Trident Blackout / Tinting Rear Side Windows

I'm sure my 1999 Trident can't be the only one with the blackout film peeling problem? This is the film that's applied on the interior of the side rear windows behind the wardrobe. It was applied to the opposite side (left) window too but I have managed to scrape most of that off because it looks better without the film rather than having it patchy and tatty. On the earlier models, the black out was achieved by use of plastic panels applied to the exterior using battens and glue. My question is, has anybody got a similar issue and if so have you attempted any type of remedy? I was thinking of applying matt black or silk finish vinyl wrap to the exterior but I'm concerned that it will look odd because it's stuck on the outside. This vinyl is the stuff they use to 'wrap' car paintwork to apply graphic designs or give that er... matt black appearance to some cars.
The big problem with using the regular tinting film is that it has to be applied to the inside and access would mean removal of the wardrobe, gas locker and attached unit, interior trim etc. Take a look at the photo, it really does look tatty and exposes the wiring and bare ply behind the units. Any thoughts?

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That doesn't look very pretty. I've used window film tint on a similar problem on a tailgate on a topaz but that was much easier to get at from the inside. Why don't you contact a company that replaces windscreens, get the glass removed and then treat with tint or paint and then get it re-fitted. 
Regards
John

That's odd, because on my '99 Transit based conversion, AS used a black paint to black out the parts of the tailgate and side windows that were not supposed to be seen through, so I don't know why they didn't do the same on a Trident.

As already said (and knowing from experience how difficult it can be to remove internal fitted furniture on AS conversions) it may be easiest to have the panel bond cut out, refinish the blackout and have it bonded back in.

Can the side windows be removed without breaking the glass? As Mojo says, i think they are bonded in to the frames in a similar way to the windscreen. I was considering having corrosion removed around my windscreen and the paintshop said that the windscreen would probably break whilst attempting removal and that I would have to claim on insurance! I know how easily the toughened side glass can shatter. Has anyone actually had a side glass replacement?

I went to a car tinters and graphics firm got them to stick black vinyl on outside of window, looks great should cost no more than £20

I am experiencing the exact same issue with my '99 Trooper. Did you manage to find a suitable solution?

I initially used matt vinyl wrap on the outside surface of the window. It looked ok but I really want the 'original' look. The only satisfactory method is to have the side glass removed by a windscreen company and the glass tinted on the inside, the problem being that they need to have access to the inside surface too so that the bonding adhesive can be cut with a cheese wire type of set up.
The body shop I have recently used suggest that the only solution is to break the glass out and replace with glass from a donor vehicle. I have been holding out until I can find a better idea. In all honesty, it would be straighforward enough to do this myself rather than pay out! I have still not spoken to a windscreen company directly though.

Tattybogle wrote:I initially used matt vinyl wrap on the outside surface of the window. It looked ok but I really want the 'original' look. The only satisfactory method is to have the side glass removed by a windscreen company and the glass tinted on the inside, the problem being that they need to have access to the inside surface too so that the bonding adhesive can be cut with a cheese wire type of set up.
The body shop I have recently used suggest that the only solution is to break the glass out and replace with glass from a donor vehicle. I have been holding out until I can find a better idea. In all honesty, it would be straighforward enough to do this myself rather than pay out! I have still not spoken to a windscreen company directly though.

Thanks for the reply. I think it would be easy enough to cut the window rubber out from the outside using a Stanley knife and a new rubber would be obtainable from a VW parts supplier. I wonder if there is any way of bonding the window back in without access to the inside of the van?

-mojo- wrote:That's odd, because on my '99 Transit based conversion, AS used a black paint to black out the parts of the tailgate and side windows that were not supposed to be seen through, so I don't know why they didn't do the same on a Trident.

No A/S vans came with blacked out window tint (i assume you meant that rather than 'paint'!). It was left to the buyer to have done though i've no doubt if buying new, A/S could arrange for it to be done at a cost of course, as long as the buyer specified it.

Mine is 2000 registered and oddly none of the previous owners had bothered to have it done. That said none of them owned the van long enough! It was the very first job i had done.

Bulletguy wrote:

-mojo- wrote:That's odd, because on my '99 Transit based conversion, AS used a black paint to black out the parts of the tailgate and side windows that were not supposed to be seen through, so I don't know why they didn't do the same on a Trident.

No A/S vans came with blacked out window tint (i assume you meant that rather than 'paint'!). It was left to the buyer to have done though i've no doubt if buying new, A/S could arrange for it to be done at a cost of course, as long as the buyer specified it.

Mine is 2000 registered and oddly none of the previous owners had bothered to have it done. That said none of them owned the van long enough! It was the very first job i had done.

