Rear opening windows

[Ben72Bay]

So having had a great weekend camping in the bus I now realise I would benifit from rear opening windows.

On the drive to DitC it was 31 degrees and even with both front windows open fully we were essentially driving a box full of hot air! With no through put of airflow.

Any reason not to replace the middle windows with sliders, as apposed to the rear windows?


This pair from JK would seem to do the job.

Thanks for the wisdom!
Ben

 

[chad]

Ours has a 'slatted' window on one side and a slider like the JK ones on the sliding door.
We haven't had any problems with the slider.

 

[Ben72Bay]

Ours has a 'slatted' window on one side and a slider like the JK ones on the sliding door.
We haven't had any problems with the slider.

Thanks Chad.
Can you drive with the slatted ones open.
Any issues with rain getting in when parked up?

 

[creationblue]

I had a sliding window in my first bus and I miss it, the Westy Jalousie windows are a faff to open and you definitely can't pass a beer through it

 

[sparkywig]

Personally I'd go for the Westy type louvre windows. They're a bit more secure to leave open when parked, and the rain won't come in. You can drive with them open, just remember to remove the fly screen first.

 

[chad]

I haven't driven with the slatted ones open as having the sliding one open has been enough in the past. They also rattle a bit when shut so it'd probably be like a skeleton in a concrete mixer if they were open.

Water only seems to get in when I use the hose close to it.

 

[sparkywig]

I changed all the seals on mine, never rattled or let water in. Total pita to do though.

 

[Ben72Bay]

I changed all the seals on mine, never rattled or let water in. Total pita to do though.

As in the main seal that goes around the whole thing?
Or each individual seal on each piece of glass?
Where’s a good place to buy the slatted windows from?

 

[creationblue]

My Westy windows do not leak or rattle in fairness, I use them open when travelling and as Wig says they are much more secure than a sliding window, just that it takes ages to wind the handle to open them.

 

[sparkywig]

My Westy windows do not leak or rattle in fairness, I use them open when travelling and as Wig says they are much more secure than a sliding window, just that it takes ages to wind the handle to open them.

The gearbox must be f*cked then, two turns and mine's fully open.

 

[sparkywig]

As in the main seal that goes around the whole thing?
Or each individual seal on each piece of glass?
Where’s a good place to buy the slatted windows from?

The individual seals.
I don't think the windows have been reproduced, so used is the answer.

 

[creationblue]

The gearbox must be f*cked then, two turns and mine's fully open.

Then I guess mine must be

 

[ozziedog]

I’ve got the slider fitted in and have the fly mesh too. It really helps. In the cab though, the opening quarter lights are the absolute best. If you open them anywhere near half way, there’s a proper hurricane of fresh air coming through but like all vents, when stuck in traffic they’re a bit like nothing. In traffic, not much helps at all. I’ve also got a pair of vents in the pop top that I leave open mostly and that all helps too. A vent window in the back can help too but only on the drivers side as the slider will totally wipe out any sticky outy things. A frozen bottle in a cool bag is about the only thing on a hot day, rub it over your wrists and behind your knees etc then pop it back in the bag with your cold squash. The slider with the mesh allows air through and also keeps the bugs and flys out and won’t let the rain through either unless it’s blowing a hooleigh .

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,vents are great

 

[milfredo]

Then I guess mine must be

I've always loved the winding of the window as it is so ridiculous. I can't see how the gearbox can be fucked. I'll live with it.

 

[milfredo]

I always open the rear quarter window when driving the West for air flow. Works well. I also have a 12v fan in the back powered by a lighter socket.

