Clear Plexiglass Replacing Coroplast

[gordofuchs]

I have decided to take down some of my coroplast to inspect the underside of our 305RE, after reading some of the horror stories that have been published. I was curious if anyone ever replaced the coroplast with clear plexiglass, so the underside could be inspected without removing it. I have been considering doing the conversion, but thought I should get some feedback to see if it would be a big mistake. Any feedback, good or bad would be welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Gordo Fuchs
Cleveland, Ohio

[WhittleBurner]

Interesting concept but how long would plexiglass stay clear enough to see through with dirt and rocks hitting it. Maybe if you fashioned some sort of window shade to protect it. I have heard of prople putting in zippers to open the areas for inspecting underneath but that seems like an invitation for water infiltration. In the 5 yrs we have had ours we've dropped the coroplast 2 times.

[FT4NOW]

I would think all the vibrations down there would cause it to crack, maybe a plexiglass window or a clear poly material that wasnt rigid mounted. Also, any bouncing rocks down there could easily break plexiglass.

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[sande005]

Mostly would be an issue with screw holes, if you screwed it on. Over time the holes will wear and crack, and you'll start dropping dragging panels.

[Gronk1]

A couple of years ago Rob of Cate & Rob did this fancy bombay door mod:
https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...lection-303RLS

There might be some ideas in that thread for ya.

[srobins]

I have decided to take down some of my coroplast to inspect the underside of our 305RE, after reading some of the horror stories that have been published. I was curious if anyone ever replaced the coroplast with clear plexiglass, so the underside could be inspected without removing it. I have been considering doing the conversion, but thought I should get some feedback to see if it would be a big mistake. Any feedback, good or bad would be welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Gordo Fuchs
Cleveland, Ohio

If you decide to go this route I would recommend using Lexan instead of plexiglas. Lexan (polycarbonate) is what is used for aircraft windows. You can bend it like sheet metal and it will not crack like plexiglas (acrylic)

[Redapple63]

I don't think that is bad idea, as long as certain guidelines are followed.

1. Keep the window size reasonable
2. Install a metal track around the edges of the lexan
3. Install a flexible silicone in the track to keep the lexan essentially suspended
3. Use a liberal amount of sealant between the track and mounting surface keeping the entire assembly suspended.
4. The screw holes go through everything and mount directly to mounting surface
5. Use large rubber washers to distribute the clamping force.
6. To protect the lexan, the left over choroplast could be fashioned into a cover


Good Luck,
Bill

[gordofuchs]

I'm glad that I asked for some feedback prior to trying this out. Some of the complications mentioned convinced me that it would create more issues than it would be worth.

Thanks to all for the response.

Gordo Fuchs

[boyscout]

I'm glad that I asked for some feedback prior to trying this out. Some of the complications mentioned convinced me that it would create more issues than it would be worth.

Thanks to all for the response.

Gordo Fuchs

Wise choice. Another issue I didn't see mentioned above is that on many GD trailers a layer of insulation lies on top of the coroplast. The "see-through" advantage of a clear replacement for it would give you a great view of the insulation, for a while.

[OurNewEra]

Good luck getting any kind of quantity of clear plastic, plexi or lexan. COVID-19 protection shields have hit that commodity about as hard as toilet paper and paper towels.