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Old 07-02-2019, 08:30 PM   #1
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Cracked windshield advice sought

We bought our first motorhome (the Berk) around last Thanksgiving and are into our first major trip - SoCal to Alaska.

Yesterday morning we suffered a small-pebble hit creating a quarter-sized star crack about 2/3 up. In the afternoon, we got another one about mid-height; but since then the crack has migrated to the bottom edge and upward about 10". Both hits were on good paved roads.

Given the vulnerability of these massive glass walls, I'm inclined to wait until fall when we return to have it replaced - since we will be on some gravel roads during our trip and might expect more hits. Also, the label confirms "Laminated Safety Glass" and hopefully only one layer is currently cracked.

So far, it looks like one of the cracks is likely to reach from top to bottom. They don't bother me driving, but would it be safe to wait until fall to replace? What would you do?

Anyone have any experience or advice on this?

Thanks for any input.
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Old 07-02-2019, 08:55 PM   #2
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I've found the crack repair kits work well and stops the cracks from "running"

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Old 07-02-2019, 08:55 PM   #3
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I had my glass replaced last year and I still have water leaks.
Back to you, you can use clear finger nail polish to cover the star crack. You can also use it on the big crack, but you can also get some clear gorilla tape and put over the cracks. If you think it might fall out, you can also use the tape to tape onto the frame. But it might damage the cover on the front. I actually waited a year and a half before replacing it.
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Old 07-03-2019, 07:39 AM   #4
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We had a 10" crack before our trip to AK and did not change the entire trip. Was thinking we would get more but didn't. Would not worry about it . Skip
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Old 07-03-2019, 01:21 PM   #5
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Check with your insurance company. They might offer to pay for Safety Lite as ours did. They can come to you.
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Old 07-03-2019, 01:59 PM   #6
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As long as you can safely see out of it, don't get it replaced until end of season. You can find windshield crack specialists that can usually do something to arrest that crack and keep it from spreading out more. They are worth the money to keep you safe and certainly way less than complete replacement. Who knows maybe more stray pebbles, rough roads or a bird will hit and further damage it before the trip is over. So waiting in my book is what I would do.
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Old 07-03-2019, 03:20 PM   #7
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Have had my windshield chipped many times and I get to a repair shop ASAP to have them repair the hole. Not expensive and if you don't repair the chip it may and probably will create a crack when window is stressed from heat or cold. Had a crack start from a rock chip that I didn't see at the bottom of window, chip repair guy injected the glue into the crack and it has so far stopped the crack from spreading.

The repair consists of drilling a hole where chip or crack is and injecting glue with a special tool. The finished product, if done properly, will pretty much be impossible to see. I would stay away from the over the counter chip repair kits sold at automotive stores, my window costs about $3000 to replace and a $500 deductible so I leave it to the expert repair techs.
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Old 07-03-2019, 03:21 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by BobHanke View Post
Check with your insurance company. They might offer to pay for Safety Lite as ours did. They can come to you.
What is Safety Lite?
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Old 07-03-2019, 05:00 PM   #9
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What is Safety Lite?
Probably a typo: https://www.safelite.com/

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Old 07-03-2019, 05:15 PM   #10
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Of course the gorilla in the closet for most of us is if the windshield fails there isn’t likely to be a replacement anywhere close or timely. I cannot imagine driving down the highway to the next town without one is any fun at all. They probably won’t shatter but structurally weaken and come out I suppose. I’m one of those folks trying to baby my spider cracked windshield also. I’m also one of the people who invariably seems to get a big rock kiss on the way home from from getting my new windshield installed. Roulette, I guess.
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Old 07-03-2019, 05:21 PM   #11
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Both the AlCan (the Alaska Highway) and the Cassiar are “challenging” for windshields. You will see a lot of cracked and chipped windshields on the road. I would delay replacement until after your return.
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Old 07-03-2019, 05:38 PM   #12
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We have had to replace two windshields in the past. One from a hawk hitting it and the other from a truck kicking up a stone into it. Last year we got a chip in ours and Safe Lite came out and took care of it with no charge to us. They took car of contacting our insurance company also. I would at least try to contact them and see what they can do.
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Old 07-03-2019, 06:11 PM   #13
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Both the AlCan (the Alaska Highway) and the Cassiar are “challenging” for windshields. You will see a lot of cracked and chipped windshields on the road. I would delay replacement until after your return.
I used to travel extensively in Alaska for business. Saw some motorhomes that had homemade rock screens extending up to the top of the windshield. Most had a hinged portion that could be folded down when on paved roads but then folded up to help intercept the golf ball sized rocks that can get tossed into the air from oncoming vehicles.

Most were made of "hardware cloth" rather than window screen. Saw one that used toilet plungers to hold the top edge off the top of the windshield and bungee cords around mirrors to hold it up and tight against the toilet plungers.


Another tip. Stay WAAAAAY back from vehicles ahead when on roads with any loose gravel and if possible, slow way down if you see an oncoming large truck. The'll flip the stones up in the air but it's YOUR speed that is increasing the intensity of the impact.
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Old 07-03-2019, 06:40 PM   #14
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I got a crack in mine and since it was less than 4 inches long, Safelite fixed it and billed my insurance company. Two days later it started spreading and is now there are several cracks. Since I have $500 deductable I am waiting until it starts to get into my vision area.
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Old 07-03-2019, 08:10 PM   #15
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Safelite has a deal with our insurance company that will replace the windshield at no cost to you if[B[/B] the chip/crack that they fixed runs and ruins the rest of the windshield. Would sure bear checking.
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Old 07-03-2019, 09:04 PM   #16
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A word of caution - when my windshield cracked from a stone hit, I took the rig to a safelite repair center to have them fix the quarter sized star crack. Unfortunately, they tried to repair it with the windshield facing the sun. This caused two problems:


1. The glue they use is set using UV light. Sunlight starts setting the glue before it spreads fully into the crack.


2. The sun heats the windshield, a problem when they're pulling suction on the crack before injecting the glue.


The net result was a foot long crack that they couldn't stop from spreading. I ended up doing a windshield replacement.


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Old 07-04-2019, 08:44 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by cariboo camper View Post
What is Safety Lite?
Yep, Safelite. They came to the house to fix our one piece windshield and insurance paid the full thing. Much cheaper for them than to wait for the spider web to spread out.
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Old 07-04-2019, 10:03 AM   #18
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Thanks for all the good tips, folks!

Just checked for Safelite locations, but none in Canada - we're near Banff right now waiting out the rain. (No point in travelling through super scenery when you can't see it, right?)

Looks like we can get to Safelite in AK. Might try an OTC fix when it dries out. However, one of the cracks is now fully top to bottom, other is still a star; I might be able to stop that one.

Thanks, again!
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Old 07-04-2019, 10:28 AM   #19
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Safelite is an American windshield repair centre......Like Speedy Auto Glass.
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Old 07-04-2019, 04:03 PM   #20
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Safelite has a deal with our insurance company that will replace the windshield at no cost to you if[B[/B] the chip/crack that they fixed runs and ruins the rest of the windshield. Would sure bear checking.
Wow. What is your insurance company? Safelite told me that if the crack spreads, they would refund the cost of the crack repair to the insurance company. And they won't pay my $500 deductable.
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