RV Patio Doors: Finding RV Sliding Glass Door Replacement
Glass is tricky. You never know when that chip or crack will expand or when a rock will hit it and shatter. Once those issues do take place, finding a replacement is not as hard as you think. Glass is easy to find a replacement for.
One of the best places to go is a glass installer. These companies know how to customize glass frames to fit any opening and they can cut the glass to size to make sure everything fits nice and snug. The professionals know how to do a good job for less money.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can find an RV glass patio door replacement easily. Take a few minutes to see how this important information helps you solve a patio door problem.
RV Sliding Glass Doors
Finding RV Sliding Glass Door Replacement
One suggestion that you can consider is contacting the manufacturer of the door. Forest River, Jayco, and other RV brands do not make these doors but buy them from a variety of manufacturers.
The RV makers may have replacement doors but they may only sell to their dealers and repair centers. It depends on the RV brand. As for the manufacturers, they may only sell the whole door, frame included, and not just the glass.
Then you would have to pay for the complete door set-up as well as shipping if you are not under warranty. Either way can be time-consuming as well as keeping your RV in the repair center for some time.
Lippert only makes replacement parts. They do not seem to sell the glass or the frame. We checked their website and you may find a part you need if your RV has one of their doors installed.
Then there is a place called Custom Glass Solutions which works with a network of 3000 glass shops across the country to help you find the replacement glass you need. The company works with 24 RV brands, so you should be able to find the help you need. Click here to see their website.
Then, the best place to go is not the big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes. It is better to go to the local glass shops that install glass. They can make the glass fit most frames. This is their profession so they will be better than a big box store.
They may also be cheaper as well. Make sure to talk to them first and ask if they work with RV or trailer windows or patio doors. Going to the glass pros is the most intelligent option available.
Where To Buy RV Patio Doors
You can try the big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes. They may have some options in stock that may fit your specific RV or trailer. The problem is if you own an older trailer the exterior wall construction may not be as thick as the more recent RV construction.
It is said that the older RVs and trailers came with only 4-inch thick exterior walls and the big box stores only stock glass doors for more recently built RVs, etc., which come with 6-inch thick exterior walls.
That is something you have to take into consideration when looking for replacement patio doors. Some RV brands may be of assistance to you and they may not. It is hit and miss when you talk to the different RV brands.
You would have to check with your RV maker to see if they supply these doors through their repair centers or dealers. One owner said that Forest River was no help to him after calling three times.
Lowe’s website offers over 600 different patio door styles. You can check their selection out to see if they will fit your RV or trailer. Prices will vary and may not include installation or shipping.
Some RV parts and Accessory outlets are not a lot of help here. They will sell regular RV doors with the small window or they will simply sell the parts you may need. They do not sell the patio glass doors that we saw.
Amazon will only be helpful with the replacement parts and not the frame or the glass. As we said earlier, the best place to get glass patio doors for your RV is a local glass shop that does custom or RV work.
Do a local search to find some near you and give them a call or send them an e-mail. Their work may be a lot less than if you bought from Lowe’s etc., and then paid for installation.
If you own a toy hauler, check out our article on patio doors for this RV option. Just click toy hauler 3 season patio door for sale to get to it.
Custom Patio RV Doors
For custom work, you can contact the company we linked to earlier. Custom Glass Solutions may be your answer as they work with RVs and trailers. They also work through over 3,000 local glass installers or shops to help you find what you need.
You can contact those companies that do custom work for traditional homes and see what they say. While their specialty is the traditional home style, they may be able to work with some RV models.
However, finding custom work will take a local search to find someone in your area. Not every glass installer works on RVs or trailers so you may have to spend some time on the internet looking for the few that do.
We will caution you by saying that if you go that route, those replacement doors may not be as inexpensive as you would like them to be. It may take some searching to find the right company, the right door design, and the right price that fits your budget.
RV Sliding Door Replacement Cost And Instructions
Places like the Custom Glass Solutions will not provide a set price for their work or materials. You have to contact them and let them know the details about the door and then they will provide an estimate for you to consider.
