Windows: Opening versus Non-Opening

[J Mac]

Thanks cpaharley2008.

[7th Heaven]

Not an option. But a easy mod.

They dad drilled a few holes in the emergency handle and used a pin through the holes to hold the window open.

Here is their video. The window mod is at 1:58


Escape 5.0 Modifications and Walkthrough - YouTube

[7th Heaven]

Hum bummer.

I was thinking it would slid into the window and not require permanent mounting.

Jim,
I guess the question is do you plan to mount it in your escape or do you find the existing ventilation good enough?

[cpaharley2008]

Right now I'm happy with the ventilation during rains. I have learned to open the awning just a little, maybe 1-2 feet and it keeps the rain at bay without worrying about wind gusts and I have my stove vent opening which is waterproof. With it and the Maxxfan I do not feel the need for a window and the Maxxair.

[Dave Whiting]

Karen, thanks so much for your post on opening vs non-opening windows from Oct 2012. My wife and I have just finalized the build sheet for an Escape 19. Initially we were going to go for the opening window. But then after reading your post and looking again at photos (both yours and other photos of windows in Escape 19s) we came to the conclusion to go with the non-opening window. We feel that the much brighter window (no frame in the middle and no screen on the bottom) outweighs any additional benefit of providing more ventilation.

[CADreamin]

Remember that, when looking at photos of the kitchen window, you're focusing on that one particular, small window ... not the trailer as a whole. With all the other windows in the Escape, the light from the kitchen window pales when comparing it to the rest of the natural light sources (don't forget the door has a window too). The fact we can open the window in the rain plus the good ventilation it provides makes us extremely pleased we opted for the opening window.

[Dave Walter]

For us, the opening kitchen window is used more consistently than any other single window in the trailer. Have never noticed any obstruction of light from the frame, probably because as said above, the other windows provide lots of light. If we did it again, I would still choose the opening window.

[Chapitre]

We love the opening windows in the kitchen & bath, would not be without them.

[Donna D.]

It's nice to be able to talk to someone outside on the patio without the need to open the door, especially if my hands are all wet and soapy.

[JimJ]

When the Maxxfan is operating in the blow-out mode, I've found that opening the window slightly in the kitchen creates a nice breeze through the Escape. Sort of acts like an exhaust fan.

[Patandlinda]

The kitchen and bath opening windows are 2 options that really are worth the extra . As said before kitchen window is used the most . The bath is very handy also when dumping black tank - you can feed a hose through window to flush tank .

[rbryan4]

Alot of our original decisions about options were made without consulting people who had actually used them. The opening vs non-opening window was one of them. After talking to lots of folks with the opening window, they wouldn't be with out it. That changed our mind.

[Jim Bennett]

It wasn't an option when we bought, but seriously, it has never been an issue. Lots and lots of ventilation available without it. If buying now, I would likely forgo the option. Rarely have we had more than two of our 5 venting windows opened at a time anyway.

I also prefer the weather seal a fixed window gives over a slider. Not that much of a difference in our trailers, but every bit counts.

[float5]

Originally Posted by ice-breaker

For us, the opening kitchen window is used more consistently than any other single window in the trailer. Have never noticed any obstruction of light from the frame, probably because as said above, the other windows provide lots of light. If we did it again, I would still choose the opening window.

We wish we had the opening one. I think it is a little bigger than the non-opening. We looked at the view issue with someone's opening window and decided it was not a problem, at least not nearly as much as not being able to open that window.

I first thought I preferred non-opening because of the double pain but now want opening.

As ice-breaker says, the kitchen window may be used the most for the simple reason that that is the one you use when up and about and preparing food and more. Some people have replaced the non-opening with opening and like the opening one better. if the awning happens to be up and it's raining, that window is covered.

[maurerl]

It didn't take us long to decide to add the extra kitchen window to the 17B we just purchased used. Can't have too much light in the trailer. Having migrated from a Boler 13, which has lots of windows & light, and shopping the current crop of lightweight/compact trailers before finding the Escape, we were discouraged by how dark and "dungeony" all of them were. One RV salesperson offered the opinion that eliminating windows was a significant cost-saving measure in a marketplace driven primarily by shoppers' budget constraints.
After considering all the pros & cons expressed on this site (thanks everyone for your thoughts), we opted for the opening window. But my wife nixed the idea of the bathroom window.

Lotar.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by maurerl

It didn't take us long to decide to add the extra kitchen window to the 17B we just purchased used. Can't have too much light in the trailer. Having migrated from a Boler 13, which has lots of windows & light, and shopping the current crop of lightweight/compact trailers before finding the Escape, we were discouraged by how dark and "dungeony" all of them were. One RV salesperson offered the opinion that eliminating windows was a significant cost-saving measure in a marketplace driven primarily by shoppers' budget constraints.
After considering all the pros & cons expressed on this site (thanks everyone for your thoughts), we opted for the opening window. But my wife nixed the idea of the bathroom window.

Lotar.

Windows do add cost, but in the Case of Escape, I think it's negligible. We LOVE the opening window over the sink. Since the bottom tilts out when open, we pretty much leave it open all the time. Nice cross ventilation with the Maxx Fan.

We also love the extra light by having the bathroom window. It also makes it handy to run a hose through the window and attach it to your tank wand when you want to clean out the black tank. No running a hose through the front door. It's a frosted window, so there's no privacy issue.

I would definitely recommend both an opening window in the kitchen and another in the bathroom for anyone looking at their options sheet.

[Loren & Cathy]

Might have missed one. Will call Crystal in the morning and ask about the window opening over the kitchen counter. The 21 build sheet might not be complete yet. You keep reading about things that other people wouldn't be without and aren't on the official build sheet of options, so it makes for hard choices. As for other things, I say better to have and not need than need and not have. Loren.

[paulw]

Opening kitchen window is standard on the 21s....

[Mike Lewis]

The more windows the better IMHO.

[KarenH]

Once again, it's a matter of camping style. I have enough windows that open for ventilation (five) so the enhanced view and incoming light are a no-brainer for me.