All Volkswagen T4 Autosleeper Troopers had the rear O/S window tinted as standard.

Rich,
The problem is that it's not just a case of cutting through the rubber seal. The seal is pushed into the recess between the fixed glass and the bodywork but the glass is actually bonded to the body with black adhesive similar to Sikaflex. This is identical to a windscreen as far as I'm aware. 
Replacement heavily tinted replacement glass is a available, JK's supply it although the offside is 3 times the price of the nearside!
Earlier Tridents had their rear windows covered by black plastic panels in lieu of tinting.

Bulletguy wrote:
No A/S vans came with blacked out window tint (i assume you meant that rather than 'paint'!). It was left to the buyer to have done though i've no doubt if buying new, A/S could arrange for it to be done at a cost of course, as long as the buyer specified it.

I genuinely did mean that my van had a sprayed on blackout on the parts of the rear and side windows which were not meant to be seen through.

It was not tint film and it was completely light-proof. It was put on at the factory and not added subsequently.

To the best of my knowledge the original buyers (who I spoke to extensively about it before buying it) did not specifically state that it should be done - it was just done by AS as part of their original order.

-mojo- wrote:

Bulletguy wrote:
No A/S vans came with blacked out window tint (i assume you meant that rather than 'paint'!). It was left to the buyer to have done though i've no doubt if buying new, A/S could arrange for it to be done at a cost of course, as long as the buyer specified it.

I genuinely did mean that my van had a sprayed on blackout on the parts of the rear and side windows which were not meant to be seen through.

It was not tint film and it was completely light-proof. It was put on at the factory and not added subsequently.

To the best of my knowledge the original buyers (who I spoke to extensively about it before buying it) did not specifically state that it should be done - it was just done by AS as part of their original order.

That's the oddest 'add on' i've ever heard of then. Spray on window glass tint...yes, such as this; 
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But spraying paint on the glass?  

Perhaps AS realised that the tinting film had an issue and didn't want to replace the factory glass with a tinted alternative due to cost and the labour involved. Hence the spray-on alternative? 
The rear of the cupboards was never meant to be accessible and if stock factory glass was used, the bare plywood and wiring can be seen.  It's not nice.

I can only assume that it was some form of specialist product, because if you were to spray on paint from a Halfords rattle can it would scrape off with your fingernail. This was really well bonded on.

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Though not clearly visible in the photo, the rear tailgate was similarly masked, though the nearside rear window behind the wardrobe was not - it had the conventional AS plastic cover.

The windscreen replacement people use a black type 'inky' paint which they use on the areas that need to be masked. (Destination blinds on buses.......that's how I know!)
Usually painted on the inside of the glass I have had it on the outside.
Yes it can get scratched off in time. but is easily painted over again.

PB

So, I decided that I had enough of driving around revealing the torn tinting film and exposing the wiring etc. I bought a heavily tinted side window from Just Kampers and having done a bit of research online, I replaced the old clear window by breaking the old one:

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Every trace of the old glass was carefully removed with the exception of the glass fragments that had stuck to the bonding adhesive. I then carefully removed the window edge trim. Note the strips of pipe insulation that I tucked between the wood and bodywork to prevent too much glass dropping down to floor level. I used a vibrating tool to cut away the remaining glass and most of the bonding.

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I then cut away the excess thickness of old bonding adhesive leaving about 1mm using a Stanley knife. Everything was then cleaned up ready for the new glass:

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I had already offered up the glass and the wardrobe back could just be seen in bright light so I applied black vinyl bodywork wrap to the inside of the glass where it passed in front of the wardrobe, leaving a straight vertical edge well before the small window area. I primed the glass, applied the new bonding adhesive to the aperture over the top of the remaining 1mm of old adhesive and placed the new glass in situ:

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It looks totally blacked out but the little 'window' can just been seen from the outside. On the inside you would barely know that it was a heavily tinted glass. We think it looks pretty smart and we are now considering doing the nearside window too.

Perfect! Thanks for sharing. This is now on my list of things to do. Now where did I put that large hammer??......

I may attempt this today- I have the new glass.

A quick question if I may: does the window edge trim have to be re-inserted after the new glass is bonded in-situ or do you somehow fit this window edge trim before the glass goes in?

Sorry, I'm probably a bit too late to help you with your window but the rubber seal needs to be fitted on the glass prior to placing the window on the band of adhesive on the vehicle. I'm sure this is what you probably did in any case. 
It might be a bit of a challenge trying to tuck the seal between glass and bodywork otherwise.
I hope it went OK.

No need to apologise! Thank you very much for the information. As it transpires, I didn't get time to do it at the weekend, so hope to do it soon.