What happens if you have an accident with your caravan and damage its windows, especially if your model is a few years old or the manufacturer is no longer in business?

It’s hard enough to get spares for newer caravans, let alone those of more than five or six years old. Sourcing caravan spares can be rather difficult.

Older caravans have even been written off by insurance companies due to such damage.

While there’s a number of caravan breakers about, even if you can find the correct replacement window you can’t guarantee what condition it will arrive in, or how long it will last before it begins to delaminate (which can be a potential problem with any window, not simply one sourced via a breaker).

Where to go for replacements

This issue faced my parents several years ago. Unfortunately, the front centre window on their ageing Abbey caravan needed to be replaced.

We found one that was of the correct size and shape but, alas, the wrong colour.

So for the past few years it has looked odd, because finding a correct unit was nigh-on impossible.

With a view to getting the caravan back to something like its former glory, I contacted EECO, a company that specialises in manufacturing replacement caravan and motorhome windows.

I was invited to the factory in the West Yorkshire town of Halifax where I was given a tour by the MD, Simon Conway.

About EECO

Founded in 1932 by Simon’s grandfather, EECO started out as a garage, where they also manufactured tow bars.

The company name was derived from the Cornette Exhaust Ejector device that was fitted to the tailpipes of car exhaust systems in an effort to improve fuel economy.

This led to the company diversifying into car accessories and developing their expertise with acrylic, producing items such as the Windmaster side-window weather shield.

In the late 1970s, when acrylic windows became the norm for caravans, nearby dealer Goodalls approached EECO to see if it could manufacture a replacement window for one of its tourers.

Simon told me that it took a few attempts before they were happy, but that the firm hasn’t looked back since.

Finding a suitable match

The number of moulds that EECO keeps in stock for reproducing caravan windows is bewildering. It also holds a vast selection of acrylic sheeting, with many variances in colouring.

The reason for this is that window tinting fades over time. While EECO can’t guarantee a perfect match to the original, the end result should be very close indeed.

Manufacturing the new windows is a very labour-intensive process, because each unit is handmade, using handmade patterns.

I witnessed first-hand the high quality of the products. An original broken window from an LMC tourer was compared with the replacement item – the finish was just as good, if not better.

As well as making replacement windows, EECO relaminates double-glazed units at a very reasonable cost.

I’m hoping to have a replacement window made for my parents’ Abbey in the near future, along with having one of the other units relaminated.

Watch this space!