Plastic Coated R.V. Windshields?

Just when I thought I had heard it all, a customer called to tell me that one of his technicians had repaired a windshield with what appeared to be a plastic layer on the exterior of the glass. He went on to say that the plastic was very difficult to drill through as the bur kept getting clogged.

The repair had been done on an R.V. windshield, so although I thought the customer was off his rocker, I decided to humor him and call my old buddy John Tokatly at Coach Glass. Much to my surprise, John told me that some coach manufacturers applied a clear film over the windshield to protect the glass while in transport. From that we deducted that it was quite possible that the dealership had failed to remove the film before selling the coach, and the customer was either unaware that the film was present, or believed it was some sort of safety feature that should not be removed.

I would like to think this is a rare occurrence, but on the off chance you run across a windshield with a protective film on the outside, you will now know how to approach the customer about the issue with confidence. The film will scratch easily under normal driving conditions, especially when the wipers are used, so the customer would be well advised to remove the film as quickly as possible.

-Brent Deines