T5 Window myths | Tinting | Bonded-vs-Rubber fit | Privacy Glass |

T5 WINDOWS - THE MYTHS & PROBLEMS

It has come to our attention that many window conversion 'companies' are offering the benefit of 'Genuine VW Windows' here are some things you might like to consider:

• 'Genuine' VW Windows - are not made by VW, they are made in one of the factories that produce most vehicle glass in the world, usually made by 'Sekurit' 'Saint Gobain' or similar
• 'Genuine' VW Sliding windows do not leak - In actual fact VW have been plagued with leaking windows since inception in 2003, they have undergone dozens of revisions but most still leak, try Googling 'Leaking T5 Windows' and see how many results you get, this search found almost 65,000 results
• 'Genuine' VW Non-Opening Windows fit better - Wrong! the windows you can get from your dealer are 'Caravelle' windows - NOT van windows, we designed our 'Van Conversion Windows' specifically for a panel van conversion, that is a vehicle that started it's life as a panel van. What most people do not realise is whilst the Transporter Van looks very much like a Caravelle, it is actually quite different in that the internal framework is larger in a van and if you use 'Genuine' VW windows you will see the bodywork through the glass, ours have a slightly larger black ceramic van to hide this, otherwise they are exactly the same quality and have the same EU approval markings as oem products.
• 'Genuine' VW Sliding Windows fit straight into a van - Again a common misconception, these are also designed for the Caravelle or Combi and will not fit the 'Van' without cutting into the surrounding framework and subsequently weakening the vehicle, the large inner framework also intrudes quite significantly into a van. Again our sliders are designed for a van converion and do not have the bulky inner framework that the Caravelle ones have.
• Why do so many 'fitters' use 'Genuine' windows? because it's easier and cheaper, they cannot get hold of our windows without buying from us, it's much easier and cheaper for them to pop off to the local dealer, buy a window for cash and sell it to you at a profit, we will only sell our windows to the public as diy kits or Bona-Fide trade customers (usually these people are the very same people that start malicious rumours that our windows are of poor quality, do not fit etc)
• After-Market windows are not safe - Again a common misconception, our windows carry exactly the same approval markings as any glass fitted to any vehicle and is approved for use in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world (in fact our glass is made on the same machines that produce oem glass in most cases)
• After-Market windows are sub-standard - Again our glass is often made on the same machines as oem windows, there are no ripples, distortion or other associated defects with our windows
• Are all after-market windows are the same? - There are several companies now producing these windows and it would be far cheaper for us to buy these also but we try to constantly improve on our products, whilst most converters use these windows (which are more than adequate) we like to think we have gone that little bit further and made these modifications:
  • Opening section at the front similar in appearance to the Genuine manufacturer's window
  • Rubber draught and water seal around the aperture for a quieter ride
  • Heavy duty catch which locks securely in the open or closed positions into a metal frame
  • Drain hole plugs, all opening windows need a way of getting rid of water, our drain holes are very discreet slots at the front section and plugged holes at the rear
  • Click here for a picture showing the above
• Privacy glass is a tinting film applied to the window - Not ours!! Most users of oem glass apply a plastic film to the glass (you can usually tell if you look at the dots around the black band, tint film will not adhere perfectly to the raised dots and sometimes appears as a silvery line, click here for pic) our glass is actually tinted to 80%, this is the darkest raw material available to us and is very dark whilst being subtle. Oem VW privacy glass is actually a 'bottle green' colour and measures around 60% tint, all T5's have a light green glass as standard (see 'TINTED' written on your windows) and this vehicle was never available with clear glass.

TINT INFORMATION

Below is some information to help you choose the correct tint for your windows:

MEASURMENT: Special equipment is required to accurately measure the degree of tint but as a guide, tint is measured in Visual Light Tranmission (VLT), with 100% VLT being perfectly clear and 0% VLT being completely unable to see through it. Clear glass is very rarely perfectly 'clear' and usually has a VLT of around 91-97%

• CLEAR - VLT 90-99% (1-10% Tint) : Most people are under the misaprehension that they have clear glass in their vehicle when in fact, almost all new vehicles have a slight green tint in their glass.
• GREEN - VLT 72-88% (12-28% Tint) : This is the most common glass fitted to vehicles, many manufacturers do not use clear glass at all in any of their models.

We are often asked "how dark is privacy (or limo) glass?" this is a very difficult question to answer as every vehicle is different, for example a van with one window and a black interior will look much darker than a similar van with 4 windows, sunroof and a light coloured interior, as a rough guide; looking through a vehicle with 2 windows fitted with our privacy glass, you would be able to see shadowy figures in the van, with limo black it would be very difficult to see in at all. Lighting conditions also affect the look, for example, most people look at an unfitted privacy glass window under indoor lighting and it will look almost clear yet when fitted and outside it will appear very much darker, this is also true when we tint a vehicle, if the customer collects the vehicle from inside our workshop they will always appear disappointed, yet if the vehicle is outside they are always delighted.

Almost all manufacturers now use green glass, even on very basic models. Note: on VW models, look for the word 'TINTED' written on the front door glass. The easiest way to tell the difference is as follows: Take a piece of white card or paper and, with the vehicle in good daylight, roll down one of the windows half way and hold the card so that half of it is covered by the glass and the other half is above the glass, now looking AT the glass as opposed to THROUGH it, you should plainly see the tint.

Here is an example of a view looking out of a limo tinted vehicle, as you can see, the outward vision is much lighter than looking in.....much like wearing sun glasses: 

BONDED WINDOWS (Direct Glazed) -vs- TRADITIONAL RUBBER-FIT WINDOWS

BONDED: The easiest way to describe this method of fitting is to say that the glass is literally glued over an opening in the vehicles bodywork, the endless bead of adhesive between the glass and the body forming the watertight seal instead of the traditional rubber seal.
Most modern vehicles use this method to secure windscreens, rear windows and sometimes even body panels, whilst this description may be a little over-simplified, if the process is carried out correctly it offers a virtual flush fitting window which will last as long as your vehicle and offers the following advantages: less wind noise, greater security, increased structural strength and better looking as the glass is usually curved to correspond with the body line. The likelyhood of rusting is virtually eliminated as the 'cut edge' of the bodywork will now be 'inside' the vehicle and protected from the elements.

RUBBER FIT: The traditional rubber fit windows have been virtually the only method of fitting windows into a panel until the bonded method arrived.
The window is smaller than the hole in the panel, a 'H' section rubber called 'Claytonrite' is fitted around the aperature, the window fitted into the other side and then a filler strip is inserted to lock them into place. The main advantage of this method is price, the glass is generally cheaper because it is usually flat instead of curved. As this glass is flat, we can offer these windows in various tints, from a light green (as most factory tints) to a dark smoke, this is actually tinted glass and not a tint film.

At Vansport, we have not simply progressed from fitting the traditional rubbered window to the bonded ones as they have become more popular (unlike some of our rivals), we have ALWAYS used bonded glass, our senior technicians have over 20 years of experience each and are fully qualified to NVQ standard in Automotive Glazing, issued by the Glass & Glazing Federation (see our About Us page for more information)