Shattered windows

[MrGoWing]

I went to look at my trailer, a Salem 27RKS, on Friday and I found two large windows broken on either side of the trailer. The trailer is parked at my in laws farm away from vehicular and pedestrian traffic. There were no footprints in the fresh snow and the broken glass lay on top of the snow indicating the breakage happened during the last week. The blinds inside were down and there is no evidence of anything being thrown or shot through the glass. What would cause two windows to fail simultaneously and what can be done to prevent future breakage.

I have no idea why the photos are upside down.

[NJKris]

I found two large windows broken on either side of the trailer.

Hard to believe this is a coincidence based on some sort of thermal expansion if BOTH sides of camper were impacted. Yet most of the glass is OUTSIDE trailer. No footprints or tiremarks at all? Glass OUTSIDE the trailer makes me believe if it was a person, somebody had to be inside the trailer. No screen damage or blind damage though. Hmmmm. The glass on top of snow: Are you sure this did not happen previously and snow melt revealed broken glass? If this was case, and it happened previously, maybe snow obscured footprints? Some little jerk playing with a glass break tool (they are for sale all over Amazon)is my first suspicion. That would cause glass to fall mostly straight down. Tempered glass does not break easily without such a tool or similar mechanism of sharp impact.

[Thomas ho]

pellet gun. too bad they are made of lead .when snow in gone search ground .lead compresses so the pellet should be close by. bbs bounce . i replaced a rv window with pane glass ,instead of tempered. from a glass shop . seal to seal + a little. i made a cardboard templet ,then had it cut , round edges arnt a problem at a glass shop.

[NJKris]

Good point Thomas. A BB can shatter tempered glass, yet may not penetrate the screen or blind. Punk with a BB gun is our suspect, thanks to Detective Ho. Fun fact: Hawaii 5-0 character Chin Ho Kelly was killed off in season 10. RIP detective.

[D W]

Originally Posted by Thomas ho

pellet gun. too bad they are made of lead .when snow in gone search ground .lead compresses so the pellet should be close by. bbs bounce . i replaced a rv window with pane glass ,instead of tempered. from a glass shop . seal to seal + a little. i made a cardboard templet ,then had it cut , round edges arnt a problem at a glass shop.

Oh my, don't know as if I would use pane glass in something going down the highway. Maybe a laminate as opposed to tempered, but never pane glass.

[robo44]

Im just guessing here but Exploding glass is a phenomenon may spontaneously break (or explode) without any apparent reason. The most common causes are: Internal defects within the glass.

Minor edge damage on the glass finally gave way
Extreme impact (like a bird, BB Gun or pellet)

Just a guess -

[MrGoWing]

Not a BB or pellet gun. A person would have to fire across almost 2 quarter sections of land and around a building. I put my 20 years of fire investigation skills to use and found the bigger window was blown in and the smaller blown out. We had strong wind gusts the other day and I suspect the wind blew into the bigger window causing it to fail. The sudden increase in pressure caused the other window to fail. Both windows are now out and going in for repair.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by MrGoWing

We had strong wind gusts the other day and I suspect the wind blew into the bigger window causing it to fail. The sudden increase in pressure caused the other window to fail. Both windows are now out and going in for repair.

That makes sense. Those must have been strong gusts and aimed just the wrong way for your windows.

[wildcatter]

Originally Posted by MrGoWing

Not a BB or pellet gun. A person would have to fire across almost 2 quarter sections of land and around a building. I put my 20 years of fire investigation skills to use and found the bigger window was blown in and the smaller blown out. We had strong wind gusts the other day and I suspect the wind blew into the bigger window causing it to fail. The sudden increase in pressure caused the other window to fail. Both windows are now out and going in for repair.

I have seen car windows broken out due to high winds.

[NJKris]

Wow. What kind of hellish place do you guys live where wind makes windows explode? Neptune?

[wildcatter]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Wow. What kind of hellish place do you guys live where wind makes windows explode? Neptune?

My son was stationed in Colorado (Army), a big wind storm came thru (Colorado Springs area) and broke out his back window on his truck. He learned to crack his windows when high winds were forecasted. His was not the only window to get blown out that day.

[HangDiver]

It can blow like stink on the lee side of our north/south mountain ranges. Blowing out windows of a TT is totally plausible. Chinook down slope wind storms can cause a lot of damage. Occasionally the NWS will (jokingly) issue small pet warnings.

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by HangDiver

It can blow like stink on the lee side of our north/south mountain ranges. Blowing out windows of a TT is totally plausible. Chinook down slope wind storms can cause a lot of damage. Occasionally the NWS will (jokingly) issue small pet warnings.

When you see the southbound 18 wheelers rolled over into the I25 median, you know it's a bad wind day.
When you are heading westbound, and your vehicle suddenly drops to a lower gear with the cruise on, and there is no hill, you know it's a bad wind day.
When you can't avoid hitting all the tumbleweed being blown across the road, you know it's a bad wind day.
When you see the dirt swirling in a vortex as you are driving, it's time to find a tornado shelter - and your car is not a tornado shelter.

Fred W

[NJKris]

As much as I often hate NJ, hearing stories like these makes me a little bit happier I live here. Yes, weather can get crazy here too, but it's pretty unusual. Has to be a hurricane. Even then, never had winds blowing in windows and flipping trucks. You guys live on Jupiter!

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by NJKris

As much as I often hate NJ, hearing stories like these makes me a little bit happier I live here. Yes, weather can get crazy here too, but it's pretty unusual. Has to be a hurricane. Even then, never had winds blowing in windows and flipping trucks. You guys live on Jupiter!

Or South Dakota[emoji41]

[updhaul]

The tempered glass windows in RVs and autos can be damaged so slightly that it is not visible and eventually additional stress that would not cause it to break causes it to shatter. A bump or temperature change.
It is frightening.
I will try to insert picture.
Replacement on mine was difficult as it came in several shades and the window was discontinued product.
Manufacturer made custom replacement with frame and repair was completed.
If delayed I would use Plexiglas or cardboard but not regular glass

[updhaul]

Giving credit to Duncan Systems that was a newly acquired division of Lippert Mfg. at that time for manufacture and delivery of replacement window to local auto window place that installs windshields in your driveway for working with me to complete repair before snow.

[NJKris]

now the thousand dollar question: How was your insurance dealing with this?

[Chuck_S]

Probably happened when the trailer got flipped onto its roof. Sorry, the devil made me type that.

Glass on the ground outside normally indicates breakage from within. Is the trailer tightly sealed, no roof vents cracked? Violent atmospheric pressure change could cause this with weak windows. Both windows the same design?

-- Chuck

[updhaul]

I resisted roll over idea, glad some one else did it I can't speak for MrGoWing's two window damage. Very different. Had mine been on the farm I would know two snow balls or more and suspects. Insurance company was cooperative provided contact help as alternative to simply leaving it at dealership for completion at some future date. Job was done and it was in warehouse before first heavy snows.