why ask why?

[Franswa]

something occured to me lately....a whole bunch of these FG trailers have "rock guards" up front with a large window behind that.......

I wonder why it is that not one designer/manufacturer has made that front window an OPENING window.....that way you could leave it open and not worry about a rain event while you were away from the trailer....

....I'm thinking three panes with the center one being a slider with a fixed (outside) bug screen.......I wonder why it never happened....so simple, easy and really useful...

[reeves99]

Some older trailers (Trillium?) had opening front windows. But the newer ones mostly don't. Sure wish my front window opened though.

[Darral T.]

My 2010 Scamp 13' has a bathroom window that opens. I've since learned now that Scamp no longer puts that window in. Another DUMB move by Scamp but that's not surprising.

[Glenn Baglo]

I have an opening front window on my Escape 17B.
The rock guard does shield the window from rain ( I open it about half way ).
The rock guard is no longer made so the opening front window is no longer available.

[Burro Bill]

My 83 Burro has a front opening window as well as the rock guard.
I find them both very usefull!

[mzuzel]

It wasn't just the older Trilliums that featured an opening front window; our 2011 Mattman-built Trillium 1300 has a jalousie window up front, and as recently as 2014 the Great West-produced Trilliums also had them.

[Bob in Mb]

Originally Posted by mzuzel

It wasn't just the older Trilliums that featured an opening front window; our 2011 Mattman-built Trillium 1300 has a jalousie window up front, and as recently as 2014 the Great West-produced Trilliums also had them.

Surf Sides as well , and happy to have it !!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

My 2010 Scamp 13' has a bathroom window that opens. I've since learned now that Scamp no longer puts that window in. Another DUMB move by Scamp but that's not surprising.

They now install an exhaust fan instead... better ventilation, no leaks in transit!...SMART move by Scamp but that's not surprising.

[Raz]

Originally Posted by mzuzel

It wasn't just the older Trilliums that featured an opening front window; our 2011 Mattman-built Trillium 1300 has a jalousie window up front, and as recently as 2014 the Great West-produced Trilliums also had them.

Yup. No leaks in transit here either! Raz

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by floyd

They now install an exhaust fan instead... better ventilation, no leaks in transit!...SMART move by Scamp but that's not surprising.

Yes I was told the front bath window tended to leak. So now we have the Van Air powered roof vent, which in my case leaked from day one due to incomplete caulking on the roof. I would be OK without the vent at all but there are advantages and disadvantages to any arrangement. I won't even go into the fact that the vent manufacturer "has not evaluated the use of the vent in wet locations" such as a shower.

BTW, in Layout four the only way to get any cross ventilation around the sofa is to have the door open, and even then it leaves something to be desired. Maybe I will put a powered vent in the port side wall, above the sofa

[Brian M. in NY]

ParkLiner has a small, opening front window in the bath. Then again, they don't make them anymore. Or again - yet?!

[reeves99]

I'm very jalousie of those front opening windows!

[Glenn Baglo]

I've had no leaks in transit or otherwise. The rock guard prevents intrusion.

[Kai in Seattle]

Our 1973 amerigo has a big window on one side of the front and it does open, same as all the side windows, a one-piece jalousie (I prefer the multiple-part ones, but go fish)...the rock shield was apparently never raised by the POs and was just amazingly filthy inside. However, we've cut a big opening in it and will install a sheet of "generic Lexan" -- shield can be raised, then, window can be opened...painting that original weird green fiberglass white inside the shield.
Hoping to be able to see "through" the trailer when towing, and to have better light and view when parked if we aren't able to raise the shield, because of wind, say, or only parking briefly. What's the point of a window that is permanently blocked? It's our back window that cannot be opened.

[John Linck]

When you consider a 60-70 mph wind driven rain while you bounce down the highway leaks can happen on a front facing window, especially if the weatherstripping is old and/or poorly maintained.

I keep my weatherstrip soft and supple with dielectric grease. So far so good thought the Scamp is only 2 years old.

I can't imagine how a jalousie window could be weatherproof on the trailer's front.

[mzuzel]

Originally Posted by John Linck

I can't imagine how a jalousie window could be weatherproof on the trailer's front.

Our rock guard seems to make it so. It has never leaked, even in driving wind/rain.

[redbarron55]

When I get filled in the front window and moved the side bath window up there I now have a front opening window!
Now you on build a rock guard for it.
If it leaks a little the water will just run into the new shower pan.


Sent from my SCH-I605 using Fiberglass RV mobile app

[Raz]

Originally Posted by John Linck

I can't imagine how a jalousie window could be weatherproof on the trailer's front.

John, in a hard driving rain or if I'm washing the trailer and aim the hose at the side of any of the windows, I get a little seepage. I had the same thing happen on my last trailer that had sliders. The rear window is the worst as it has no weep holes on the egress side, so if it's not level you can get a puddle in the track. Condensation will do the same thing. As Michael suggests, the rock guard seems to protect the front. Opening windows on four sides is hard to beat. Raz

[Kai in Seattle]

Originally Posted by John Linck

When you consider a 60-70 mph wind driven rain while you bounce down the highway leaks can happen on a front facing window, especially if the weatherstripping is old and/or poorly maintained.

I keep my weatherstrip soft and supple with dielectric grease. So far so good thought the Scamp is only 2 years old.

I can't imagine how a jalousie window could be weatherproof on the trailer's front.

Good point about sealant; we'll use the white butyl rubber sealant tape when installing the polycarbonate sheet, then, as well as the little bolts. Otherwise, from the state of the belly band wood, it looks like that front window has never leaked. Not so for the other windows--which all need to be resealed and will be before we take the egg anywhere else. Thanks!

[Pat Thomson]

Front windows open on our 79 Trillium Jubilee. Jalousies both sides, covered with stoneguard while in transit. The jalousies are the best feature of the older Trills - breezes in, rain stays out for a cool snooze.