Sprite front window

Mar 8, 2010
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Anyone know where I can get a 'chea' replacement front window for this van.... is realtivley new but the front window has split in the top corner around 10" long top to bottom !!! Very strange.. maybe the cold weather as it happened when we put the heating on for the first time this season HELP
 
Dec 14, 2006
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Either from a Caravan Breaker or you can have a new replacement made by http://www.eeco-ltd.co.uk/.

We've had a single large front window made, probably bigger than the Sprite as our van is 7feet 6inches wide, and it cost
 
Apr 25, 2010
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Just come across this. Our family 2006 Sprite has done a similar thing on its first trip out. Have'nt seen it but Darren says its a 12" split along the top originating near the front end oif the hinge on the LHS top. It was not apparent when we serviced it on Tueday. Seems to have been caused by the stress of towing about 20mls! Really cheesed off about it. Had a nagging doubt about the length of the single window. It maybe its a design fault ? Don't quite know how to resolve it yet. Probably DIY with a new window. Wonder if this is a fault caused by the cold weather ?

Thanks to Val A for the info.
 
Dec 14, 2006
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We took our old window out and put a new one in ourselves. The hardest part was taking out the old window and removing the old sealant - you definitely need two pairs of hands. My OH is a engineer, so had worked out a way to support most of the weight of the window whilst removing the screws, but there were about thirty screws to remove and I had to stand there holding up some of the weight for quite a while. Side windows on a flat surface can just be 'slid' along the hinge making them much easier to remove, but ours (and probably yours) is set in a recess meaning you have to remove the hinge from the van.

Putting it back in was much easier. We used new sealing tape, and new stainless screws, and it went in perfectly first time. Then handles back on, and stays back in place, and a new seal across the top of the aluminium hinge (additional to the sealing tape) and it all looks as good as new.

If your Sprite is new, though, it should still be covered by warranty.

The company who made our new window told us that a lot of the problems occur when vans are stored in direct sunlight on to the front window. Apparently the sun causes the plastic to expand, and when it contracts on a very cold night it can lead to stresses in the plastic which build up over time to cause cracks - which can then occur suddenly whilst towing. Ours appeared after a very very hot holiday in France last year, although it is stored in direct sunlight too. We've now covered our window with a foil protector, and bought a cover from ebay to cover the van whilst it's in storage. This also means that it's amazingly clean when you unwrap it after the winter!
 
Apr 25, 2010
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We took our old window out and put a new one in ourselves. The hardest part was taking out the old window and removing the old sealant - you definitely need two pairs of hands. My OH is a engineer, so had worked out a way to support most of the weight of the window whilst removing the screws, but there were about thirty screws to remove and I had to stand there holding up some of the weight for quite a while. Side windows on a flat surface can just be 'slid' along the hinge making them much easier to remove, but ours (and probably yours) is set in a recess meaning you have to remove the hinge from the van.

Putting it back in was much easier. We used new sealing tape, and new stainless screws, and it went in perfectly first time. Then handles back on, and stays back in place, and a new seal across the top of the aluminium hinge (additional to the sealing tape) and it all looks as good as new.

If your Sprite is new, though, it should still be covered by warranty.

The company who made our new window told us that a lot of the problems occur when vans are stored in direct sunlight on to the front window. Apparently the sun causes the plastic to expand, and when it contracts on a very cold night it can lead to stresses in the plastic which build up over time to cause cracks - which can then occur suddenly whilst towing. Ours appeared after a very very hot holiday in France last year, although it is stored in direct sunlight too. We've now covered our window with a foil protector, and bought a cover from ebay to cover the van whilst it's in storage. This also means that it's amazingly clean when you unwrap it after the winter!
Yes it makes perfect sense. Our van is stored facing the sun. The storeage faces South and is very hot in the summer and a frost hollow in the winter ! So that is what has caused it I guess.

The van was privately bought 2yrs ago so whether any warranty is valid I don't know. I will speak to Swift about the problem this week anyway.

Guess a shield and cover might be the answer. Luckily we have an engineering background also it sounds feasible.

Thanks for the info. Bet there's a few more cases of this problem around !

Glyn
 

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