A windscreen chip repair isn’t always the pit stop you’re hoping for but is unfortunately often a part of the journey on Australian roads. When extreme weather hits, bitumen is broken up, leaving stones and debris lying in wait. Passing road traffic can cause loose stones to bounce up from the road, hitting your windscreen glass at any time causing a chip that requires a windscreen fix. If left too long, a simple windscreen chip repair may mean you need a full motorhome windscreen replacement. Here’s what you need to know.
Does Every Chip Mean a Motorhome Windscreen Replacement?
As frustrating as it is, don’t fret, not all damage to windscreens means you need a full motorhome windscreen replacement. In many cases, a simple windscreen fix is all that’s needed but it’s important to get it checked out and repaired as soon as possible.
It takes approximately 90 minutes to complete a motorhome windscreen replacement, and depending on the type of RV you own, you may be able to arrange for the windscreen provider to come to you.
If your windscreen is chipped, a windscreen chip repair is often faster, cheaper and better for the environment than a full motorhome windscreen replacement.
Signs You Need a Motorhome Windscreen Replacement or Windscreen Repair
A motorhomes windscreen replacement (or any vehicle’s windscreen at that) is often required if any of the following apply:
- A chip larger than an Australian $1 coin (roughly 25mm or 2.5cm in diameter)
- A crack longer than 25mm or 2.5cm (beyond this length the structural integrity of the glass is compromised)
- If any damage impedes the driver’s vision, regardless of size
It helps to understand why these thresholds matter. Your motorhome’s windscreen is a laminated safety structure with two layers of glass bonded together with a plastic interlayer, this is designed to hold together on impact and support the structural integrity of the vehicle's roof. Once damage exceeds these limits, a windscreen repair may not restore it to a safe standard and the the motorhome windscreen may need to be replaced.
Other reasons to replace your motorhome windscreen include delamination — where moisture or age causes the bonded glass layers to separate, creating cloudy or bubbled areas that can't be repaired and will only worsen over time. Edge damage and multiple chips clustered in one area are also grounds for replacement, as both affect the integrity of the glass and its seal.
Windscreen chip
Windscreen Chip Repair: What to Expect
Your windscreen should be assessed by a qualified technician first. The size, depth, and position of the damage all determine whether a windscreen chip repair is viable. When it is, the process is quick. A specialist resin is injected, bonded and cured, leaving the damage barely visible and the glass structurally sound.
Windscreens can usually be repaired in around 30 minutes, and you can drive away immediately.
Acting quickly matters. A chip exposed to road vibration, debris, or temperature swings can crack at any time, turning a straightforward windscreen fix into a full motorhome windscreen replacement.
Motorhome Windscreen Replacement: What’s Involved
When a full motorhome windscreen fix is required, a specialist with RV experience is essential. Motorhome windscreens are larger and more complex than standard car glass. The windscreen repair job must meet Australian safety standards to ensure the new windscreen performs correctly in an impact.
KT Insurance works with experienced RV glass specialists to manage your motorhome windscreen replacement from start to finish. The process typically takes 3-4 hours, including the replacement, curing time, calibration, test driving and handover.
How Much Does a Windscreen Repair or Replacement Cost?
A motorhome windscreen repair cost depends on several factors, including the size and position of your damage, and the make, model and age of your vehicle.
If you’re insured with KT Insurance, glass cover is an automatic inclusion with no excess payable for windscreen chip repairs and the first windscreen or glass replacement.
mechanic is repairing a stone chip using his glass repair equipment
When You Need a Windscreen Repair
There are two steps we suggest to every KT customer as soon as they notice damage:
1. Cover the Chip
Temporarily place a small piece of clear tape over the chip on the outside of the glass. This stops dirt and debris from contaminating the area which will help to maintain the cosmetic quality of the chip once it has been repaired. Just make sure it doesn’t obscure the driver’s vision in any way. Note that this will not prevent the chip from cracking - which is why step two is important.
2. Call KT to Book a Windscreen Inspection
Once you’ve covered your chip, jump on the phone to us on 1300 261 261. For after hours windscreen motorhome repair, contact NWG directly on 1300 230 937. When you book a time to get your windscreen inspected, you can choose between visiting a local auto glass repairer or where available, having a mobile technician come to you, whatever is most convenient!
Once assessed, a windscreen chip repair takes just 30 minutes. If the damage is too large or too close to the edge, we'll arrange your motorhome windscreen replacement instead.
A chip caught early is a quick windscreen fix. Leave it too long and it becomes a much bigger job. Act as soon as you see damage.
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