Portholes windows for better ventilation

[Bill]

Living in the south and camping there in the hot humid summer I discovered it very uncomfortable, even using the exhaust fan did not provide enough moving air for comfort and if there was a breeze there was no way to catch it with no windows to open. I thought of putting some sort of opening in the door panes and added screens but it would lose the good looks of the styling so I looked around for some boat type portholes. A lot of the plastic ones got got bad press for leaking and having experience sleeping under this type during rain. I settled on these stainless steel ones that came with screens but due to the thinness of the teardrop had to make a wooden ovel ring for an interior spacer that also adds a bit of bling to the installation. Since they don’t come with a way to hold them open I designed a catch to hold them in the full open position, closed they dog down and seal tight, no leeks when closed. With them open and a broadside breeze it’s very comfortable and it also affords a nice view. With no breeze I turn on my pulse modulated speed control fan as low as it will go and end up with a good a good breeze across my face with little if any fan noise. I placed them in a position not only for looks but a view when lieing down and to catch the breeze across my head as well as a non curved portion of the body. The window is safety glass so won’t discolor with age. They are sealed with 5200.

[marlin53]

I like the looks of those windows

[DakotaDirk]

Very good idea. I am toying with the idea of adding something like that to the front for light and ventilation.
I elected not to doo the mushroom vents, and put I am putting in venting windows on the sides instead of the fixed plexi.
Where did you find the potholes?

Thanks

[canadianhoser]

Is it possible that you installed them upside down, which resulted in you having to rig something to keep them open? I like the looks of these.

[Gerald Baranski]

I had the same idea. I am using smaller ones at the transom. I love them

[Anonymous]

Hi Bill

Where did you find those windows?  I really need some windows as well, I live in Texas.

Thanks!

[LSaupe]

Nicely done.  Now that you have had them a few years, how have they held up for you and are you still happy with the location?

[LSaupe]

Gerald, are yours screened as well?

 

[Gerald Baranski]

I left enough of the ring extending past the exterior so I can rubber band the screens on when I set up camp. I am considering using a ring with spring tension to hold the screens in the interior of the porthole

[Bill]

Sorry I haven’t responded to requests for a while so hopefully I’ll try and cover them now. I’ve had trouble in locating a receipt for these port holes but in looking again on line I believe they came from “Marine Depot”. Stainless rectangular 4”x10” 22°angled with spigot for $175, maybe you can find it for less by looking around. They are installed right side up and as such will allow water to run off to the outside.I did make a rotating catch to hold them in the full open position but the same can be achieved by tightening the hinge screws. They have held up well being SS and they do come with SS screens but are too loose to trust so I have used some stainless tape to make sure they don’t fall out on the road. The hardest part of the installation was the rectangular wooden ring 1” thick, difficult because it’s bottom had to have the 22° slope and I had already installed my 1” insulation, by the way I have now painted the interior insulation a light green as the dark gray was making the interior too dark. The added ventilation is allowing me to enjoy a cross wind when available has made a big difference. Hope this covers all of the questions.
Bill

[Bluesilver]

Gerald, your portholes look great on your TD.  Could you tell me what size they are and maybe where you got them.

 

[Gerald Baranski]

Amarine Made Boat Yacht Round Opening Portlight Porthole 10″ Replacement Window Port Hole – ABS, Tempered Glass -Marine/Boat/rv Portlight Hatch, Color: White, Black
by AmarineMade
Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CJK3VKE/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_uCThFb41M1CMA

[CLCTeardrop 623]

Thanks Gerald –

I did the same with mine and prepare on using ranger-bands to hold screens over my portholes.  I opted for marine intake cowls in place of the mushroom ventilation.

[madebymike60]

Yes, thanks for this idea. I also went with round portholes in the front – 8 inch instead of 10. I figured out a way to make a screen using a cut off piece from the porthole. Since the forum seems to have issues with me sharing more than one picture, I’ll share how I did that in several more replies to this post.

[madebymike60]

(Part 2) – The portholes I added also came from Amarine on Amazon. They seem quite well made with the only complaint many people having is they don’t come with a screen. (Mine has one which I show how to make in other replies.) The portholes come with about an inch and a half of plastic that would stick out of the camper (all but about 1/4 inch). I didn’t like that idea and made a frame for the inside to take up some of that extra plastic. The frame in the picture is made from about 3/4 inch thick reclaimed wood which means some plastic would still ‘stick out’ from the camper.

[Author]

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