Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 20:39:29 -0600
Reply-To: Joel Walker <jwalker@URONRAMP.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Joel Walker <jwalker@URONRAMP.NET>
Subject: Re: Window tinting
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> I'm thinking about having the windows tinted in my 84 Westy. I'd
> like to hear from anyone else who has had it done. He are my
i've done four vans now. :)
> 1. How much did it cost
well, it varies. according to the price of the tint. wal-mart used to
sell it for less than $10 a roll, but i think it's up higher than that
now. i used three rolls per bus. i got the Gila brand, 70 percent
stuff. if you do NOT plan on using a radar detector, you can get the
more expensive 90 percent stuff (blocks more heat, but also blocks
radar ... it has a thin metal sub-layer or something. it's also
darker, i think. so figure between $30 and $50 for each van. plus
about $4-5 for some 'bondo spreaders' ... little yellow plastic
paddle-looking things that you use to spread bondo/fender-fixer. they
work better than the rubber squeegee that comes with the tint. the
spreaders come in a blister pack, about three different sizes.
you'll also need a box/whatever of single-edge razor blades. about $2,
i think. get the big old-style ones. a utility knife can work, too,
but it needs to be a fresh new blade that is sharp (and be careful!).
this is for cutting/trimming the tint to size ... don't use scissors
as they leave a pretty jagged edge. really. you think it would work,
but they don't. you'll need a spray bottle, like windex or something.
anything with a finger-pump/trigger type spray. wash it out well, and
fill it almost full with tap water, then add about four or five drops
of dishwashing detergent (lemon joy or some such) ... this helps with
something about the water tension or some other chemical stuff. but it
works better than just water. and a roll of paper towels ... to soak
up the water that you will be squeegeeing out from the tint.
> 2. How noticeable is the cooling effect while camping in the summer
> time.
VERY. it helps especially on a white bus, where the color is
reflecting the heat already. even on a dark blue bus, it helped in the
hot days of Alabama summers. :) i do NOT recommend putting it on the
front door windows, as i think it reduces your visibility .. some
folks do, and it would obviously help keep more heat out. but i prefer
to be able to see. i do, however, recommend a strip of about 9" across
the top of the windshield. you'll have to do it in two pieces
(meet/match up behind the rearview mirror, and leave a tiny gap for
the water to get out ... about 1/8" inch (3mm) is all that's needed).
this strip helps a LOT when driving into the sun. you'll have to
'adjust' it (trim off some if needed) according to your height. tall
drivers will want less than 9", and shorter drivers might want more.
i'm about six feet tall and 9" works well for me. it also can help at
night ... by raising my head a bit, i can block out the oncoming
idiots who drive with their bright lights on all the time. or the
idiots in bmw's with their mis-aimed fog lights.
> 3. How does it hold up
12 years on my 88 bus. still on there. it WILL scratch, so you do need
to be careful with that. but i don't open my sliding windows much, so
they aren't scratched at all. now, on my 1980 bus, which did NOT have
air conditioning, i was opening the sliding windows a lot, and they
did scratch the tint. but that was old tint, almost 20 years ago. the
new stuff is supposed to be tougher and not so easily scratchable. in
fact, that same bus (80) is still running around town with the same
tint job on it. :)
> 4. Was it worth it overall
not just yes, but HELL yes! :) well worth the money.
some tips:
- it'll take about one afternoon. go slow. take your time. you need a
windless day, cause you have to 'measure' the tint on the OUTside of
the bus. yup. cut the tint to the rough size/shape on the outside.
then go inside to fit it. luckily, all the bus windows are flatter
than Kansas and it is pretty easy. the only really hard window is the
sliding part of the middle windows: the handle needs to be cut
out/around. don't try to cut a hole out, just cut a rectangle from the
bottom edge of the tint ... that is, leave an open gap under the
handle. it's a lot of trouble to try to fit the tint around the handle
and quite franky it's just not worth it.
- when you cut the tint to size, you want to leave a gap around the
edges. that is, do NOT make the tint go all the way to the edges of
the glass. you need about 1/8" (3mm) gap around the edges so the water
can get out.
- make SURE you know which side is tint, and which side is 'backing'
(the clear plastic stuff you peel off and throw away). it makes a
difference when you cut it to shape!! :) so when you cut it on the
outside, make sure you have the tint facing the right side out (that
is, the clear/throw-away stuff should be on the outermost, so when you
go INside, it'll be next to the glass.
- clean the inside of the glass really really well.
- spray the entire window glass (inside. the part you just cleaned)
with the water from your spray bottle. use plenty of water. don't be
stingy, but you don't need Niagra Falls either. :)
- peel the backing off, being VERY careful NOT to let the tint fold on
itself ... it's hard to get it unstuck from itself (spray the water on
it). and put it up against the window glass.
- now quickly start squeegeeing the water out from under the tint.
squeegee from the middle outward/upward/downward. clean up the water
with the paper towels. do it quick and get as much water out as
possible.
- now trim any excess tint off around the edges (if there is any. a
good size-fitting on the outside helps at this stage: not as much
trimming to do). looks ok? fine.
- now squeegee the whole window again. start in the middle and work
your way to the edges again. you'll be surprised at how much water was
still under there.
- now do it again. yup. squeegee it AGAIN.
- one more time. yup.
- and one last time. there shouldn't be much water coming out this
time. if there is, squeegee it AGAIN. :) the more water you get out,
the less chance there is of those hideous bubbles that you see on some
cars running around town. that's what causes those bubbles: water left
under the tint.
- ok, you've got a bubble ... what to do? slit it with the razor blade
and squeegee the water out. hopefully, in the first couple of
squeegeeing episodes, you can 'work' the bubble out toward the edges.
if you get a bubble later, you can try squeezing it toward and edge,
but if you have to, you can slit it and get the water out. if you are
slow and careful and don't let the tint slide around, you shouldn't
have bubbles to worry about. :)
that's it. the rear hatch window is large and takes the most time, and
the defroster lines get in the way, so you'll have to squeegee between
the lines to the sides. but the tint does NOT seem to interfere with
the defrosting action. if you have one of those Vangard fresnel lense
on the rear, be sure to leave a hole/gap around it. the lenses do NOT
stick well to tint (they'll fall off about every 9-10 months) and it
just makes things clearer when looking at the lense.
slow. careful. patient. that's the ticket. you may have to redo the
first window, after you get some practice. as it will be the worst
looking of the bunch. :) how to get the tint off? easy. get some
window cleaner with amonia. start peeling at one edge, and spraying
the cleaner behind the tint as you peel it off. the amonia seems to
dissolve the 'glue' on the back of the tint .. leaving a really nasty
looking mess on the glass. spray some more cleaner on it and wipe off
with a paper towel. you can also scrape it (the mess) with a
single-edge razor, which is a bit quicker. but you'll still want to
spray cleaner on the glass one last time and clean it.
that's about it. about a half-day and $50 ought to do it. your back
will hurt a bit, cause you are sitting kinda oddly on the rear
cushions, doing the rearmost side windows and the rear hatch window.
and you have the opportunity to slice your fingers with the razor
blades ... so be careful. think before you move. and so forth.:)
joel
> Any and all comments would be appreciated
> Thanks,
> John
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