ATF: Bighorn - Plexiglass in place of the screen in the door

I am going to remove the screens from the screen door in my Bighorn with plexiglass. What kind of clips would I use to hold it in place. I have seen several different kinds at the rallys and want to now what the best ones are. Thanks
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
I left the screens on and cut plexiglass to fit on the inside of the door. I hold them in place with small strips of white velcro.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Our plexiglass is just screwed onto the door with small screws. I wish I would have used mirror clips.
 

gasman

Camp Socializer
My screen door has a narrow track on the inside of the screen. I cut my plexiglass so that I bow it and it snaps into the track. I had to cut it a couple of inches short on top due to the radius but that hasn't been a problem for us.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
Why plexiglass in that door instead of screen? Just curious, is it for cold weather use or other reasons?
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Not only cold weather but hot weather. When it is nice the screen works fine. But where we are it is usually too hot or too cold for the screen. But we like the door open to let the light in and not feel so closed up. Also when the door is open others know we are home and up.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Al,

The factory won't be weighing in on this one as we don't do any of this type of work there. Advice given by other owners here is good.

Another option, how I've done it a few times, is to use plastic J channel, found in the paneling section of the home improvement stores. I secure a strip of that with 3M trim tape, at the bottom of both window sections. This channel acts as a slot that the plexiglas will fit into. For the top end of the bottom window plexiglass, I use white Velcro. For the top,window plexiglas, I use white Velcro across the top and some small strips down each side. The 2 long sides will bow out if you don't secure them in a few spots.

If you can find it, use smoked plexiglas. I've never found it but have seen it done on RVs and it looks real nice. I've heard Glass shops have it and can cut it.

Jim
 

Gizzy

Well-known member
I did this mod to our previous TT. I checked with a local glass shop about doing this on our BH and they said to just remove the screen door and drop it off. They suggested using Lexan, said was not as prone to scratching as plexiglas. For only $10 extra they cut and installed it. That way I didn't have to worry about the possibility of messing it up. They did a real professional job (as should be) and it just pops into the narrow track behind the screen. We love it for all the same reasons jmgratz stated. We would never have a door w/o it.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Jerry,

I never thought about removing the screen door and taking it into the glass shop. Great idea. I've made about 4 of these for myself and friends and it's no fun. Takes me about 1.5 to 2.0 hours each time and is real tedious. I'd happily pay $10 more than the material to have it cut :)

Going to check into this.
 

ihsolutions

Well-known member
I've been meaning to do this to my coach since before I bought it, and it turns 2 years old in a few weeks. It's ridiculous that, rather than just do the mod and start enjoying it, I keep re-thinking, over and over, what's the best way to do it. Vel-cro, mirror clips, etc... and now thanks to Jim, I have yet ANOTHER method to consider. I wish I would have just installed it, rather than spend so much time figuring out which way is best. Then again, I still have the "bug catcher" that was sent to me after the Goshen rally last year, in the envelope it came in. Need to figure out the best way to trim it down to fit! :) All this helps to explain why my coach is 100% stock after two years.
 
I did something similar to what Mike (gasman) did, only I used a piece of cardboard and cut a pattern for the radius at the top of the door.
I went to Lowes and purchased a 3x5 foot piece of plexiglass, which was $50.00 It was in between the regular plexiglass and the lexan price wise.
I also purchased some screen spline material (The Black Rubber that holds the screen in your door) and a spline roller.
I brought this back to the RV park and laid it out on the picnic table, made my cuts for both the upper and lower door, sanded the edges of the cuts and installed it.
I used the screen spline (I think it was the 3/16" size) and rolled it into the channel with the plexiglass to hold it in place.
It looks like a professional job, all for about $60.00, and 1hr labor.
Takes about 30 seconds to remove the window.
There are no cuts, screw holes or clips in my door.

Hockster

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In reference to the Bug Catcher that Jeff talked about.
When I installed mine, I just took the screws out of the middle and bottom of door, pulled the door apart, removed the old unit and installed the new Bug Catcher (without doing any cutting whatsoever) and put the door back together.
Take a look at the door, you will find screws at the middle and bottom (8) screws on the off hinge side. The door will come apart enough to remove the old unit and install the new one, then just reinstall the screws and your done.
You don't need to cut anything, at least I didn't on my Big Country.

Hockster

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