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Old 05-11-2016, 07:58 PM   #1
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Heat blocking window tint

Just had the windshield and two front side windows tinted with 3M CR70 Crystalline to block heat. It blocks 97% of the solar energy. On the way back to Lucerne it was 84+ and full sun. Worked very nice. Heat is a big issue for us travelling in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah with such a large windshield.

The tint is clear and does not block visibility night or day.

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Old 05-11-2016, 08:09 PM   #2
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It will be interesting to know how it holds up. Please let us know after the summer!
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Old 05-11-2016, 08:29 PM   #3
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When professionally installed by a licensed dealer there should be no issues. I had a prior 3M product installed on my previous mh 7 years ago and it still looks like the day it was installed. These products require experienced and professional installers.

There are copycat products out there that even claim to be 3M that are not. You can go to 3Ms website to find a dealer.
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Old 05-12-2016, 12:06 AM   #4
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Good to know... We camped last weekend here in Texas and it wasn't even that hot and could not belive how warm it was in the cab area, even with AC on at campground. I was ready to buy partition rod, hang curtain to close off.
This will be our first summer with the Axis.
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Old 05-12-2016, 12:29 AM   #5
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You could also go with some windshield covers--at least while parked and camping. Look at the 2nd post here:
http://www.thorforums.com/forums/f27...axis-1433.html
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Old 05-12-2016, 12:50 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest Grump View Post
Just had the windshield and two front side windows tinted with 3M CR70 Crystalline to block heat. It blocks 97% of the solar energy. On the way back to Lucerne it was 84+ and full sun. Worked very nice. Heat is a big issue for us travelling in California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah with such a large windshield.

The tint is clear and does not block visibility night or day.
We visited 3M website and read the reviews on this product. Apparently, it delivers. It has been on the market for about 10 years and according to Motorcraft Magazine, has not gotten much attention as transmissions and hp are more important !
In addition...it is pricey...$500-$800 per application and that is for a car.
I placed an inquiry with an Auto Glass company in Kansas City, requesting a quote. Will let you all know what response we get.

K
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Old 05-16-2016, 11:15 PM   #7
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$750 but well worth it. It's always 100+ when we head out across the Mojave or into the Central Valley.
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Old 05-16-2016, 11:24 PM   #8
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I received a reply from an auto glass company in Kansas City which is a Crystalline authorized installer.
They asked for a photo of our coach, make, year and model.
Having replied with info requested I received a response,
that the Crystalline cannot be applied to the Axis.

Below, I copied/paste the reply:
"Consulting with 2 seasoned film techs, crystalline would not be possible on your windshield. Reason is the "bubble" bend of your glass. As the film is flat and the glass is curved, the film has to be fitted by heating and shrinking to fit glass. Crystalline will not respond well to the amount of shrinking this will take."

Ron is not sure what he wants right now . By the time we get to AZ or Nevada..he may know exactly what he wants !

K
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Old 05-16-2016, 11:37 PM   #9
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The 3M film is in 36" rolls. I noticed on the axis a factory tint on the upper part of the windshield. You might be able to do it below this tint. Or you can seam it. Try calling a 3M dealer in Vegas or Phoenix and see if they do it.

Motorhomes are difficult to do so finding someone to do it might be hard but easier in the hot areas.
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Old 05-16-2016, 11:43 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Forest Grump View Post
The 3M film is in 36" rolls. I noticed on the axis a factory tint on the upper part of the windshield. You might be able to do it below this tint. Or you can seam it. Try calling a 3M dealer in Vegas or Phoenix and see if they do it.

Motorhomes are difficult to do so finding someone to do it might be hard but easier in the hot areas.
Thankyou for that information. We will be in Vegas for several days visiting friends. Have you stayed at Sams Town RV campground? We stayed in Henderson 2 yrs ago...it was OK...just want to try something different...and friends live in Henderson so dont want to stay at Circus Circus or others in the middle of the action !!
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Old 05-17-2016, 12:03 AM   #11
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We've stayed at the Hitcin Post in North Las Vegas and in Mesquite. There are two nice parks on either side of the freeway at the exit for Bass Pro. The Circus Circus site I believe is closed. Last time through it was 112, that's why the tint. You might want to try the on s by Bass Pro. Easy on easy off.
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Old 05-17-2016, 12:10 AM   #12
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We've stayed at the Hitcin Post in North Las Vegas and in Mesquite. There are two nice parks on either side of the freeway at the exit for Bass Pro. The Circus Circus site I believe is closed. Last time through it was 112, that's why the tint. You might want to try the on s by Bass Pro. Easy on easy off.