 

[creationblue]

I changed all my window rubbers years ago and the force to get everything back in place means I have never once opened the quarters since just in case they break or won’t ever shut again

 

[ozziedog]

There’s always the pop out rear window on the tailgate, some call it a rear safari window. Yes they look great, but I’ve not heard of one staying successfully sealed during rains or monsoons. Maybe install one for the summer and replace in the winter or just for dry days come winter only. That leads you on to could you drive with a physical catch / restraint like a metal locking device to fit both receiver and the lock that you could lock your rear tailgate with your worldly goods restrained with a cargo net ? Not sure of the exhaust implications but should imagine it’d be the same as the safari type job. Perhaps a double lock so a copy of the lock on the tailgate one end and a copy of the receiver the other end with a decent piece of metal between and maybe have it to allow the tailgate to be open just an inch when parked up and three or four inches when mobile or even more. It was common practice in Australia back in the day before air conditioning etc, to drive with the tailgate open completely, primarily around the beaches and in the bush too. There were however usually fitted an air deflector on each of the rear posts, that would force air across the opening to prevent dust clouds and insects being dragged in. As said, this was way before the popularisation of air conditioning in the car industry.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,funky

 

[Velgreeno]

There’s always the pop out rear window on the tailgate, some call it a rear safari window. Yes they look great, but I’ve not heard of one staying successfully sealed during rains or monsoons. Maybe install one for the summer and replace in the winter or just for dry days come winter only. That leads you on to could you drive with a physical catch / restraint like a metal locking device to fit both receiver and the lock that you could lock your rear tailgate with your worldly goods restrained with a cargo net ? Not sure of the exhaust implications but should imagine it’d be the same as the safari type job. Perhaps a double lock so a copy of the lock on the tailgate one end and a copy of the receiver the other end with a decent piece of metal between and maybe have it to allow the tailgate to be open just an inch when parked up and three or four inches when mobile or even more. It was common practice in Australia back in the day before air conditioning etc, to drive with the tailgate open completely, primarily around the beaches and in the bush too. There were however usually fitted an air deflector on each of the rear posts, that would force air across the opening to prevent dust clouds and insects being dragged in. As said, this was way before the popularisation of air conditioning in the car industry.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,funky

I was just going to mention Safari windows and has anyone got one. I would love one on mine but i have heard they leak somewhat and the price too is just madness ha..

 

[Ben72Bay]

I’ve got the slider fitted in and have the fly mesh too. It really helps. In the cab though, the opening quarter lights are the absolute best. If you open them anywhere near half way, there’s a proper hurricane of fresh air coming through but like all vents, when stuck in traffic they’re a bit like nothing. In traffic, not much helps at all. I’ve also got a pair of vents in the pop top that I leave open mostly and that all helps too. A vent window in the back can help too but only on the drivers side as the slider will totally wipe out any sticky outy things. A frozen bottle in a cool bag is about the only thing on a hot day, rub it over your wrists and behind your knees etc then pop it back in the bag with your cold squash. The slider with the mesh allows air through and also keeps the bugs and flys out and won’t let the rain through either unless it’s blowing a hooleigh .

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,vents are great

@ozziedog
So a slider like this?


Where did you get the mesh screen come from? Haven’t seen those for sale so far.

Think I’m going for a pair of these as they are considerably cheaper than the slatted ones.

How easy / difficult is it to fit opening quarter lights to fronts?

Think this combo would work for me at this stage.

 

[ozziedog]

My slider came with the mesh screen, I bought two second hand ones ten plus years ago I think. No idea what happened to the other one though . So second hand ones are available and they’ll fit in to a standard window glass seal. As far as camping goes, I rarely if ever maybe even never need more than the two roof vents with the cab windows down an inch and sometimes my slider is open and sometimes it’s closed and that is normally down to alcohol intake on that particular evening. Ten plus years ago I made a set of fly mesh covers for the tailgate and the cab windows for when it gets super hot through the night. I’ve never ever used them. When it gets hot in towns and built up areas, that heat can go on into the night, but in the areas where we predominantly camp, when the sun goes down the heat mostly goes with it and so I’ve never used them. I’ve also heard that in the hottest deserts of the world it can get below freezing in the night and you can hear rocks cracking in the cold night air, is it true? Don’t know. Perhaps a good dash fan for just the traffic jams. I bought a fan with a water container included to give evaporative cooling but it was pretty feeble. Swamp coolers work well but only when you’re travelling again. There were a few AirCon units fitted to these guys but rocking horse poop springs to mind.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,just don’t get stuck in traffic jams