An Insane Project Taken on One Day at a Time

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If there was one thing Mike and I could agree on, it was that we wanted traditional RV windows.

Some Skoolie enthusiasts would say we’re crazy to want to take out the beautiful panoramic row of bus windows that encourages natural lighting to seep in from every angle.

Yes, the view can be stunning but… growing up riding a bus every day to school I knew from experience that keeping the windows would sacrifice comfort. 

To paint a picture from the past, imagine being a middle schooler waiting in the 30-degree dark morning for your bus to arrive at 6:30 am on the dot. Once you finally make it to your bus seat with the anticipation of catching up on sleep, you’re greeted with the cold damp walls of sheet metal and a condensating window that just doesn’t seem to want to close right. The window sits slightly ajar introducing small gusts of chilly air defiantly trying to keep you from your much needed extra slumber.  

The original windows  just aren’t practical. I don’t know the science behind it or if it’s just old bad seals that make up every bus window (at least any bus while I went to school) but they create a ton of condensation.  

And we all know that nothing ever good comes out of moist environments. 

We have experience with RV Windows too. We own a camper with its 2006 economy style windows and they have never been a problem. I’ve even jokingly suggested to Mike that we rip out our camper windows to use for our school bus. 

To be honest, while I was half-joking, I was also half-sincere as insane as that may sound. RV windows cost a fortune! 

Before doing basic research, I gathered a list of window sizes that worked best with my floor plan:

  • Living Room (24” x 48”)
  • Mud Room(12” x 42”)
  • Wash Room (24” x 24”)
  • Kitchen (12” x 42”)
  • Bed Room (24” x 48”)
  • Office (24” x 48”)
  • Passenger & Driver Windows (24” x 24”)

In total, I was on the hunt for eight RV windows.

While conducting research, I found that there were 8 types of RV window vendors. Vendors either sold prefabricated windows, custom windows, or pre-owned windows.

Using my windows as an example, I’m going to illustrate the pros & cons of each vendor and the pricing break downs. Let’s start with pre-made window vendors.

Pre-Made Window Vendors

Buying a ready-made window is as simple as it gets but requires extra time web searching to match your list of window criteria. Buying from different sets of vendors won’t punish you in shipping costs, because most of these vendors provide free shipping.

Before you look at buying windows, don’t forget to check out our future article to help you understand different RV window styles and to get their pros and cons!

Places to Find Pre-Made Windows: 

Pros: 

  • This is probably the easiest and fastest option
  • Cost anywhere from $100 – $300 a window 
  • Usually includes free shipping 
  • Easy to find a replacement if the window is ever broken
  • If you want, all windows can match for a constant look

Cons:

  • Limited Section of Windows
    • You may need to settle for a window slightly different than what you had in mind.
  • Harder to find big windows though these Windows 
  • If you’re looking for specialty, frameless, or premium windows, the costs go up significantly

If we were to buy ready-made windows, we would have spent:  

  • Passenger & Driver Windows –  Rec Pro – $139.95 ( x2 )
  • Bedroom & Office & Living Room Windows –  Rec Pro – $196.95 ( x3 )
  • Kitchen Window – Rec Pro – $179.95  
  • Mud Room – Factory RV – $150.00 
  • Wash Room – Rec Pro – $139.95 

Total: $1,340.65

Luckily, we would have been able find all our window needs with just two different vendors!

Buying Custom Made Windows

Sometimes, you get stuck with an image inside your head that doesn’t match the prefabricated reality of ready-made windows. If this is your situation, look no further than these Custom RV window fabricators.

You can choose your windows frame colors, exact sizes, glass tints, torque style, and more. Just keep in mind, increased customization and suprior quality leads to higher costs. But it can totally be worth it to make your Skoolie design into reality.

Custom RV Window Providers

Pros 

  • You’re guaranteed premium quality 
  • You can get any size window you want
  • Some are made in the USA 
  • There are tons of customizable options to choose from such as frame color, tint color, double pane

Cons 

  • Very expensive 
  • Long wait time (some estimating a 7-week wait )
Some of the options that Motion Windows offers to customize your RV Windows

Motion Windows

  • Passenger & Driver Windows | (30”W x 30”H) | $371 – $408 ( x2 )
  • Bedroom & Office & Living Room Windows | ( 24”W x 48”H) | $426 – $468 ( x3) 
  • Kitchen Window | (42”W x 12”H) |  $324 – $357
  • Mud Room | (12”W x 42”H) | $338 – $371
  • Wash Room | (24”W x 24”H) | $336 – $370

Total: $3,018 – $3,318

Lippert Components

  • Passenger & Driver Windows | (30”W x 30”H) | $440 ( x2 )
  • Bedroom & Office & Living Room Windows | ( 48”W x 24”H) | $518 ( x3) 
  • Kitchen Window | (42”W x 15”H) |  $420
  • Mud Room | (15”W x 42”H) | $338 – $420.50
  • Wash Room | (24”W x 24”H) | $362

Total: $3,636.5

Buying Used Windows

This last option was the route Mike and I decided to take. With limited funds and a mission to repurpose as much material as possible, we found ourselves searching for local RV junkyards.

Although we couldn’t find much information about the only RV specific junkyard in North Georiga, we found ourselves driving two hours to Diamond Rock Auto Salvage.

It was a risk since we couldn’t be guaranteed to find the windows we wanted, but we ended up leaving with all our window needs met. Albeit, we needed to make slight adjustments to our window criteria to meet the windows that were available at the junkyard.

We’ll also be sending some time cleaning all the grim off the windows, fixing any window damage, and retinting lightly tinted windows to a darker shade.

Overall, if our windows are successful, we’ll have save a signifcant amount of money.

Used Window Providers 

  • Ebay – $$
  • Facebook Marketplace – $
  • Craigslist – $
  • Local RV Junkyards – $ 
  • Arizona RV Salvage – $$
  • Auctions – $ to $$ 

Pros: 

  • Can be very cheap
  • Is more eco-friendly since you are reusing rather than buying new
  • Can find windows with premium or unique features without having to pay a lot extra  
  • It can be exciting to find the windows you want 

Cons: 

  • Depending on where you purchase, the windows might be dirty
    • You might have to pull off the old caulk, stickers, and wash off caked-on dirt
  • Windows will likely have scraps, small dents, or other tiny flaws
  • It’ll be difficult to find a matching set of windows. 
    • Frame colors or window tints might be off. So you’ll have to repaint or apply tint. 
  • Buying used is similar to treasure hunting. 
    • It can be time-consuming and you might not find what you want immediately.
  • You may need to settle for a window slightly different than what you had in mind.   
  • There’s a chance the windows could be faulty
  • There’s no return policy or warranty
  • Bedroom Window (49.25” H x 23.5” W) – $40
  • Couch Window (47” H x 27.25” W) – $40
  • Office Window (49.25” H x 23.5” W) – $40
  • Kitchen Window (37.5” H x 19.25” W) -$30
  • WD Combo Window (31.25” H x 21.25” W) – $30
  • Shoe Cubby Window (43.5” H  x 13.5” W) -$30
  • Driver & Passenger Windows ( Search is still in the process )

Total: $210 for six windows!

Tell Us What You Think!

There are so many good options when it comes to finding RV Windows! Although I believed I’ve covered all the places to purchase windows, let me know if you think I missed a spot.

If you are thinking about buying windows for your project, let us know where your sourcing from. If you’ve already got windows for your project, tell us where you got them and what you think about them.

We look forward to reading your comments down below!