If you buy from Home Depot or Lowe’s the cost may be fixed between $500 and over $1000 depending on style, etc. But then you would have to pay for installation on top of the purchase price.
Most local glazers or glass installers would have to see the size of the door, the frame, and the location of the patio door before they will quote a price. One RV owner went this route and he paid $600 for the glass and installation.
If you know the manufacturer, you can contact them but their prices, if they sell directly to the public, may be a minimum of $1000 plus shipping and installation. It all depends on the manufacturer of the glass patio doors.
For the best prices, the local glass installer should be the best option. Most RV parts outlets do not like working with glass panels due to the fragility of the glass, even tempered glass can break.
But you would have to contact the different companies to get an idea of the price for your repair.
Finding RV Trailer With Sliding Patio Doors
The companies that we listed near the beginning of this article would be the ones to contact about this patio door design. There is one company you can contact. It is called The American Sliding Door and you can reach them through this link.
The company is based in a Houston, Texas, suburb and you may have to contact them to get a quote. We did not see a price catalog for the type of doors they offer RV owners.
On top of the purchase price, you would either have to pay someone to install the new doors for you or DIY. If you already have sliding glass patio doors in your trailer, contact the manufacturer and see what they say.
If you want to find a trailer model that comes with glass sliding patio doors, then just contact the many RV makers and see what they have in stock. Forest River, Heartland, KZ, Dutchman, Keystone, Thor, and Highland Ridge all offer at least one 5th wheel model with this feature.
If you want a travel trailer with one of those doors, you can check the same list and add in Jayco and Grand Design. Talk to their dealers to see the price, the floor plan, and the model that comes with sliding glass patio doors.
Prices will vary and the cheapest one we found was a Jayco model and it was selling for $70,000 as a starting price. This is what you have to be careful about. Most of the options we saw had prices starting at over $100,000.
But the best thing to do is as we said earlier. Contact the different RV brands’ dealers and see what is on sale right now. Or you can contact the many websites that sell used trailers and see if any of their stock has sliding glass patio doors.
The Benefits of a Side Patio With Sliding Glass Doors
There are some nice benefits that come with owning an RV or trailer with a sliding glass patio door. One of those benefits is that they help you feel more at home.
It is nice to be able to slide the door open on a great sunny morning and take in the fresh air. Here are some more benefits that come with having a sliding patio door:
- You get a space that is off the ground and makes entertaining and dining more relaxing
- Your outdoor living space has a better chance of being free from dirt, sand, and dust
- Your campsite can be transformed from a regular camping site into a luxury living space
- provides you with a clean, flat area for doing morning exercises and yoga, etc.
- helps provide you with a better view of your surroundings especially if you are camping on the side of a hill, etc.
- It is a great place to have your morning coffee and enjoy the sunrise. It allows you to have your evening drink while enjoying the sunset
There are a lot of benefits to having an RV or trailer with a side patio with sliding doors. You can probably add to the list as one example would be, it gives you a nice space to put your dog and keep him or her safe.
Finding Replacement Parts For Your Sliding Glass Door
The words replacement parts do not refer to the glass or the frame but the little parts that you may not notice till they break. Finding these parts is very easy as many RV parts and Accessories outlets have them in stock.
Some like Trekwood only have them for a limited number of RV brands like Keystone and Dutchman but others offer a wider selection. Lippert does sell replacement parts for the sliding doors they manufacture.
However, they may not supply the frame or the glass if that breaks or needs replacing. You will also find that some of the big box stores keep a variety of replacement parts in stock just in case.
Even Amazon and e-trailer have a fine selection of replacement parts. The only question is which outlet you prefer and how much are there parts. This is an area where you can comparison shop and get a good deal.
Some Additional Words
We cannot stress it enough. Your local glass shops may be the best option for you when you have sliding glass door issues. They are experts in working with glass and should be able to handle your RV’s or trailer’s glass door situation.
The good news about going with this option is that you get the glass and installation for the same low price. You also get better service, for the most part, than the bigger outlets.
