Louvered Windows

[Mitchell]

Hello,
I like louvered windows.
I had them on my 1968 Westphalia and loved the fact that I could have them open in the rain. The scents of rain mixed with ground in the refreshed air experienced from a cozy space can lend to great relaxation. It is like aroma therapy, so I've heard (lol). In addition, louvered windows seem to allow much more air passage relative to the size of the hole in the wall.
I have heard that louvered windows are not very efficient with respect to insulating, but people have been camping out since before... So, I prefer the trade off.
So far, it seems that only one of the companies making small fiberglass trailers will offer them anymore. I tried Trillium and they respond in the negative.
I would appreciate hearing about other preferences and ideas.
Mitchell

[Daniel V.]

We like our louvered windows for the same reasons as you do.

My guess is they stopped making them to cut costs.

I did see louvered windows on pics of the new Trillium on the TrilliumRV.com homepage recently, but don't know what it means for the long term.

[lloyd cicetti]

We like our louvered windows for the same reasons as you do.

My guess is they stopped making them to cut costs.

I did see louvered windows on pics of the new Trillium on the TrilliumRV.com homepage recently, but don't know what it means for the long term.

Mitchell,Dan,

I love them too and Tom Young of Trillium RV (USA not Team Trillium which makes the Outback Trillium in Alberta) puts "jalousied" or louvered windows on his Trilliums like he did when he help build them in Markham, Ontario back in the 70's. They will continue to make them that way by Escape Trailers Inc. in B.C. (a merger that was just announced 5 or 6 days ago on this Forum). Get in touch with him and he will make it for you. I am ordering Model 1300 from him as we speak. Gota Love Louvered.

Lloyd

[Mitchell]

Hello Lloyd,
That is very interesting news.
Could you pm me with any other details you might be willing to share?
Mitchell

[Donna D.]

Hello Lloyd,
That is very interesting news.
Could you pm me with any other details you might be willing to share?
Mitchell

The discussion Lloyd is referencing about Escape/Trillium is found by click here: Announcement by Escape Trailer Industries & Trillium RV.

BTW: I'd LOVE to have jalousie windows, for all the reasons previously mentioned and besides, I like the retro look. If anyone walks close enough to whack their nose on a window... well, they're too dang close

[CliveAlive]

... besides, I like the retro look. If anyone walks close enough to whack their nose on a window... well, they're too dang close

Donna, my sentiments too!

[Frederick L. Simson]

If anyone walks close enough to whack their nose on a window...

OW! OW!

[Lars H]

Scamps come with a jalousie (also called "crank out") window option now. The entire window is not , just the middle opening portion so probably the same amount of opened window as the regular slider. Maybe has something to do with rounded corners?

You can see the divided jalousie windows in the photos here.

[Mitchell]

Scamps come with a jalousie (also called "crank out") window option now. The entire window is not , just the middle opening portion so probably the same amount of opened window as the regular slider. Maybe has something to do with rounded corners?

Lars H,
Hello, I see what you mean about the rounded corners. I'll take a look at Hehr? and see how theirs are.
Thanks.
Mitchell

[Mitchell]

Hello,
Thank you to everyone who has participated in the poll so far.
I would be interested to hear about any disadvantages of the jalousie/louvered window type that we may be overlooking in addition to the close encounters of the head scarring kind.
Mitchell

[Greg A]

I always set my cooler under the Jalousie window on the Scamp which resolves it being a head-banger since you can't get close enough. Great location for the cooler right outside the door and close to the picnic table. On the other side our window AC has replaced the Jalousie window and is now a bigger head banger if ur not careful.

[Alistair Camelford]

Love the Jalousie windows in the ol' Road Toad! With twelve linear feet of "crank-outs, an incredible "Phantom-style" self storing screen door, and a fantastic fan (rarely powered up) we have enjoyed several winters in the Keys and south Florida and never felt the need for A/C in Jan thru April.
We have added two clip-on 8" fans for those few breezeless nights to keep a breath of air wafting across us as we sleep.
Downsides; very few...dust infiltration in the deserts in the south west this winter; aforementioned head gashes ; window cranks that occasionally need tightening (I must Loctite them this year!); and the fun in replacing the top rubber "flashing" in that little T - shaped groove.
Another plus is that when a glass panel breaks, it is a quick and inexpensive fix to replace a louvered pane ... I've done it twice- once from a hit by a bike handlebar on the rear carrier, once from a rock from a passing truck.
Low power consumption makes "The Road Toad" even greener

[Booker B.]

