RV Storm Door: How Do You Put Plexiglass On an RV Door?
When it comes to different tricks and ideas for RVs, the best ideas come from those RV owners that are very handy with tools. You spent a lot of money on your RV or trailer so it makes sense to be able to use creative ideas like plexiglass over a screen door.
This project will take some special cuts to make sure the plexiglass fits in the door track accurately and precisely. It is a matter of buying the right thickness of this material, making those right cuts, and then using special holders to keep the glass in place.
To learn more about this project, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can do the same thing and upgrade your RV or trailer to fit your camping area. It is a great addition if you want to look outside and use the air conditioner at the same time.
RV Screen Door With Plexiglass
This is a good idea if you have pets. Once the plexiglass is in place, your dog won’t ruin the screen if they like to scratch to get outside. Adding plexiglass is a good way to dog-proof your screen door.
Also, if you like to let more light inside but want to run the air conditioner, adding plexiglass to your screen door is the way to do it. You can leave your RV door open, get that needed light, and cut down on your electrical expenses.
The main drawback to this project would be the extra weight that is added to the screen door frame. Screen doors are not known to be very sturdy or able to hold a lot of weight. If you use the wrong thickness of the material, you could be adding too much weight to the frame.
When that happens, the door can sag. One ideal weight to use would be .085 inches. It does not seem to add too much weight and it works like a charm according to some owners who successfully completed this project.
RV Plexiglass Storm Door Insert
You can do it yourself and we will provide some instructions for that project in the next section. But, if you are not a handyman and not great at making precision cuts on plexiglass, it is good to know that there are different companies that will do the work for you.
These companies will charge different rates depending on the material you want to use. Some glass shops will do the installation and provide all the hardware, glass, or plexiglass you need. Usually, it will only take about a day or so to get the job done for you.
All you have to do is take the door off, drop it off at the shop and come back in the next day or two. The cost can be under $100 depending on the shop you go to. Sometimes, some door companies that deal in screen doors can provide the frame windows for you.
If you are not in the area it may cost you close to $50 for shipping but the total cost will still be under $100.
How do You Put Plexiglass On An RV Door?
It is possible to do this project without having to buy a frame. What one owner did was buy the .085 thick plexiglass and then used his utility knife and a straight edge to cut the piece to size.
Then he put a fine-tooth blade in his jigsaw and cut rounded corners. he left about 1/4” extra all around so that the plexiglass snapped into the channel most RV doors have built-in. Once he had the plexiglass in place, he used turn buttons (any hardware store has these) to secure the plexiglass window in place.
He did remove the screen as it was not really needed. This project allowed him to open the main door and have the air conditioner running at the same time. This is not a difficult project to do.
You have to make sure you measure accurately so you do not ruin the piece of plexiglass when cutting to size. This owner also used a PVC plastic cap about 3/16” in thickness to help support the material once it was in place. The plexiglass may make the screen door more stable and more rigid.
RV Screen Door Glass (Clear Cover Options)
The options are going to be limited to the design of your screen door. There are not a lot of clear options but Camco makes at least one style for the slider and screen next to the slider. You can find it and other options at Amazon.
There are companies that make better options than what we saw at Amazon. A good internet search will turn those companies up for you. They are not national chains or anything similar but they specialize in making plexiglass windows for screen doors.
If they are nearby, you can always talk to them about shipping the windows to you. A local window, glass, or door outlet should be able to help you if you do not know what kind of clear cover you want.
One option made by Lippert for their screen doors is an aluminum screen. It protects the outer screen from the claws of your pets and still lets some light inside. The aluminum is not clear but you have enough tiny spaces between the aluminum strands to let the light enter.
Some Final Words
This looks like an easy project to do when you have a lot of time on your hands. Once completed, you have more options available when it comes to opening your RV door and turning on your AC unit.
After installation, you get the best of both worlds, enough light and staying cool at the same time.
