Chinook RV

Answers to a couple of questions:

1) Oh I wish that any of the clips Pellandent sells would be the right ones. So far, no.

2) I had one spare clip from the other side (found on floor when bought rig) and not only haunted the web, but I carried that clip around with me for two years in a disused Tic-Tac container, stopping in every little/big/new/old RV parts place. Even the super cool RV museum in Amarillo with a big parts department and they let me in to the dusty back room with all the obsolete stuff. But no. Then a friend accidentally threw a bag containing my wallet and that Tic-Tac container into the dump. Yes, I was bummed about the wallet, money, credit card hassle. But the CLIP!?!!!! So there IS one in buried in a dump in Arizona somewhere

3) Will post photos of other angles. It's just a slice of a long extrusion; but a specific extrusion I can't find.

4) Concourse: Yes, that is the more usual way for a screen to ride - inside a track. Ours don't do that, unfortunately. Even if that kind were damaged somehow, you could "sit" the screen in the track and use tape, velcro, aluminum bar stock, or something to rig it. But with these that don't sit in a track.... it's harder. Which is why we are all checking every hour to see Tim's photos I think actually having some of the clips makes it harder for me to visualize the 1/4" tubing solution -- because I can see how extremely thin the clip is, and it fits tightly in under the screen. So I can't yet visualize how the tubing is used.

More detailed clip photos, as requested: (Click to enlarge, as usual)
See next post for the rest of them.

Lol...it's true that we never waited for a picture like we do for this slit piece of tubing.....

Ps : blue, your pics and indications are first class

Blue~Go wrote: 4) Concourse: Yes, that is the more usual way for a screen to ride - inside a track. Ours don't do that, unfortunately. Even if that kind were damaged somehow, you could "sit" the screen in the track and use tape, velcro, aluminum bar stock, or something to rig it. But with these that don't sit in a track.....

Thank you for the many good photos of the clip!

This thread brings me back to the question of what year the transition was from the 1990's Concourses to the last generation Concourses. I think it was around 2001/2002? But likely, as most manufacturers do, there was a period of using up old stock. Pretty sure though that the 1999 had dual pane thermo windows, right?

Concourse wrote:
This thread brings me back to the question of what year the transition was from the 1990's Concourses to the last generation Concourses. I think it was around 2001/2002? But likely, as most manufacturers do, there was a period of using up old stock.

I'm fairly familiar with a number of different years, and I don't think I could make any such dividing line. I suppose if I HAD to make one, I'd say 1997. Reason for that is that's the year Ford went to the modular engines (same as up to 2014 in the vans), and of course they had the modern dash (same as up to 2007, so there are no Chinooks with the 2008-and-up dash/cab), and also at that time the electrical system settled pretty much into its up-to-the-end configuration. Pair of house batteries in the forward end of the coach (underneath), LVD, Surepower separator, etc. The documentation of the systems became much more extensive (although it looks like that ended somewhat around 2003). The couch and chairs (if you have them) went to the final Flexsteel style.

But... there is no one "real" dividing year that I can think of.

Generation four Ford Econoline body style and raised central roof tunnel in coach body: 1992
Modular engines and modern dash with two air bags: 1997
Basically the "final" electrical configuration: 1997
Thermopane windows: 2000 or 2001
Foam floor sandwich: 2001 or 2002-ish.
Move propane tank to driver's side and make an outdoor access hatch on passenger side, plus put in motorhome style hatch doors: 2005.
Classic racing stripe livery (Concourse) to swoopy modern RV style Millenium style: 2002 or 2003.
Taillights from Econonline to Excursion style: 2003 or so
Front bumper from Ford to fiberglass 2000 or so (may have gone back to Ford later?)
I could go on and on (and on!) Member kdarling could probably add another hundred to mine even if I kept going. But they'd be spread out year by year; not all at once.

I think the main thing is not a "big dividing line," but rather that there were small changes every year, from what I have seen. Window details, door and trim details, the way the outer body compartment doors hinged, the rear bumper, and on and on and on. I don't see any of these as a huge separator, but more as a continuing evolution. Chinook was very good at both keeping things the same (look at a 1970's Dodge 18+ and you will basically see a 2005 Chinook Premier/Concourse ), and at innovating -- a little bit every year. I think that's one of their cool things. They didn't need to come out with an "all new" coach every other year. They had a winning formula (for the 18-21' range) in the rear-entry Premier/Concourse and they just kept slightly refining their ideas.

Concourse wrote:I'm close to figuring out this screen clip mystery but any help is good. How about a photo of the clip installed in the window so we can visualize that.

I put an annotated photo of the clip on the screen a few posts up in the thread. Basically, you can't see much when it's in place. Just a 1/16" x 1" long "line" of plastic which is one of the rims. The rest sits between the window and the fin/track, holding the screen in place (as it hovers over the top of the fin). It takes around seven clips per screen, optimally. Three on the top rim, two on the bottom rim, and two on the vertical "leading" edge rim (sort of "locks" the screen to the track on that end when it is closed - otherwise it just wobbles/flops). This is part of why I can't visualize the hose substitute (until I see a photo ). The wall thickness of most 1/4" clear hose I know of must be around 1/16", but the clips probably aren't more than 1/64" or so thick in cross section (thickness of each individual plastic section).

I wish I were good buds with someone who knew how to "pattern" and do 3D printing. I have a feeling that's the way to go.

I've also thought about getting new windows. I might get dual pane if so (OTOH, the single pane are lighter weight, so not positive). The main thing I would do is change the layout of how they open. My feeling is that in the Concourse (sloped windows) they don't open "wide" enough. Ideally, awning windows, but since that likely wouldn't mesh well with the style, then maybe just moving the vertical divider bars such that the opening section is larger. (I do think the sloped windows look nice, and fit the character of the body and stripes on mine.) A few people have simply gone to new windows. Motion Windows is one good place - high quality windows. IIRC, it was around $1500 some years ago when someone mentioned the price. This is when it's nice to have only two windows (not counting door) Imagine some RV's with ten or more.

Took me awhile but I think I was able to add an attachment of the screen.

Thank you, Tim!

Photo is completely viewable, thanks for taking the time.

Now, a couple of questions if you don't mind:

1) I'm still trying to get my mind around how the (relatively) much thicker hose can go in where the extremely thin clip was and not just bend the screen frame. Do you only have it on the bottom and then nothing on the top? Does the screen stay tight enough to keep bugs out on the leading (vertical) edge?

2) I guess they no longer slide open, but still being able to have the screen is a big improvement. I have enough clips for one screen, so could move the clips over to the (now in storage) dinette side screen - which I'd like to be able to slide open for taking photos when I'm sitting there -- and then use the hose trick on the sink side, where I don't tend to open the screen.

I'd like to know that it doesn't bend up the screen frame just in case I find a way to have clips made (or find clips...).

Thanks!

BG

Thanks RetiredTim
Now I'm waiting for blue to test it on his rv & I'll go from there

Well, I'll never get those 10 hours of my life back

Anything on this webpage look familiar?

http://www.parkin-acc.com/page52.html

Since they're no longer available, has anyone tried calling Hehr to see if they might have a box of leftover extrusions or pre-cut screen support clips in a back room somewhere? Or asked if they made the extrusions or were they sourced them from another manufacturer and if so who was that manufacturer?