshields. Well yesterday I was going to move the transit coach I got last fall only to find 2 windshields that look like a damn road map. One had a small crack before but now both are cracked worse than I have seen before on any coach. I admit to having heavy curtains that are right up to the inside of the glass. Must hold in too much heat when facing directly south. This may have had a grip on my pain center during my so called rant yesterday. Well I got mine, in spades. Bill andy1canada Posted 2015-03-15 11:46 AM (#2594 - in reply to #2591) Subject: Re: broken glass Elite Veteran Location: Victoria, BC. Canada Here's a thought: My coach (#846) has what appears to be a 1/4" - 3/8" steel rod running from dead center of the two windshields top of the dash to the ceiling. It appears a brace of some sort. IIRC coach #509 didn't have one and I'm figuring it's either a retro-fit from the PO, or, FMC provided this as a 'fix' for a structural issue (overhead load on the glass) in later coaches. Anyone else have this rod running up the center of the two windshields? I'll check the manuals after I post this (yeah, I hear you Lou... "Check the book first - then post!" Terry #846 fmc708 Posted 2015-03-15 2:02 PM (#2596 - in reply to #2591) Subject: Re: broken glass Veteran Location: Soquel, CA. Hi Terry, Coach 708 has the stiff rod too. : ) andy1canada Posted 2015-03-15 2:54 PM (#2597 - in reply to #2591) Subject: Re: broken glass Elite Veteran Location: Victoria, BC. Canada Me thinks the 'stiff-rod' has to be the way to go... BigRabbitMan Posted 2015-03-17 9:50 AM (#2602 - in reply to #2591) Subject: Re: broken glass Expert Location: Cottage Grove, OR Coach 1046 has the rod. hemi354az Posted 2015-03-17 12:19 PM (#2603 - in reply to #2591) Subject: RE: broken glass Extreme Veteran Location: Scottsdale, Aridzona The sun MELTED my steel rod because I had the silver air bubble reflector inside against both windshields on my South facing FMC. The rod is a band aid fix to keep the front fiberglass from moving around so much that the upper edge of either windshield pops out of the rubber groove. Rod or no rod . . . don't put reflector type shields on the INSIDE of your South facing FMC windshields. It gets the glass WAY TOO HOT ! Shine ON ! Lou #120