Hi, I'm just wondering if anybody else has had the problem of any Dometic windows falling out while travelling? My husband closed the window before we left Katherine, and I checked it, as I didn't realise that he'd locked it. It was fully locked. We reached Roper River, only to find that our toilet window had simply vanished into thin air. My husband had stopped to see why the caravan was wandering all over the road. We soon found out why! Our caravan is just over twelve months old.
-- Edited by Fuzzball on Saturday 8th of August 2015 11:54:36 PM
-- Edited by Fuzzball on Saturday 8th of August 2015 11:57:01 PM
We have been on the road full time since Dec 2013. I have experienced the same problems with these windows with the screen and currently replacing with Bunnings sourced Cyclone Miniweave with a 30 x 18 thread per inch weave. Originals seem to be 20 x 18. Midges are eating us alive at Cabbage Tree Point Qld at the moment. Think they use the original screen as a perch like vultures. I have also had a problem with wind gusts forcing the open windows up because of no clamp on the struts, to the point of reaching full travel and withdrawing the the strut mount from its cylinder. I was able to repair them. Another person I spoke to said the same happened to him but his window blew up over 90 degrees and dislodged from it's hinge point and landed a distance from his Motorhome.
I'll see how we go with our screen conversion and pass comment.
Cheers, Ray
Well its been about 5 months since we rescreened all 9 of our Seitz windows.
The midge screen sourced from Bunnings stopped the midges getting through but some still made their way around the track.
I tried adjusting the roller tension on the blinds but only the small windows retract (just) leaving 7 that don't.
Factory pretension was about 13 turns. I tried all the way up to 25 turns but still no luck. They just bind on the roller with the internal frame.
I deburred and polished with car polish the internal frame, still no joy.
If I thump the frame hard where the roller sits it will slowly retract so that is the bind point.
No solution yet.
Problem 2
I've had 2 windows now blow out and land on the ground. What a poor design and extremely dangerous.
Maybe this is a issue to be taken up with Dept of Fair Trading as a safety issue with a possible recall.
Cheers,
Ray
-- Edited by greyhoundtom on Sunday 9th of August 2015 07:40:38 AM
Hey Jim said
09:35 AM Aug 9, 2015
Hi guys,
Could the acual cut out / rebate be to big for the windows in the first instance. There should be very minimal tolerance???
Jim
Fuzzball said
09:26 PM Aug 9, 2015
This isn't about fly screens not working. The whole darn thing fell out on the road!!!
banjo said
08:56 PM Aug 10, 2015
When we bought our 5'th wheeler we were advised by our manufacturer, to check the window fixing screws every few thousand klms. as they were inclined to loosen occasionally, something we do maybe every couple of months as we are full time on the road and ours probably get more work than most.
Never actually heard of any falling out ! but we have replaced all the silly white dometic fly screens last year with a USA product called No-seeum mesh, works brilliantly for midges or sand-flies and being a charcoal colour is far less noticeable than the white rubbish they come with.
Bit of a laborious job but fairly simple to do.
PeterD said
08:03 AM Aug 11, 2015
This thread is getting confusing. Did the whole window fall (frame and all) out or just the sash drop off?
greyhoundtom said
06:03 AM Aug 12, 2015
FRom the post I quoted:
Problem 2
I've had 2 windows now blow out and land on the ground. What a poor design and extremely dangerous.
Maybe this is a issue to be taken up with Dept of Fair Trading as a safety issue with a possible recall.
Cheers,
Ray
It appears to me that the section of the window that opens, the sash if you like, is held in place so poorly that suction created by the wind while towing the van is capable of opening the sash and lifting it off its anchoring points at the top of the sash.
An extremely poor state of affairs if you are the one with these windows fitted to you new van.
Firstly jump on the dealer and the van builder, then the window manufacturer to see what they are prepared to do about this issue, and if not satisfactory, action via the department of fair trade.
Cheers,
Tom
villatranquilla said
06:28 AM Aug 14, 2015
we saw a window on the roadside near Tenant Creek NT in late May
Bruce and Bev said
11:09 AM Aug 15, 2015
Most RV manufacturers use Dometic made or supplied fittings (not limited to windows) as they are in-expensive. This info came from a supervisor in the factory service centre (who do the warranty repairs) for my brand of caravan. We talked about the blind/insect mesh pull up/downs and he reckoned they were garbage. But I told him I had met with the owner of the same model 'van a few months earlier who said he had 3 windows fall out.
This supervisor couldn't believe it - he said the Dometic windows would only fall out if 1) the frame slots had been cut too large 2) not fitted in properly 3) the van had been driven over exceptionally rough ground (it was not an off-road model) and the crashing around had made the van frame flex enough for the windows to drop out.
Sounds like you folk had a badly made or fitted RV
laurieoz said
05:06 PM Sep 1, 2015
banjo wrote:
When we bought our 5'th wheeler we were advised by our manufacturer, to check the window fixing screws every few thousand klms. as they were inclined to loosen occasionally, something we do maybe every couple of months as we are full time on the road and ours probably get more work than most.
