Tinting Windows on CRV

[GeorgeandAde]

Would appreciate your advice on the following please.
Weve had the CRV for a couple of months now and found it to be a great vehicle both solo and towing.
Returns approx.42 mpg solo which isnt bad for a 2.2 diesel.
I couldnt find a CRV suitable and in my price range with privacy glass,so opted for the "executive" model with plain glass.
However,this Saturday,I have it booked in to have all the windows behind the drivers seat professionaly tinted.
I personally, would like them to be very dark(5% Limo) but am wondering if this will look a little out of place on this type of vehicle.
Another alternative is to go for the 20% midnight shade.
The windscreen and front drivers and passenger windows will not be tinted.
Any thoughts or ideas appreciated.
Adrian

 

[DeliDave_]

On my Mitsubishi I had limo tint and fitted a rear camera,you may need to advise your insurance company as some regard it as a modification.I have always thought that they should have to prove your mod contributed to any accident but thats not the legal view apparently

 

[MichaelE]

When i have had my cars tinted i have tried to get the tint as close to what the manufacturer which tends to be the next down from Limo as it doesnt look out of place.
As for insurance company ,car came with it hence trying to get a match .

 

[Wendy3]

Hi George&Ade

Just wanting to pick your brains about the CRV. We've just been looking at buying a CRV as our next towcar. What is the nose weight limit on the towbar and how much did it cost to have one fitted?
You say you get 42mpg solo but what year is the car? Does it feel like a stable tow?
Sorry about all the questions but what better person to ask!

Any help would be great thanks.

 

[forestgump]

if your windows are to dark the cops can take the car and impound it there is a legal scale of tint for the windows.

 

[Mikey_74]

Hi Adrian, the rear windows on my Santa Fe (4x4) are tinted, I'm not sure to what level but you can hardly see through them, my car is black and I think it looks the business, my daughters love it too as they think it's funny to sit there at traffic lights waving at people and not be seen,

but the best 2 features of all is the fact on those long beautiful hot sunny days that we long for they keep the interior cool, and when we travel long distance my girls can watch the tele's in the back and not be bothered by sunlight.
The front two windows on my car I think are a little darker than normal but clear to see through but obviously the windscreen hasn't been touched get it done I don't think you'll regret it

 

[NigelHutson]

Forestgump,
You can do what you like to any of the windows EXCEPT the windscreen and driver's/front passenger's door, providing you've got external rear view mirrors. Providing the front three are standard, then the Police will not and cannot do anything. If you think about it, if what you say is true, then there would be no vans, LGV's, buses etc on the road. Now there's a thought!

 

[Steve L]

I realy have to ask !

What is the actual reason for privacy tinting your car's unless it's to look like cheap american pimpmobile's?

I can understand top flight footballer's, actors,drug dealers and pimps not wishing to be seen in public. But Mr & Mrs average joe must have some notion to be "considerably better than yow" to warrant the flirtation with both the law and the underworld.

Woops!
Now where was that number for the bullet proof glass manufacturer?????

 

[thursdays child]

Steve, we had our Jeep rear windows done to keep the sun off "The Bears". They dont mind having their photos taken but they do like to look "REAL COOL" when they do!!!! lol!!!!
Thursdays Child

 

[MichaelE]

I have mine tinted for security reason,i cannot have the load cover pulled over my goods all the time, so it stops the quick glances to see whats in the car.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Many thanks for your replies.All noted and taken on board.
Wendy......The maximum noseweight on the towball on the CRV is 100kg.
I used a local towbar fitter(used him before and very pleased with his work)and he fitted a detachable Witter towbar,twin electrics and all the relevant relays(I have reversing sensors etc.)for £350.
Its a 2006 "06" model and towed our 2007 Bailey Pageant Champagne with a MTPLM of 1350kg with no bother at all.
We now have a Bailey Pageant Sancerre and that too tows superb behind the car.
We were looking for a vehicle that falls in between a normal family saloon and a 4X4 and the CRV seems to fit the bill perfectly.
If you have any more questions Wendy,dont hesitate to ask,or im sure there are other CRV owners who will be happy to help as well.
Steveinleo.....I occasionaly have to carry expensive tools for my work and have to have the rear seats down so the privacy of tinted windows will really help.
Also,we have the 2 dogs and apart from getting away in the caravan,one of them(recently rescued)is a Springer Spaniel
He needs a lot of excercise so we go down to Brean sands as often as we can to "let him run his socks off on the beach".
Along with the Shi-Tzu,i feel the tints will help to keep them a little cooler in the warmer months.(When we get warmer months that is).
Thanks once again everyone and i think i will be going for the 5% limo tints tomorrow.
Adrian.

 

[Collin]

Something else to be aware of.....I have had two cars with privacy glass at the rear, mainly to keep the car cool in summer (nothing to do with privacy really!). But the latest car has much darker glass and combined with auto dimming mirrors, rear visibility at night is significantly compromised, in my opinion, especially when manoeuvring. For this reason, I prefer lighter tinting.

