sun roof - Fiberglass RV
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Old 12-27-2005, 11:19 AM   #1
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has any body ever put in a sunroof rather than a roof vent! If you have I would love to see pics & coments.
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Old 12-27-2005, 11:53 AM   #2
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As a matter of fact, someone here put a plexi sheet into the roof of their trailer. It was really slick, but unfortunately those photos and posts are gone.

Have you considered the VW bus sunroof solution? The problem with a sunroof in a fiberglass trailer is that it would adversely affect the structural integrity of the roof unless it was either really small (the size of the existing escape hatch in a Scamp for example), or there were significant mods made to accomodate it...

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Old 12-28-2005, 07:44 AM   #3
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I have installed after-market types in several pickups. My experience is that after a time they develop leaks. Usually it is in the gasket due to debris and aging of the foam. That all sounds simple enough, but my track record of successful gasket replacement is very bad.

For a fiberglas trailer, I would think boat hatch construction might be better. That is sort of the way the original 14 x 14 vents are made. They have a protruding frame that the lid hinges from. Auto sun roofs retain the flat look, and all protruding is on the inside.

I'm just thinking about an old Buick out on the back 40 that should be taken to the junk yard. It has a after-market sunroof. Hmmmm.
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Old 12-29-2005, 12:44 PM   #4
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has any body ever put in a sunroof rather than a roof vent! If you have I would love to see pics & coments.
Hi JIMZ,
I had 1/2 of a his and hers pop-up sun roof installed by Broco Auto Glass and have been very happy with the result. The mod was not cheap, but well worth it IMHO. My main consideration was the resulting low profile so I could garage my egg.
Doug
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Old 12-29-2005, 01:25 PM   #5
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Seems like someone (pre-hack) posted pictures of a bubble sunroof they had installed. Pretty cool looking. I could just imagine sticking my head up there and getting a 360 degree view.
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Old 12-30-2005, 09:15 AM   #6
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How about several bubble sunroofs. Then when the trailer is not being used for traveling, it could be a green house. Cool!!!!
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Old 12-30-2005, 09:54 AM   #7
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How about several bubble sunroofs. Then when the trailer is not being used for traveling, it could be a green house. Cool!!!!
Not "cool" - hot! Sunroofs make sense on cars that are on the move and have air conditioners - cooling is no problem for them, and it's the only way they can enjoy the sunshine while they are traveling. Our FG eggs, on the other hand, are sitting still under the sun and can quickly become little ovens full of solar heat. Loren's absolutely right about the 'greenhouse' effect!

Isn't it kinda comical that we add awnings to shade us from the sun while we're outside our eggs, then contemplate chopping a hole in the roof to expose us to sun when we're inside?

As long as we're free to step outside any time to enjoy Ol' Sol - which is what camping is all about - a sunroof on a FG egg makes no sense to me.
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Old 12-30-2005, 11:58 AM   #8
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We are kicking around the idea of installing a large skylight in our Compact Junior. The pop-top offers tons of fresh air but we think this would be a great addition for additional light and a view of the stars at night.

Brenda
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Old 12-30-2005, 01:15 PM   #9
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Every time I visit an auto wrecking yard I'm struck by all th "good stuff" that is ignored and thrown away. Sunroofs are an example of that. It seems to me someone should be able to take one of those out, cut the appropriate hole in the trailer (or enlarge the existing vent), put new moldings on it and your done. Am I totally out to lunch here? There are so many different sunroofs one MUST be able to find a suitable one for our particular needs.
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Old 12-30-2005, 03:00 PM   #10
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I have two fairly large skylights in my Airstream that have shades that can be drawn over them. Jack is absolutely correct in that while the light is nice, the heat is unbearable on a summer day. The a/c in the trailer isn't large enough to deal with the heat that comes through the skylights, even with the shades drawn. Sometimes the thermal covers on the inside aren't even enough... and this is on a 34' trailer. I couldn't imagine how much heat a 22"x30" clear skylight or sunroof could introduce into an egg!

Roger
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Old 01-03-2006, 10:03 PM   #11
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Hmmmm.... Many thoughts on this one. I personally would enjoy very much laying down at night and looking up at trees or stars. We often camp in treed shaded spaces so the heat is not a huge concern here. Besides the only real time spent in the Boler is rainy days and night time.
HOWEVER...Leaks are likely to occur and many people who have sun roofs on their car will tell you all about their horror stories. Most recent one we were talking about at work was one guys sun roof falling off down our main highway in Calgary, the Deerfoot . He was lucky no one was tailing him (although good lesson if they had been ). He was able to go to an auto wreckers and replace it himself for cheap. Chances are it is like anything else does the value to you outway the likely aging factors. Hmmmmmm...Stars or Boler Ceiling....I am in for the stars!
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Old 01-04-2006, 11:27 PM   #12
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The Play Pac came stock with a bubble roof.

Mike Watters has some pics of his, maybe he can repost them?
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Old 07-09-2013, 10:45 AM   #13
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Kicking this back to the top. Racking my brain to find a lower profile vent so that I can get my Scamp in the garage without changing out wheels.
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Old 07-09-2013, 12:25 PM   #14
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One consideration if installing an automotive type sunroof would be having to make some sort of screen to keep the mosquitoes and flies out.
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Old 07-09-2013, 12:51 PM   #15
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Yes, or maybe a marine hatch?
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Old 07-09-2013, 01:18 PM   #16
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Shouldn't be hard to create something out of plastic. Make the top surface out of a single piece of plastic, above the level of the roof and overlap the roof for an inch or so. Either use a thin piece of plastic to hold the plastic above the roof level, or just build up the fiberglass a bit. Seal with the putty stuff. Leaks should not be an issue because water doesn't flow up hill except maybe with capillary action. If you try and do anything flush or sunk down like a car sun roof it will leak. Have fun. I thought about doing one for a while, but decided a vent was a better idea because the sun is brutal in Colorado.
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