Question - tinting/matching large RV windows

Exact-Oh · February 4, 2023

Hey my tint friends! It's been a very long time since I've posted here at TD.

I have a couple questions for anyone who has experience tinting large RV windows.

1. The customer is replacing some windows, but the replacement glass is clear while the existing windows are factory tinted approximately 20%. What's the chance I can match the shade and color between the two? He's asking for limo, so if I was dealing with a standard SUV I would just add 20% to 20% factory tint. Since these windows are flat and it will be much easier to see any minor differences between panes, I'm concerned.

2. The customer is rightfully worried about 4g/5g signal strength thru the film. These RVs run exclusively on hotspots, so the film cannot block any signal. Do you have suggestions for the film type to use; dyed, metalized, ceramic, etc.?

3. I asked the customer to follow up on this questions since he's purchasing the replacement glass, but... all of the glass is dual pane/thermo-pane glass. Should I be concerned with adding limo film to the inside surface of these windows?

Any info would be appreciated. I've been tinting cars only, and only on a part-time basis for the last 10-15 years. I'm not too excited about this job with the unanswered questions above, along with some access issues to some of the glass. The window behind the rear cabin bed is partially blocked by cabinets, for instance, with only ≈3-4 inches of clearance. Either way, it could be worth the income, since he has two full busses to tint, but that's only if I can match the shade and deliver a product that works for the customer.

Thank you,

Exact-Oh

TintDude · February 5, 2023

Whenever asked to match, I'd tell them it will not match. You can't even match if you knew the film since it varies from roll to roll and even from side to side on the same piece of film. Just say you can get the shade close but there will always be a slight color difference.

As far as the dual pane, I'm probably wrong, but I think they are so small the risk of thermal fracture is low.

:twocents

TintDude · February 5, 2023

By the way, it's nice to see you, hope you've been well. :beer

Tintguy1980 · February 6, 2023

As long as the glass is tempered, there is zero risk of thermal breakage, however, dark, highly absorptive, film products pose a risk for seal failure, tempered and or annealed.

Usually, the factory dark units have the dark glass layer to the exterior and a clear layer as the inner layer; reversing that structure using film has higher risks.

Exact-Oh · February 6, 2023

Nice to see you too, TD! All is well on my end - and still tinting part time. I'm seriously considering full retirement, but I'll miss it. Thanks for the info. I might skip this job if the customer is really dead set on matching, or ask him to replace ALL the glass. I wouldn't put that past him, but then I could do all the tinting before the glass is installed!

Exact-Oh · February 6, 2023

1 hour ago, Tintguy1980 said:

As long as the glass is tempered, there is zero risk of thermal breakage, however, dark, highly absorptive, film products pose a risk for seal failure, tempered and or annealed.

Usually, the factory dark units have the dark glass layer to the exterior and a clear layer as the inner layer; reversing that structure using film has higher risks.

Thanks TintGuy. I've mainly been an auto tinter, and I've stayed far away from situations like this. I couldn't imagine this customer replacing all of these expensive windows, only to have problems in 6-months.