 

[Tony_374371542]

Hello Wendy
I have a 2006 CR-V diesel and tow a Challeger 540. The manufacturers towing limit for my vehicle model is 1500kg and a nose weight limit of 100kg.
I had a Witter detachable towbar towbar fitted, which I find allows me to hitch up without removing the stabiliser handle or spare wheel, at a cost of £370-00, including twin electrics.
The combination of car and caravan is one of the most stable I have ever towed, although I do find it a little short of power sometimes.
I can confirm the 42mpg solo and I get around 29/30mpg with the van on.
Hope this information helps you decision.
Tony

 

[Steve L]

Have you ever heard the term hidden in plain sight.
Why court attention when there are plenty of ways to conceal what is in your car.
I have a roller cover that has a screen printed photo of the empty boot of my estate car on it. So when the casual burgler looks through the window with a passing glance he see's an empty boot. Sneaky or what!!
But you see, I carry upto £5K of work tools in my car when I'm working and they are not easily replaced. So hiding things in plain sight is second nature to me.
The most obvious things people leave for thieves to cotton on, that there are valuables in the car are:-
Circular sticky mark on the windscreen = satnav in the glove box
Phone charger in the cigarette lighter socket = I phone could be in the glove box
Other USB type charger visable = Game boy, ps3, I pod or DS left in the car
Etc, etc.
Finally smoked glass = can't be bothered to hide the toys so easy pickings here.
That is of coarse you are tinting the windows for security reasons and not just for imagery's sake?
From a safety point of view, which has already been muted. Having tinted windows does obscure vision more so at night and can be dangerous when reversing in dimly lit carparks. Also your insurers might not be sympathetic if you do have a claim for reversing into someone. Even if you notify them of the modification. Finally the courts would take a simlarly dim view if you couldn't satisfy them that the modification was not done for purely cosmetic desires.

 

[MichaelE]

Its all down to personal choice,i am unlucky that my test equipment sits above the luggage cover so it is exposed.
As for the insurance companies taking a dim view,what a load of rubbish,as long as the front windows and windscreen are not tinted,then its only the Police who take a dim view,when doing insurance quotes only interested in alloys and stereo to be truthfully honest it helps then as you cant see in the car for opportunist thief lol !
Also our Police have cars with privacy glass, traffic and local cars so not really an issue is it?

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Unfortunatly,the goods i carry in my car nesssesitate that i have to have the rear seats folded down completly,so i require all the space from the rear door right up to the back of the front seats so i think a roller cover would give the game away rather than conceal froma would be thief.
There is no law as to how dark the windows are rear of the drivers seat.
I agree that if they are too dark,it could present a problem when reversing,but with reversing sensors,large door mirrors and 28 years of driving heavy goods vehicles,i feel confident when reversing.
I did however take on board all the replies on this forum,and decided to go for the lighter tints which are 65% "Midnight".
Two factors which helped me decide was the safety when reversing,and if one day i decided to change the car.I dont think the "Limo" effect may be everyones cup of tea.
Thank you for all your input.
Adrian

 

[forestgump]

when i got my new tucson ltd it has priversy glass back and side i asked dealer to do front and front sides they refused to do this an said the police can pull you for this and make you put it back to a tint. They said you can get it done elswere but they refuse to do it.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Yes your right forest.
Anything rear of the "B" post( drivers seat) is ok.......but the front drivers and passenger windows must allow 70% of light through,and the windscreen,75%.
Althought the police can tell you to remove the tints if deemed illegal,the actual responsibility of window tinting is with VOSA.
Ilegally tinted window can also invalidate the insurance too.

 

[forestgump]

i could be wrong but was told it could be a mot failure if the tester was a bit strickt.

 

[GeorgeandAde]

Surprisingly enough........the window tinting is not part of the MOT.
According to the VOSA website,all of the 18,000 mot stations would have to have the specialised equipment to measure the amount of light coming through the windows.

 

[mcghee]

george, you are right, the front windows must allow a 70% light transmission, and windscreen 75%.

but you are not permitted to tint the front windows with any type of film or spray. the glass itself must be tinted to that level.

the front windows on my car are smoked glass, 25% light reduction, but they were not cheap. a company called sundym used to make windscreens which dimmed when the sun shone on them, don't know if they're still available.

the police and insurance companies don't take a dim view of window tinting, provided its done properly, and steve's comments about mexican pimps just seem a bit unnecessary to me.

 

[MichaelE]

As said it is the amount of light that the front windows and windscreen let in,the Police used to have light meters but not sure if they carry them now.

 

[mcghee]

i'll need to tlook further into that lutz. i can remember a renault 21turbo quadra i owned many years ago having a screen which dimmed when the sun came out, and i was sure it had sundym printed in the corner, i may be confusing that with another car though.

 

[Lutz]

.... a company called sundym used to make windscreens which dimmed when the sun shone on them, don't know if they're still available.

Sundym is a trade mark of the Pilkington Group Ltd for their green tinted glass, but it is not photochromic, i.e. it doesn't dim when sun shines on it. It's not the name of a company. You may have confused it with Pilkington's Siglasol glass which has an infrared reflective film between the outer and inner layers of windscreen glass. That is more expensive than plain tinted glass, but is also not photochromic glass, which is not available for general automotive use.

 

[Lutz]

The only application of photochromic glass in the car industry that I am aware of is for sunroof panels. I doubt whether such glass would be suitable for windscreens as they must, by law, be at least 75% transparent (80% in some countries) and that would be difficult to achieve reliably with photochromic material.