Installing tinted clear glass in our Airstream door was a very important upgrade we made. It provides expanded views and extra functionality to our trailer. We ordered our 23 foot Globetrotter to be built with various standard factory upgrades. We also made a special order request to the Airstream factory to install tinted clear glass in our door. Sadly, they were not able to accommodate us.
We ended up working with Ultimate Airstreams, a factory authorized upfitter (ABOVE). SCROLL to see and learn how they do it for clients.
BEFORE PHOTO: This is the frosted glass that is installed on all Airstream doors. Good for privacy, but potential views are limited.
Built during Covid, we were told our 23′ Globetrotter would be one of the last ever built. As a product designer, I was in communication with Airstream to see if there was any way we could upgrade the frosted glass in the door (to a clear view window).
I also provided additional ideas for how a privacy screen could be designed for the door. They never replied to my outreach and ideas, but Lori and I wouldn’t give up. We really wanted to improve our new Airstream with a clear view window in the door!
ABOVE: The beautiful, tinted clear glass Ultimate Airstreams installed in our door.
Ultimate Airstreams: The Clear Glass Door Upgrade Expert
As shown in the photos above, we eventually accomplished our goal of installing clear glass in our Airstream door by commissioning Ultimate Airstreams. They are a high end custom fabricator based in Clackamas, Oregon.
Many months earlier… Lori and I searched the interweb for endless hours, trying to figure out how we could get a tinted clear piece of glass installed in our Airstream door. All roads kept leading us back to Ultimate Airstreams.
It took 11 months for the Airstream factory to build our trailer. With our VIN # in hand and help through a couple of professional inside sources, we learned our 23 ft Globetrotter was most likely the very last one built on their production line.
We really didn’t want to risk replacing the frosted glass in the door ourselves. With all of those factory rivets holding the window frame together- I imagined there might be many ways I could mess up a brand new collector trailer!
Airstream Aftermarket Parts + Service For Clear Glass
When we contacted Ultimate Airstreams, we quickly received an email quote for clear tinted glass for our Airstream door. They provided both a kit price (Kit shown BELOW)… as well as an installed price.
The installed price was only a few hundred dollars more. That sounded very fair, but unfortunately for us- their facilities are 965 miles north of where we live in Santa Barbara, CA.
Visiting Ultimate Airstreams Fabrication Facilities in Portland Sealed the Deal
8 months after our initial correspondence, we had the chance to stop in and visit the Ultimate Airstreams fabrication facilities.
Ironically, we were on a trip to Portland (and beyond) to pick up classic truck parts for my ’56 Ford. One of our stops was just 8 miles from the Ultimate Airstreams facility. On a whim, we decided to drop in and say hello to the project designer we had been communicating with.
Lori and I were also heading up to Seattle and Spokane WA for family reunions there, and Ultimate Airstreams was able to schedule our door upgrade on our return trip back through Portland.
Ultimate Airstreams For Custom Airstream UPGRADES
During our impromptu tour of the Ultimate Airstreams fabrication facility, Ian the project designer was able to show us many interesting custom upgrades and modifications they were making to various trailers on the floor.
What we saw in the meticulous organization and detail within those projects gave us great confidence to sign up for our modifications. We even saw a recently completed Ultimate Airstreams clear glass door upgrade! They have done nearly 60 glass conversions, as of this post.
It may seem odd that I am writing about Airstreams on my Creating Spanish Style Homes blog. The fact is, I have worked on many of my blog posts while on the road with our Airstream! I also share a personal side of my life with Lori, including vacations with our rig.
Enjoying wider views while I create pages on this website is important to me. I always appreciate craftsmanship and attention to detail in the projects I am involved in- so I wanted to provide Ultimate Airstreams more exposure for the great job they provide Airstream owners.
Steps To Getting Clear Glass Installed in An Airstream Door
For those interested in how Ultimate Airstreams helped us achieve clear glass in our Airstream door, scroll through these many photos. Photos are worth a thousand words… and I will also explain a bit about each one.
Once we arrived at the state of the art Ultimate Airstreams facility, our trailer was moved to a work station using a forklift.
Ultimate Airstreams needed to have our trailer for a day and a half to do the procedure (and for the weatherproof sealants to cure). Lori had arranged for a hotel nearby. Being in the Portland Oregon metro area, there are many to choose from.
Pro Tools To Get Clear Glass Installed in An Airstream Door
Besides knowing exactly how to perform the unique procedures- having the right tools is also crucial. When I was thinking about how I might install the glass kit myself- a tally on the cost of the specialty tools quickly surpassed any cost savings I would have with DIY.
ABOVE: Some of the tools used to replace the frosted glass. Some are for drilling out factory rivets and to install new ones.
Modifying AN Airstream Screen Door
When installing clear glass in the Airstream door, a way to achieve privacy for the door is important. Ultimate Airstreams designed their own system to solve this problem. Scroll these photos to see how they did it.
The first step was removing the original aluminum guard on the upper section of the screen door. That’s it lying on the floor of our coach.
This first step enables the new privacy shade to roll down and cover the clear glass area of the door.
The factory looking privacy shade is attached to a new, brushed aluminum bar, fabricated by Ultimate Airstreams.
The privacy screen works well because it is mounted on the screen door (not the door itself). This allows us to open and close it whenever we want. It is impractical to open the door (to separate the screen door and reach the privacy shade on the door.
As you can see, the rolled down shade is secured to the lower section of the screen door with hardware that also looks factory built.
Steps To Removing Factory Frosted Glass From An Airstream Door
There is an inner and outer window frame on an Airstream door. Both need to be removed to replace the glass.
The photos here show how the technicians have removed the inner window frame.
The photo above shows the inner window frame removed and the door insulation revealed.
In this close up photo, the team has blue taped around the exterior frame (to protect the aluminum). They have also pre-drilled a small starter hole centered on each factory rivet.
The next step is for the technician to carefully drill out each factory rivet without damaging the window frame.
In these photos, all exterior rivets and the outer window frame have been removed.
With sealant and other proprietary installment methods, our Airstream door is ready for the new clear tinted glass panel to be installed.
While all of this was being accomplished, Lori and I were exploring the Portland area. We particularly enjoyed our lakeside picnic at Lake Oswego- and looking up a few friends who have homes in the area.
The Riveting Steps To Installing Clear Glass in An Airstream Door
Ultimate Airstreams source their clear tinted replacement glass from the same manufacturer that supplies Airstream with their factory glass. This news reassured us that our new clear tinted door window would perfectly match all of our other windows.
This is a closeup photo of the new clear tinted window being reinstalled on our Airstream door. The new rivets are shown in various stages of installation.
Here is a closeup photo of the mushroomed rivets on the backside of the outer window frame. The decorative interior window frame will soon be installed, and these will be hidden.
Another closeup photo of the riveting process of attaching the outer window frame to the door.
After the rivets are fully engaged, their heads are carefully ground and polished to match the rest of the Airstream. ABOVE: The completed installation of the clear tinted door glass by Ultimate Airstreams.
AFTER PHOTO: The stunning result of a successful installation of clear tinted glass in our Airstream door.
If you would like upgrade your frosted glass Airstream door, or customize your own Airstream, we would highly recommend Ultimate Airstreams! Reach out to Project Designer Ian Harnish at 503-558-7682.
We were ecstatic after we picked up our newly customized Airstream. We stayed one more night at a State park campground, just a few miles away from Ultimate Airstreams- right in the Portland metro area.
THE EASY BUTTON TO VIEW OUR OTHER AIRSTREAM ESCAPADES
