I have a 11 month old Bailey and I am new to the caravaning fraternity, Should the front windows mist up inside the double glazing every time the sun is on the window or is this a fault.
Seems you have some damp between inside the window. Take out the plugs of the window when on a warm and dry day it is warm to allow the damp air to escape. Put the plugs in before temperature cooled own too much as otherwise you would be letting in damp evening air again.
Before you do anything as drastic as whats been recommended above I would first refer you to your dealer. My Bailey is just one year old and is at present at the dealers. I too have had this problem just this weekend so I mentioned it to them and they gave me a written report from the window manufacturer (Polyplastics Ltd) which explains this occurence. It apparently is quite common especially at this time of year because of sunny days and cold nights plus all the heating we have on as well. They say that it is a misconception that acrylic windows are vacuum sealed. they state this is not so. When the temperature equalls itself out, more towards late Spring then it should disappear.
That's the way that manufacturer's explain it, yes. Indeed it is no vacuum, and that's not the claim either, but the fact remains that they anufactured the windows in an atmosphere that was too damp, some problem with lack of control of the manufacturing circumstances. This saves them them from replacing the windows and in fact they will not replace, apart from some exceptions delivering good service. The other fact is that the vast majority of caravan do not show this problem at all. As example of that majority: mine does not show the problem at all and so far I have been caravanning from minus 10 centigrade to above 30 centigrade. It is a manufacturing problem that occurs, but one of the kind that guarantee usually is not provided for.
The solution I propose is not a drastic one, but a well known one that usually solves the problem. It would be drastic only if the windows were vacuum. They are not vacuum and that's exactly why this solution is possible. In case of vaccumm windows removing the plugs would ruin the window, but in case of caravan windows it will not.
It is a rather common effective solution in the Netherlands.
In fact there is a variant of the proposed solution which involves a hairdryer to insert dry air and than close the plugs, which seems to work even better, but one has to be very careful not to bring heat too close to the window.
I thought I had this problem too but when I looked at all the other caravans on site facing the sun the same as ours they all looked exactly the same. No matter the age of the caravan. I was relieved when I saw it wasn't just mine.
I didn't use the word drastic as in the action was drastic. I was merely alerting Newboy to seek advice from the dealer as his van is still under warranty. If he takes out the plugs and it doesn't work it will then be no good going to the dealer for a warranty repair. Just urging caution thats all.
I note your comment about the Netherlands remedy. Its coincidental the Polyplastics is a Dutch company.
Just out of interest I never experienced this problem at anytime last year. Or indeed four weeks ago, first time out. However it occured on the three offside windows and Remi roof light last weekend. At home the said three windows are against the garage wall so receive no sunlight and I've never seen this condensation there. However the roof light is in full sun and again I've never seen it there either.
Also looking at Leannes comment. All seems very odd
We never experienced this last year either. I did think some real damage had been done at one point as we were washing the van. Where there was water on the windows which were in the sun they turned almost white! They did go back to normal after a few minutes though.
Somehow from time to time something goes wrong with windows. Recently there had been a guarantee-action by Bürstner. From some manufacturing years (1998-2000) apparently the glue between inside and outside half of the window can fail due to deterioration under UV.
Condensation also may vanish spontaneously after holidays in the mountains, as the air is dryer there and the difference in height and air pressure creates some replacement of air between the window halves.
Absolute vacuüm is impossible as the materials for caravan-windows have to be too light. In case of vacuüm both window halves would actually bend and tough each other and the effect of double glazing would be gone.
Irritating anyway, but fortunately something can be done.
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Topic: window misting