Never actually heard of any falling out ! but we have replaced all the silly white dometic fly screens last year with a USA product called No-seeum mesh, works brilliantly for midges or sand-flies and being a charcoal colour is far less noticeable than the white rubbish they come with. Bit of a laborious job but fairly simple to do.
Hi Banjo
Can you please give me some information on No-Seeum mesh Where did you purchase? Mesh size etc
How to change the mesh?
Any problem with mesh blowing out from the guides with wind?
Any other information -
I am sick of insects getting through the Dometic product
Thanks
Spydermann said
07:11 PM Sep 1, 2015
I think no-seeum mesh is the insect screen mesh used in lots of tents. A trip to a camping store (Rays, BCF) will give you some idea of what it is.
Hi, I'm just wondering if anybody else has had the problem of any Dometic windows falling out while travelling? My husband closed the window before we left Katherine, and I checked it, as I didn't realise that he'd locked it. It was fully locked. We reached Roper River, only to find that our toilet window had simply vanished into thin air. My husband had stopped to see why the caravan was wandering all over the road. We soon found out why! Our caravan is just over twelve months old.
-- Edited by Fuzzball on Saturday 8th of August 2015 11:54:36 PM
-- Edited by Fuzzball on Saturday 8th of August 2015 11:57:01 PM
Have a look on this forum on the below link as it seems it certainly is not an unusual occurance.
http://thegreynomads.activeboard.com/t52305917/dometic-seitz-windows/
Cheers, Tom
[Edit] this is the pertinent post:
I installed Seitz windows in our Motorhome.
We have been on the road full time since Dec 2013.
I have experienced the same problems with these windows with the screen and currently replacing with Bunnings sourced Cyclone Miniweave with a 30 x 18 thread per inch weave. Originals seem to be 20 x 18.
Midges are eating us alive at Cabbage Tree Point Qld at the moment. Think they use the original screen as a perch like vultures.
I have also had a problem with wind gusts forcing the open windows up because of no clamp on the struts, to the point of reaching full travel and withdrawing the the strut mount from its cylinder.
I was able to repair them. Another person I spoke to said the same happened to him but his window blew up over 90 degrees and dislodged from it's hinge point and landed a distance from his Motorhome.
I'll see how we go with our screen conversion and pass comment.
Cheers,
Ray
Well its been about 5 months since we rescreened all 9 of our Seitz windows.
The midge screen sourced from Bunnings stopped the midges getting through but some still made their way around the track.
I tried adjusting the roller tension on the blinds but only the small windows retract (just) leaving 7 that don't.
Factory pretension was about 13 turns. I tried all the way up to 25 turns but still no luck. They just bind on the roller with the internal frame.
I deburred and polished with car polish the internal frame, still no joy.
If I thump the frame hard where the roller sits it will slowly retract so that is the bind point.
No solution yet.
Problem 2
I've had 2 windows now blow out and land on the ground. What a poor design and extremely dangerous.
Maybe this is a issue to be taken up with Dept of Fair Trading as a safety issue with a possible recall.
Cheers,
Ray
-- Edited by greyhoundtom on Sunday 9th of August 2015 07:40:38 AM
Hi guys,
Could the acual cut out / rebate be to big for the windows in the first instance. There should be very minimal tolerance???
Jim
Never actually heard of any falling out ! but we have replaced all the silly white dometic fly screens last year with a USA product called No-seeum mesh, works brilliantly for midges or sand-flies and being a charcoal colour is far less noticeable than the white rubbish they come with.
Bit of a laborious job but fairly simple to do.
Problem 2
I've had 2 windows now blow out and land on the ground. What a poor design and extremely dangerous.
Maybe this is a issue to be taken up with Dept of Fair Trading as a safety issue with a possible recall.
Cheers,
Ray
It appears to me that the section of the window that opens, the sash if you like, is held in place so poorly that suction created by the wind while towing the van is capable of opening the sash and lifting it off its anchoring points at the top of the sash.
An extremely poor state of affairs if you are the one with these windows fitted to you new van.
Firstly jump on the dealer and the van builder, then the window manufacturer to see what they are prepared to do about this issue, and if not satisfactory, action via the department of fair trade.
Cheers,
Tom
This supervisor couldn't believe it - he said the Dometic windows would only fall out if 1) the frame slots had been cut too large 2) not fitted in properly 3) the van had been driven over exceptionally rough ground (it was not an off-road model) and the crashing around had made the van frame flex enough for the windows to drop out.
Sounds like you folk had a badly made or fitted RV
Hi Banjo
Can you please give me some information on No-Seeum mesh
Where did you purchase? Mesh size etc
How to change the mesh?
Any problem with mesh blowing out from the guides with wind?
Any other information -
I am sick of insects getting through the Dometic product
Thanks