More About Those Window Stays

Greetings everyone!  We are getting ready for our trip to Maryland to participate in the MD DOG (Dutch Oven Gathering), where we will camp and cook with our good buddies.  Momma Sharon has been working on a few mods to get us ready to roll.

Back on August 3rd I shared a little Story with you called "The Saga of the Stays" to tell you about replacing a pair of my window stays (or arms as we sometimes call them).  You'll remember that we weren't too happy about getting only right ones from Sugar Creek and then having to modify one of them to make it work.  Using a 10-year-old latch on a brand new stay kinda rubbed us the wrong way.

Mom drove to nearby Carolina Coach & Camper to follow a lead from Crystal about Lance trailers using the click-clack mechanisms on their windows.  They do, but they are an upgraded design and won't fit my windows.  Rats!

We've been in contact with Steve at EuroCampers in Missouri about ordering a pair or two or three. Yes, he can order them from Germany and yes, we can get a right one AND a left one.  They are actually $10 cheaper per/arm than the ones sold by Pleasant Valley.  But here's the catch . . . they have to be shipped via ocean freight from Germany. Good news: shipping will cost $20.00, bad news is that it will take 3-4 months.  Or we can get them via FedEX for $225.00.  Yeh right!!

We cannot wait three or four months for the boat to arrive because we need those window stays NOW!!  So yesterday Momma Sharon pulled out her stash, labeled them "old" and "new", grabbed a flat head screwdriver, and got to work.

Old click-clacks on the right, new ones on the left

The parts guy at Carolina Coach & Camper suggested that we put the latch into hot water to soften it up a bit in hopes it will come off easier and not crack.  So into a pot it went!

Sitting in HOT water in hopes of softening the plastic

The old latch came off like butter, but the new one didn't budge. Momma Sharon grunted and struggled.  The screwdriver slipped and gouged out a chunk of skin from her finger, but she kept on until it finally came off.  The plastic is a bit mangled, but it's off.

After a struggle, the old one is off…now to get the new one off!

After lunch, she came down to visit me and make sure she had the correct configuration for making the switch and re-installation.  She did and following another struggle, the old latch slid onto the new arm. What an ordeal!!  The easiest part was the actual replacement and took less than five minutes.

Everything in place & in working order

Now my front window will stay open while we camp and locked up tight while we travel.

Aunt Becky and Momma Sharon are working on a different sleeping configuration.  As soon as I pull that Story together, I'll share it with you.  Until it's Storytime again, always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Window Stays That Work"

The Saga of the Stays

Well, well, well . . . you've come back for another Story . . . thanks!!

Today's chapter is all about parts, window parts.  My windows are made in Europe and in the corner is the identifier - Polyplastic.  Several summers ago while we were camping at the first Tearstock, Momma Sharon bought a pair of replacement window arms from Little Guy. Friend Sue replaced them for us at the Tanglewood Toast.  Push an unfolded paperclip into a tiny hole, slide the arm off, take out two screws, and reverse the process to put the new ones on.  Easy peasy!

Matching pair of old stays

The latches on the end that have different numbers

The arms, called "stays", on my driver's side window went bad so it was time for another replacement pair.  We contacted Little Guy once again, but this time around, they only have right arms left.  Hmmm. Not to worry says Little Guy, the right one can be modified to fit the left.  Hmmm.

Last Thursday morning in The Holler, Uncle Rob came over to do the install.

Off comes the arm on the left one

Here's the old right one

Off comes the old right one

Bingo!  The window stays open again!

We are in business!

But here's where the Saga takes a turn.  Momma Sharon totally forgot that Little Guy told her that one of the two that they sent would have to be modified to work.  To complicate things, their "right" is looking from the inside out and our "right" was looking from the outside in.  Confused?  Uncle Rob said as soon as he put them on, he knew something was funny-looking.  Sure enough, the latch on our right side wouldn't close because it was backward.  So off it came and the old one went back on.

Now my Camper Mom usually stays pretty calm, but this really rubbed her the wrong way.  In her way of thinking, a new part shouldn't have to be modified using a ten-year-old part in order for it to work. Since Little Guy doesn't have any left-hand stays left, folks have no choice but to "fix" the new so it will work.  That meant prying the latch off the old and new ones and making an exchange.

We were kinda afraid that the rigid old plastic might break in the process and then we would be in a heap of trouble with no way secure the window for travel down the mountain.  So the old one went back on until we could get home and tackle the problem then.

In the meantime, both Momma Sharon and Uncle Rob are doing online searches for replacement stays. Seems they are available as spare parts in Europe by a company called Reimo.  Thank goodness there's a button on their website to translate into English!  On their site was a listing of their dealers and there are three here in the States.

We now have an email in to EuroCampers in Missouri to see if they have pairs of the window stays or if they can get them from Europe. Part 2 of the Saga will follow.  We have our fingers crossed that we have located a source for us and all T@Bbers.

Today, my Camper Mom is going to put on her big girl panties, pull out the flathead screwdriver, and see if she can get the latches switched out using the old and new arm.  I'm sure it will look like a three-ring circus, so I will be sure to document it . . . LOL.

Parts, parts, parts - old & new - left & right!!

Until I continue the Saga of the Stays, y'all take care and always remember . . . 

"Peace, Love, & Parts"