[Flick]

I am going to replace the felt runners in my slide windows so they actually open. They are brittle and clogged with dirt. I called Newell parts and they sell it for $3 a linear foot. I assume that price is reasonable. Can any of you tell if there is somewhere else to buy it cheaper? Also are there any special tricks to changing these?

[Richard]

What brand are the windows? or post a pic

It can be done with some finesse. I'll wait on commenting until I see the pics of what you have.

[prairieschooner]

I`d like to start replacing ours as well. Need to find a good source.

[Flick]

I can't tell you what brand they are now as my coach is in having a bunch of mechanical neglect taken care of. Chuck (parts guy at Newell) seemed to know exactly what I needed. He told me to talk to the guys in service as he thought they would be able to give me tips. I have a message into them and will let you know their response.

[whatsnewell]

Richard if you're wondering what kind of windows Todd's Newell has I believe they are Peninsula based on the pictures he sent me. Here is one of the passenger side. They look like Peninsula to me.

[Richard]

Ok, the generic name for the felt is Fin Seal. Several places on the net carry it. It comes in different widths and heights. I don't remember exactly what size the windows take, but I do know the sliding tracking and the crosspiece bar have different heights. I got my fin seal from Peninsula.

First step is buy a set of picks. Lowes has them, so does HF. Don't start without them. You will use the curved hook a LOT.

Start by looking at the bottom track the window rides on. Use the hook and pull that out. Now pull out the top one. You should be able to take the sliding window out of the track now.

Go as far to the end of the felt as you can get and slice it with an Exacto knife. Use the hook to pull it out of the T track its mounted in. Ok the easy part is over.

Spray some silicone in the track and slide the new felt in. You just keep slipping in the track and sliding till you fill up the track. Repeat for the other tracks.

This will all make sense once you start taking the window apart. The first one takes 3 hours, the second one an hour, and the rest 30 minutes. It's a steep learning curve.

[encantotom]

richard taught me how to do it and i did my 90 front windows.

tom

[Flick]

Richard thank you...I think. Wow this sounds interesting. I just spent the entire day recovering the valences in the coach. My wife decided the color had to change. I also built two new housings for the TV' s in the back and front. Covered them with a faux black leather fabric. They don't look too bad for a rookie.

[encantotom]

hope you post some pictures. would love to see what you did.

tom

[Richard]

I hear ya. I have become an upholsterer, AC repair, diesel mechanic, carpenter, alignment, refrigerator repair man as part of my Newell experience. It couldn't be more interesting of a learning journey.

If you are going to do much upholstery, you must get a pneumatic upholstery stapler. MUST.