What The Heck, Camper Glass Blew out

[BIGR]

Maybe you guys can help me with this one. Yesterday I was weed eating at my parent’s house, when my Dad came down in the yard to get me. He said did you hit a rock and break a window? I thought dang it I have busted a window in the house, but I knew I had not been in any rocks in the yard. He said your rear glass on your camper cover is broken out. Sure enough I walked around there and there were thousands of pieces of tinted glass on the asphalt. Earlier I had been about 40 feet away weed eating in the yard, but there was no way that I threw a rock from the weed eater, because, number one I am extra careful around vehicles and buildings and number two I was pretty well in grass. I did search around and no rocks were to be seen when I swept the glass up. I had been in the rear of the truck earlier and the outside temp. was about 78 degrees, so I wondered how it could have got that hot to blow out the rear glass of the camper shell?

Have you guys ever known of camper shell glass (windows) to blow out due to the heat? I recall being at the Grand Canyon years ago in the parking lot when a similar incident happened to a poor guy. His rear tailgate glass blew out and I thought that would be a bitch. Well it has happened top me. I figured 5.5 years of extreme heat might have weakened the glass and it just finally went.

I have talked to my insurance company and I think they are going to cover it under comprehensive.
Any ideas on this guys?

 

[CtChevy427]

I have never heard of heat doing that to a window but I guess anything is possible. Not knowing the layout of the land this is a total guess. Could a passing car have shot a stone and hit the window and the rock ricochet off the glass.

 

[BIGR]

No danger of passing cars throwing a stone, since where the truck was parked is about 100 yards form the highway and even further than that to the neighbors house. Also the truck was parked on a hill above the surrounding terrain. I even looked around in the back of the truck for maybe a bullet hole. Anything is possible I guess. I am going to talk to the guy at the camper shell dealer in the morning. I am hoping that he can inform me about any problems they have had in the past. If it is heat related I have two windows that roll out, but I would hate to leave them open much, due to rain.

 

[trouttrooper]

I would think more along the lines of the wall that the glass is in having a twist or compression in it that was putting stress on the glass until it finally gives out.

maybe??????????

 

[blizzardplowman]

Its called spontaneous breakage. All heat treated glass is under stress, thats why it breaks like it does, thus it can blow up at anytime. I can send you the whole tech thing but my favorite explanation is to think of tempered glass as a woman, it can go off at any time and for no reason

 

[WarWagon]

I would look at the weed eater throwing a rock with a nod to the spontaneous breakage idea. 40' is nothing for a well launched rock, nail, or other glass breaker from a weed eater. They also bounce off the glass (If they don't go completely through it) and can be a ways away from busted glass. Electric or gas weed eater? The gas ones usually do more damage...

 

[BIGR]

I am 99 percent sure it was not the weed eater. It was a gas weed eater, but I was running it at low rpms and I saw no rocks where I was weed eating. Also I must mention that at the time the glass broke, I had my utility trailer (hooked to truck) and riding mower on that trailer. With the mower on the trailer the seat of the mower is almost as high as the rear glass. From where I was weed eating the rock would have had to go up at an angle to even have a chance of hitting it. Also most of my body was between the weed eater and the truck. Other words my back was to the truck so I think if I had hit a rock I think I would seen it whiz by. Also after I cut that one area of grass I went down the driveway around some hedge bushes and then came back up the opposite side of the bushes. I am pretty sure I looked towards the rear of the camper cover as I came back through the yard. As I walked by I was within 8 feet or so of the truck and I think I would have noticed all the mess and the broken rear window.

I talked to the camper top dealer today and he acted surprised and kind of brushed it off as maybe some object hit it. However he did mention not too long ago he had just installed a new camper top on a truck. When he reached to open the front sliding window of the topper cover he put his hand on the handle and tried to move the sliding glass window, it broke into many pieces. It appears that it is going to cost 400 to 500 bucks to replace the glass door. The camper guy said he didn't think they made that style of door anymore and he would have to order a different type and replace the door frame. I am going to call Century to see if he is blowing smoke just to jack the price up.

