# Athermic windows in new symbol



## burnzy (Oct 30, 2007)

Very interested in the new Symbol seen at the recent NEC show. My only concern is the single glazed but athermic windows. Anyone have a recent AS with these windows. Are they as good as AS claims? I don't fancy mopping condensation forever!


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## carol (May 9, 2005)

Well the only thing I think of with athermic windows, if you have a gps that needs to see sats, you may need an antenna.... 

Carol


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

carol said:


> Well the only thing I think of with athermic windows, if you have a gps that needs to see sats, you may need an antenna....
> 
> Carol


Not sure if my Tranny's windscreen is athermic but it is heated and both are supposed to upset GPS machines. Nobody told my Tom Tom though because I've just checked and it's picking up 7 satellites when in the open air and 7 when inside the van.

However my Varifocal glasses stay clear when inside the van, even in the brightest sunlight.

As far as I am aware athermic glass obstructs the sun's rays on their way into the van and helps keep the temperature down. Whether this has any effect on condensation I don't know, but our single glazed Tranny rarely has any condensation on the side panes of glass, although without screens the windscreen has loads.

Andy


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## oldenstar (Nov 9, 2006)

Hi Andy
I think you mean your photocromic lenses-all windscreens now cut out the ultraviolet rays so that photocromic lenses do not go dark even in strong sunlight when driving.
I have used photocromics for years, and when driving buses in the midlands in the late 70's they used to go very dark and I had to be careful going into the old Bull Ring Bus Station which was underground.
Nowadays I use my Specsavers 'double' to get a tinted pair which I keep in the van.
Mine are also varifocals same as yours-thank God for science. :lol:


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

oldenstar said:


> Hi Andy
> I think you mean your photocromic lenses-all windscreens now cut out the ultraviolet rays so that photocromic lenses do not go dark even in strong sunlight when driving.
> I have used photocromics for years, and when driving buses in the midlands in the late 70's they used to go very dark and I had to be careful going into the old Bull Ring Bus Station which was underground.
> Nowadays I use my Specsavers 'double' to get a tinted pair which I keep in the van.
> Mine are also varifocals same as yours-thank God for science. :lol:


Yeah you're right, Varifocals are the ones that have distance and near bits in the same lense. I was trying to remember the generic name for the self darkening ones. Nobody yet seems to have come up with a definition of what athermic windows do and why they're called athermic.


Andy


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## burnzy (Oct 30, 2007)

*Athermic windows in new Symbol*

Thanks Andy! 
Hopefully someone may be able to shed some light on Athermic windows. Interesting that condensation is rarely a problem on your single glazed windows with blinds. Do you use your MH all year? 
Hope I've done this reply right- it's a first and I am technologically challenged!!
Cheers
Margaret


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

*Re: Athermic windows in new Symbol*



burnzy said:


> Thanks Andy!
> Hopefully someone may be able to shed some light on Athermic windows. Interesting that condensation is rarely a problem on your single glazed windows with blinds. Do you use your MH all year?
> Hope I've done this reply right- it's a first and I am technologically challenged!!
> Cheers
> Margaret


Hi Margaret it got through OK 8)

Our silver screens only just arrived today, so we haven't used them yet but we have had some really drenched interior windscreen surfaces in early Spring and Autumn and they've taken ages to clear, so we thought it about time we invested in them.

As I say it's really odd that the single glazed side windows don't seem to have a problem when just a few feet away the windscreen is badly affected. The side windows are tinted glass and are standard Ford fit, so maybe they are athermic and if so they seem to work. Having said that Horizons go to the trouble of fitting double glazed caravan type side windows to their other range (the Cavarno), which is almost identical to our Innovation, apart from the windows and the rear layout.

I use our van all year because it's my daily transport. It's only 16ft long, which I'm told is the same length as a Land Rover Discovery. However we don't really use it for overnights, mainly because both water tanks are hung underneath and nothing is winterised. Now we have the silver screens I'm thinking maybe we'll try a few winter nights but leave the water drained and just take a few bottles for making tea etc and use CC site facilities for washing up etc. We've got blown air diesel heating and the new screens should also help reduce heat loss, so maybe it's worth a try.

Andy


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## burnzy (Oct 30, 2007)

*Athermic windows in new Symbol*

 Cool I am getting the hang of it!
Our intention if we proceed with the Symbol is to use it as our only vehicle.We had a coachbuilt with double glazed windows a few years back but want the compactness of a van conversion for every day use but hope to still be able to use it all year round albeit with tanks drained as you intend too. Do you find the side opening door drafty-when it's shut obviously!! That is my other concern -that side opening and rear doors may make for a drafty overnight in the winter? I think we are probably thinking about it too much and becoming paranoid but mistakes are expensive ones!!!!!!
cheers again
Margaret


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## Steamdrivenandy (Jun 18, 2007)

*Re: Athermic windows in new Symbol*



burnzy said:


> Cool I am getting the hang of it!
> Our intention if we proceed with the Symbol is to use it as our only vehicle.We had a coachbuilt with double glazed windows a few years back but want the compactness of a van conversion for every day use but hope to still be able to use it all year round albeit with tanks drained as you intend too. Do you find the side opening door drafty-when it's shut obviously!! That is my other concern -that side opening and rear doors may make for a drafty overnight in the winter? I think we are probably thinking about it too much and becoming paranoid but mistakes are expensive ones!!!!!!
> cheers again
> Margaret


Well our Tranny has what Ford call a 'lifthatch' door at the back i.e. like a hatchback, rather than the usual pair of barn doors.

When it's open it provides some shelter when it rains, although watch out for the drips into the back of the van off the side gutter, and additional shade when it's sunny. We did have a problem for the first year when water kept getting onto the floor in the back of the van, but we couldn't figure out how. Horizons reconfigured the rear curtain fixings and it's not happened since. Apparently the loose curtain ends were getting trapped in the door seal and acting like a wick, drawing water from the door gutter through into the van.

We've never noticed any curtain flapping or drafts from that end but the dogs crate is across the back and you'd have to ask them :roll: . It has certainly withstood howling gales blowing directly at the rear door with no ill effects, apart from sleep deprivation due to rain splatter noises.

No probs with the offside window as it's a fixed panel.

I sleep on the nearside of the van hard up against the opening side door and I've never felt a draft coming through around the seals at all.

When we pitch up for more than one night we tend to erect our Motordome which gives us 10ft by 10ft extra space linked to the gutter on the side of the van. That provides additional protection from the elements, although the connecting bit of tent has been known to blow off the van when it gets up to storm force.

Now I'm talking about a Fix Or Repair Daily, not sure what the Pug/Fiat is like in comparison.


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## burnzy (Oct 30, 2007)

doggie looks well comfy in the back! thanks for that! like the look of the khyam motordome too have been looking at those!
Ta
Margaret


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