DISASTER !!

[THE ICEMAN]

went out for a lovely drive in the Commer on saturday. Weather went south on the way home but got back safe and sound. Tucked the Iceman up nice and dry in his garage.
Went down this morning to get the child seat out to put it in the car and. AAAAAARRRRRRHHHHHHHHH........

Somehow during the night this had happened?

There is no sign of deliberate damage. I can see how it could of happened. Nothing has moved. Nobody was in there as far as i know. Can a windscreen spontainiosly shatter?

Anybody had this happen to them, or even heard of it happening?

Very Peed off!

At least i do have a old spare screen but it is not great condition.
Could it be due to using a wrong type of glue to hold it in and seal it up? It wes professionally fitted.

I just need a good rootes...

 

[Gladys Crew]

OMG Can't offer an explanation but can offer commiserations and glad you have a spare, at least it didn't happen went you were driving.

Gladys & Bernie

 

[Panky]

Oh no[xx(]
I've never heard of it happening on a Commer but a friend of mine bought one of the very first new model Toyota Corrola years ago and the rear screen went pop on that for no apparent reason.
All I can think of is that there must have been a weak spot, a small chip or fault that has eventually given up.

Summer's Coming

 

[commeracer]

Happened to me in the J4 http://forum.commervanfan.co.uk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1661&whichpage=5&SearchTerms=j4

We were sitting in it stationary at the time and it just went bang [B)]
It did give some subtle warning, as 2-3 times it did give a little creaky noise, like a small stone hitting it. I think what happened is a very small stone set up a stress raiser and with the shock loads and bodyshell flex of driving it gives in eventually.

"You,re only supposed to blow the bloody SLIDING doors off"

 

[commerchris]

it sounded like shots fired
we went through old classic mags (cant remember how old)for adds for a new screen
couldnt believe it when the guy still had it!

Commer Dandy by Dandy Caravans
The Colonel Mustard

 

[Jostein]

This is not all that rare. Through my own job (at General Motors), I hear about these spontaneous glass breakages from time to time. As the glass (particularly the front and the rear glass) are important parts of the monocoque's strength, there is a lot of force and tension in the glass even when the vehicle is parked up.

I have been told that on modern vehicles the glass is glued very solidly to the body, so I should think there is greater risk of this happening to a modern vehicle. But then again, older windscreens may have weak spots which windscreen of modern manufacture may not have in the same way.

What sort of forces the windscreen on a Commer van is subject to, I couldn't say. But as yours is a coachbuilt camper based on a driveaway chassis (which left the Dunstable factory with a cab without a rear wall), the torsional stiffness in that cab must be next to non-existing.. [xx(] like on my own Highwayman. [V]

Really unfortunate, though. I hope you can use your other windscreen, as it could be a costly exercise to get a new windscreen shipped NZ..

1965 Commer (1592ccm) series IIa Bluebird Highwayman

 

[PaulJL]

I worked for BMW as a technician for a number of years. This was a common problem with the old shape Z4s. the side windows would explode if parked with the roof up and windows shut in the sun. the roof contracted as the window regulator expanded...... BANG.
There was a modified setting to cure this in the end.

I sorted my garage into 4 piles of stuff.
1. Stuff I`m keeping
2. Stuff I`m not getting rid of.
3. Stuff I might use..one day.
4. Stuff that might come in handy.