Security film on glass windows better than metal bars

[CosmickGold]

UPDATE: I'm now only planning on security film, but to maintain thread history, here's my original message:

I have the concept that I'd like to prevent anyone from crawling into my van through a window after breaking the glass. One bar across the window's center (or in larger windows, two bars) would do it. Is such a product available? Or easy to make?

 

[BelgianPup]

What's your plan for the windshield?

"Hey, look! That van is covered with bars. There must be something valuable inside!"

 

[CosmickGold]

What's your plan for the windshield?

"Hey, look! That van is covered with bars. There must be something valuable inside!"

I figure the windshield is a bit tough to "smash and grab". To withstand flying objects on the highway, it's made of two layers of very strong glass with a tough layer of plastic between them that hold them together even when broken, like store windows criminals unsuccessfully try to smash through. Windshield glass cracks into sharp shards that could easily cut the skin, while still basically staying together as a windshield. So I think I can leave that alone.

But all the other windows instantly crumble into tiny balls of glass that fall to the ground. That happened to me once from someone's BB gun, and again to my father when he bumped his side window with his beer can. Nothing was left of either window but tiny balls of glass all over the place, and a wide-open window you could easily crawl through without a scratch, and then open the doors from the inside. So I want to avoid "window crawl throughs" as just too easy.

And yeah, it will look like something valuable must be inside. But after a lot of thought, I've decided to accept that. The external lock on one door gives the same impression.

 

[WanderingRose]

My first concern about bars across the windows to keep intruders out is that these will also keep you inside in case of an unanticipated event/emergency, where leaving thru a window may be your only exit.

Unless you plan to leave your rig unattended for long periods of time, and in high risk areas, in my experience risk of a break-in is low.

 

[LoupGarou]

There's a window film, like solar tint, that can be applied.

 

[bullfrog]

Simplify your life as much as possible, getting back to living with just basic things relieves a lot of worry and stress. Travel and live knowing you have a large enough emergency fund to replace or at least get by if you were to loose most if not all the material things you carry with you. Get some experience by working a job where all your basic needs are furnished and save to get what you need while traveling as well as replace it if you have to once you quit working. Travel to places where you don’t worry about these kind of things and when you do don’t make yourself a target. I have lived in places that my window was smashed or shot out often just to see if there was anything valuable inside because the door was locked. The only time the windows didn’t get broken were when I left the doors unlocked and the windows down. I thought about leaving one of the keys in it with the hood open and the battery removed but since they only tried to steal it once a year or so I figured it wasn’t worth the extra effort as it was apparent I already had already disabled the ignition. Once I discovered seasonal jobs in safe remote places and started living in a van using it as a metal tent avoiding living in places that weren’t safe I never have had any problems with broken window thieves. Heck most of the places we live in and the way we live now you can live in a canvas tent with no worries! If something gets stolen of ours by some poor desperate sole it probably looked like it needed replaced anyway! Lol!!! Worse thief we have had in years was a coyote grabbing a open package of steak off the picnic table while my wife was watching a couple of cute silver foxes fight over some discarded scraps! Lol!!!

 

[CosmickGold]

There's a window film, like solar tint, that can be applied.

This is a really great idea I didn't even know existed! Thank you so very much for sharing it. This will be far better than bars, at least in my case.

But I have some questions for which I've been unable to find answers:

1) If installed on the outside, I think the window could cave in as it broke since the film would simply wrinkle as it compressed toward the middle of the caving. But if installed on the inside, the film would have to stretch around the glass as it caved in, helping prevent caving.

2) If installed on the outside, a criminal with enough time could carefully peal the film off the glass before breaking in. So is there a non-removable version of the film that prevents being pealed or otherwise removed?

3) Obviously, if installed on the inside of the glass, a criminal couldn't reach in to peal it off. But my windows are dark-tinted glass, which therefore get really hot when the sun shines on them. Installing the film on the outside should prevent most of this heating by the film's infra-red blocking ability. (But this would leave problems of 1 and 2 above unsolved.) Also, is the "blocked" infra-red "reflected" or "absorbed" by the film? That's important to know, for if infra-red got "absorbed" into the film, it would still get really hot, heating the glass it was sticking to as before.

4) Assuming adhesive strength varies, how can I know which film has the strongest glue against criminal removal?

FYI: I read that many films are thin, some only 4mil thick, but to be the most secure against break-ins, the film should be 8mil or even 12mil thick.