I think what blizzardplowman said makes since. I think when the glass gets to a certain point it is going to go. Once again I witnessed a camper topper window explode in the parking lot at the Grand Canyon back in 2006. The style of camper top door I had on my truck had the two locking handles in cased on each side of the door. The two handles are made into the glass. When you close the door each side puts tension on the glass. I wonder if that tension played a big part in it.

Thanks for the ideas and input guys. I may have to just chalk it up as an unknown experience. The main thing is I have to get the replacement part installed so I can start using my truck again in its full capacity. I keep some tools locked up in the bed of the truck and it was convenient to keep things dry. I wouldn't worry so much about it, but I paid $1492.65 for the camper shell back in 2005. It is a nice one with the carpet lining the inside of it. I would hate to get it wet and all kinds of dust inside on it.

To give you an idea of the type camper top I have, here is a link. Mine is the Royal.

http://www.centurycaps.com/Fiberglass-Caps#

 

[trouttrooper]

I've got the High C version, bought it in 2001. Mine's seen a fairly hard life, lots of washboard gravel roads, twisting articulation and I take it on and off at least a couple times a year. No glass shatter. Of course now you've got me worried.

 

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

I have seen it happen several times in car windows. Due to high heat, they just burst out. The tempered glass is made to shatter in a million pieces. The front windshields have a film in the middle or on the inside that tries to keep it together. They are designed like that.

In the summer, that is why I most always leave the windows cracked open a bit.

 

[BIGR]

I have seen it happen several times in car windows. Due to high heat, they just burst out. The tempered glass is made to shatter in a million pieces. The front windshields have a film in the middle or on the inside that tries to keep it together. They are designed like that.

In the summer, that is why I most always leave the windows cracked open a bit.

You said that right about a million pieces. I was cleaning small dust like particles out of the rear of the truck bed along with bigger pieces. I would hate for it to blow out in a persons face.

 

[RI Chevy Silveradoman]

The little particles are "softer" and don't really cut like typical glass. Don't get me wrong here, you can get small cuts if you play with it and pick it up, it's just that they are so small, they are designed to shatter to smithereens and not cut.

They sure do make a mess. Even after you think you got them all, you'll find more. :rof:

 

[BIGR]

Just an update on camper topper rear glass deal. The past few days I have been running around letting an adjuster at a body shop look at it and also went to the camper topper place. I have been in a feud with my insurance company over the broken rear glass. Some goober head listed the claim as a collision claim and not under comprehensive. In my state comprehensive covers such things as broken windshields and other damage not caused by an actual collision. The girl at the body shop said you know there is a $250.00 deductible don't you? I told her there better not be since it was supposed to be under comprehensive. She showed me the documents where it was listed as collision. I informed her that someone had messed up and I was well aware of what a collision was and that my damage was not caused by a collision. About then is when I called me insurance agent and told her what a mess I was in. She made some calls and got it switched to comprehensive, therefore I pay no deductibles.

I know there are times that you feel like someone is trying to pull one over on you, well that is the way I was feeling. It was simple, just write the thing up as comprehensive damage and be done with it. I know the insurance company has been slammed with storm damage claims, but heck fire don't take it out on me. On Tuesday I called the insurance guy that is going to send me the check. He said yea it was a unique situation and they did not know how to handle it. I said there should not be any issues with it, if a kid threw a baseball and knocked the window out it would almost be the same difference. He said I guess you are right.
Oh, by the way it is going to cost $636.00 bucks to replace the rear topper glass door. Sure glad insurance is covering it, which it should because I have paid those people alot of money and very seldom turn in any claims.

 

[BIGR]

The little particles are "softer" and don't really cut like typical glass. Don't get me wrong here, you can get small cuts if you play with it and pick it up, it's just that they are so small, they are designed to shatter to smithereens and not cut.

They sure do make a mess. Even after you think you got them all, you'll find more. :rof:

You were right I was in the back of the truck today crawling around. I put my hand down on a couple of small pieces of glass and felt it. I raised my hand up and the glass is stuck to it, one piece of glass brought blood. Looks like I am going to have to do some more serious cleaning. Heck I am tired of seeing tinted glass.