thank you .. will check it out !
We are going to Albuq first, then Lake Powell .. want to rent a SeaDoo and visit the slot canyons on the lake...last visit, we road motorcycle all over the area and North Rim..soooo looking forward to getting on the road !
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Old 05-18-2016, 03:40 PM   #13
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$750 but well worth it. It's always 100+ when we head out across the Mojave or into the Central Valley.
Where did you have it done at? Did you do windshield and side windows for that price? We will be going to Colorado in July and that might be the trick to help the AC unit.
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Old 05-18-2016, 04:00 PM   #14
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The price included both driver and passenger side windows. Deluxe Auto Sport in Victorville CA was the dealer.
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Old 05-18-2016, 04:35 PM   #15
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Total heat rejection seems to be in the range of 34 to 60 percent depending on selected film, which is pretty good. I'd consider it for my van if it was newer and I was going to keep it a while.


Crystalline Automotive Films - Clear automotive window film for cars, trucks - Crystalline - 3M US

From the linked MotorTrend article:

"For that, 3M’s technicians were on hand to answer questions regarding the Crystalline series’ performance. According to 3M, the company’s clear films will allow anywhere from 40 percent to 90 percent of visible light into a car, depending on which grade is chosen. Also dependent upon which grade is chosen is the amount of solar energy rejected, which ranges from 34 percent to 60 percent. To put that into perspective, the darkest conventional tint 3M offers only rejects 45 percent of solar energy while allowing only 6 percent of visible light in. Although the amount of light and heat let in varies, 3M claims that all films in the Crystalline line reject 99.9 percent of UV radiation and 90 to 97 percent of infrared radiation. Because these films significantly reduce exposure to UV rays, they are recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective defense against ultra violet radiation — which it identifies as a leading cause of skin cancer."
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Old 05-18-2016, 06:17 PM   #16
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California has very strict laws regarding window films on vehicles. They want the windshield and front side windows to be clear. So this limits what you are able to use.

I used 3 M CR70. This was not the clearest but the second clearest resembling what you see in a lot of commercial windshields. But it has a total solar energy rejection of 50% which is wonderful when you are driving into the sun on a hot day. The highest rated darkest tint is 60% TSER and infrared rejection of 97% and UV rejection of 99.9%. So this is pretty amazing to have this degree of protection in a clear tint.

3M has a display with the various tints with a heat lamp so you can feel the differences for yourself.

It is very common in Southern California to tint film not only car windows but also structure Windows. Window manufacturers also offer a wide range of heat rejecting glass.

We have found that it really allows your dash air to keep the cab area cool, the dash itself does not heat up and there is no need to use opaque sun shields when parked.
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Old 05-18-2016, 07:44 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Forest Grump View Post
....cut....

3M has a display with the various tints with a heat lamp so you can feel the differences for yourself.

....cut....
I'd like to see that, although I know displays can often be engineered to magnify the effect of the product being marketed. Even if the film stops 100% of the infrared reaching the window, it doesn't necessarily mean much of that energy won't end up as heat in vehicle. It depends on many variables, including whether film absorbs or reflects the solar energy. Also on glass itself, air temperature inside and out, vehicle speed, etc...

Don't get me wrong, I think up to 60% is great and would help RVs with lots of windows immensely. I already have dark factory tint so I don't know how much more it would add on top of that. It's the diminishing return effect when combining multiple fixes. I do know that covering windows exposed to sun on the outside makes a huge difference on being able to air condition during midday sun. If a film could achieve half of that passively, it would be worth it.
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Old 05-18-2016, 07:56 PM   #18
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Reflecting is one method but there are other methods of dealing with heat energy such as chemical reactions and adsorption.
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Old 05-20-2016, 08:54 PM   #19
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Forest,

I contacted the Certified Crystalline installer in Charlotte and he reviewed his info and did not recommend the Crystalline due to the curves in the Vegas Windshield (I have one of the larger style Windshield). He spoke at length about the darkness of the tint and how many states have different rules on what is and is not acceptable.

His recommendation to handle all the curves and tinting rules was SUNTEX CXP (Carbon XP) by 3M. Ever hear of the stuff?

Doc
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Old 05-20-2016, 09:39 PM   #20
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Forest,

I contacted the Certified Crystalline installer in Charlotte and he reviewed his info and did not recommend the Crystalline due to the curves in the Vegas Windshield (I have one of the larger style Windshield). He spoke at length about the darkness of the tint and how many states have different rules on what is and is not acceptable.

His recommendation to handle all the curves and tinting rules was SUNTEX CXP (Carbon XP) by 3M. Ever hear of the stuff?

Doc
Doc...Your Crystalline installer and the installer in Kansas City are on the same page. I bet we go with the Sunguard when Ron decides to address the heat.
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