 

[John in Montreal]

Simplify your life as much as possible, getting back to living with just basic things relieves a lot of worry and stress. Travel and live knowing you have a large enough emergency fund to replace or at least get by if you were to loose most if not all the material things you carry with you. Get some experience by working a job where all your basic needs are furnished and save to get what you need while traveling as well as replace it if you have to once you quit working. Travel to places where you don’t worry about these kind of things and when you do don’t make yourself a target. I have lived in places that my window was smashed or shot out often just to see if there was anything valuable inside because the door was locked. The only time the windows didn’t get broken were when I left the doors unlocked and the windows down. I thought about leaving one of the keys in it with the hood open and the battery removed but since they only tried to steal it once a year or so I figured it wasn’t worth the extra effort as it was apparent I already had already disabled the ignition. Once I discovered seasonal jobs in safe remote places and started living in a van using it as a metal tent avoiding living in places that weren’t safe I never have had any problems with broken window thieves. Heck most of the places we live in and the way we live now you can live in a canvas tent with no worries! If something gets stolen of ours by some poor desperate sole it probably looked like it needed replaced anyway! Lol!!! Worse thief we have had in years was a coyote grabbing a open package of steak off the picnic table while my wife was watching a couple of cute silver foxes fight over some discarded scraps! Lol!!!

I much prefer living in town.

 

[user 423]

^It's a fact that everyone picks their own poison...

 

[tradesman]

This is a really great idea I didn't even know existed! Thank you so very much for sharing it. This will be far better than bars, at least in my case.

But I have some questions for which I've been unable to find answers:

1) If installed on the outside, I think the window could cave in as it broke since the film would simply wrinkle as it compressed toward the middle of the caving. But if installed on the inside, the film would have to stretch around the glass as it caved in, helping prevent caving.

2) If installed on the outside, a criminal with enough time could carefully peal the film off the glass before breaking in. So is there a non-removable version of the film that prevents being pealed or otherwise removed?

3) Obviously, if installed on the inside of the glass, a criminal couldn't reach in to peal it off. But my windows are dark-tinted glass, which therefore get really hot when the sun shines on them. Installing the film on the outside should prevent most of this heating by the film's infra-red blocking ability. (But this would leave problems of 1 and 2 above unsolved.) Also, is the "blocked" infra-red "reflected" or "absorbed" by the film? That's important to know, for if infra-red got "absorbed" into the film, it would still get really hot, heating the glass it was sticking to as before.

4) Assuming adhesive strength varies, how can I know which film has the strongest glue against criminal removal?

FYI: I read that many films are thin, some only 4mil thick, but to be the most secure against break-ins, the film should be 8mil or even 12mil thick.

1. It must be installed on the interior of the window.
2. It must be installed on the interior of the window.
3. It must be installed directly on the glass and not on top of any "added on" tinted lamination.
4. Adhesive strength will be similar in all security films and on the interior the criminal will not be able to remove it.

FYI: The thicker the film the more protection it provides, however for curved glass (especially two directional curve) you cannot use the thicker versions as they do not conform to curves like thin window tint which is only 1 or 2 mil.
Also for roll down windows you would need to remove the window in order to apply it out to the edges of the glass to provide a better level of protection. On fixed windows it would need to have a structural adhesive caulk applied around the perimeter. If you do not do this, the glass can simply be smashed in as a whole piece.

Windshields are made of two layers of glass with a plastic layer in the middle. This is called laminated safety glass.

 

[CosmickGold]

1. It must be installed on the interior of the window.
2. It must be installed on the interior of the window.
3. It must be installed directly on the glass and not on top of any "added on" tinted lamination.
4. Adhesive strength will be similar in all security films and on the interior the criminal will not be able to remove it.

FYI: The thicker the film the more protection it provides, however for curved glass (especially two directional curve) you cannot use the thicker versions as they do not conform to curves like thin window tint which is only 1 or 2 mil.
Also for roll down windows you would need to remove the window in order to apply it out to the edges of the glass to provide a better level of protection. On fixed windows it would need to have a structural adhesive caulk applied around the perimeter. If you do not do this, the glass can simply be smashed in as a whole piece.

Windshields are made of two layers of glass with a plastic layer in the middle. This is called laminated safety glass.

You've provided extremely valuable information here, vital for anyone who plans to make serious use of security film. I certainly plan to follow all your advice.

And I'm surprised this info doesn't pop up right away when searching for the best way to apply security film. The info you've given should be on the screen right way, waving it's hands in the air and shouting "Read Me First!"

 

[scaredycat72]

I much prefer living in town.

Same here. Being in the boonies is nice sometimes but I would be bored stiff if I had to do it all the time. I'm probably 50/50 or 60/40 city to forest dwelling.