I like the louvered on our Trillium, just fits the classic nature of the trailer. However, I whack my head on a window every trip. Thankfully a previous owner had gently rounded the corners on the bottom sections and put some sort of epoxy on the corners of the door side (the worse offender). My only real complaint is having to polish all those frames =(

[Cathy Gale]

I've had louvered windows in a previous RV and loved them. I'm hoping they will be an option on my new 15' Escape (I get the 2nd one made). Louvers work better in the rain too, and we all know how much it rains in Oregon (and the PNW). I'm very excited about changing my status from a "wanna-be" to the owner of a new 15' Escape.

[Roger C H]

My wife is happy with the Jalousie windows we will be getting in our new Trillium. I, however, while I like the style, there are some drawbacks:

http://tva.apogee.net/res/rewjalo.asp

However, they may not be such a big thing in an RV.

[Mitchell]

Hello,
Thank you Roger C H.
The link points out a couple of disadvantages.
- The panes do not seal well = not energy efficient
- The panes do not seal well = dust gets in
- The corners protrude======== possible head wounds, scars, embarrassment
On the plus we have a few.
- Superior ventilation
- Ability to ventilate in the rain, a big plus for small campers and those without A/C
- Retro look, but maybe not so much with the radius corners

I wonder if the newer models seal any better than the older.
Mitchell

[Daniel V.]

My two cents... For me, having a good seal is pretty much irrelevant since we usually keep at least two opposite windows partly open for ventilation and to minimize condensation anyway. And I don't think the seal is bad enough that an unmanageable amount of dust would get in, unless you were out camping in extreme dust, in which case I would probably want to stay home and not go camping. As for head wounds... you can either learn your way around them... or not open them as wide... or... let natural selection kick in.

[Jim Bennett]

I would prefer a dual glazed window that seals well, against weather and dust. An awning window would best fit this bill, but fully open would stick out even further. Most times with the roof vents open, one only needs to open the windows a bit anyway to get good ventilation. I would only be concerned with the amount an awning window would open on the door side of the trailer, as it is really the only side that one regularly walks by so the other 3 sides would be fine with awning. On the door side most windows could be non-operating. Another advantage of an awning window over louvered is that there is no obstructions in the middle of the window.

[Mike Watters]

I personally prefer the look of the sliding windows with their radius corners - however, I have to admit that the ability to open the windows in the rain is a very very real benefit.

The inability of Jalousie windows to seal all that well is probably what really did them in. With the increase in the popularity of air conditioning in trailers - using the windows for ventilation became less important. To the contrary - if you're using the AC to keep cool, having windows that don't seal well becomes a serious drawback.

In a very small trailer it isn't all that big a deal though. I've found that in my little trailer, we're best off running the AC AND opening the ceiling vent - so windows that breath wouldn't be an issue.

[Mike Magee]

I personally prefer the look of the sliding windows with their radius corners - however, I have to admit that the ability to open the windows in the rain is a very very real benefit.

The inability of Jalousie windows to seal all that well is probably what really did them in. With the increase in the popularity of air conditioning in trailers - using the windows for ventilation became less important. To the contrary - if you're using the AC to keep cool, having windows that don't seal well becomes a serious drawback.

In a very small trailer it isn't all that big a deal though. I've found that in my little trailer, we're best off running the AC AND opening the ceiling vent - so windows that breath wouldn't be an issue.

"Did them in"? I wouldn't go that far. The 2004 Rockwood we sold this past spring had jalousie windows all around. They worked fine, too. No leaks. I'm sure plenty of RV manufacturers use them yet, so they can't be all that bad... at least if they're made right.