I put side windows in the GFC for extra air flow while semi-stealth camping, 4 person sleeping, and driving with wet gear in the back and I love it. Would be great for those with doggos or those who like the finished look of a side window too. Let me know what you think ! and drop my Instagram a follow! @Andrew_Pitney
Total cost of the DIY was about $300 for both side windows (2x Windows, butyl strip, Thick-Metal jigsaw blades, plywood). Cost does not include jigsaw, drill/bit, or goggles that seal to your face.
Steps:
Understand the risks - You’ll be voiding GFC warranty on any panels you modify, using power tools on aluminum, creating new sources for leaks, and adding weight to your side struts. Don’t blame me if you fuck up a panel or make a leaky mess, not my problem. Not scared? Cool, keep reading.
Get a window - Find a window that fits the support struts dimensions on the inside of the truck. The window should also be compatible with appropriate wall thickness (3/4" is good). My Tacoma long beds barely fits a 21”x14” window between the side struts, I also used a window that included a trim kit to fit 3/4” total wall thickness. Short beds might need to get creative with their window supplier or look at ports made for sailboats.
Cut a plywood ring - Cut a ply ring with a jigsaw that a)fits around the inner edge of the window b)fits within the side struts of the GFC with some but not much clearance and c)fits your total wall thickness when added to the GFC walls. For me it was 3/4” Window specs Minus GFC wall thickness = Plywood thickness.
Waterproof the ply- Seal your plywood with something, I did coats of penetrating epoxy and spar urethane, sanding between coats
Trace - Get in your truck bed, place the wood ring along the closed/latched GFC walls while in-between struts with some clearance. You can taped your plywood ring down and use a contrasting permanent marker to trace along the inside of the wood ring on the GFC wall panel.
Cut the GFC panel - Put on your goggles, open the panel you just traced and stand underneath. Drill a pilot hole within the boundary you just traced. Start your jigsaw in the pilot hole and work your way toward and around the line you made. Go slow, I burnt 4x thick-metal blades on the corners. Hot metal shavings will rain down on you with this method, so consider just removing and reinstalling the panel for this step.
Protect the exposed metal - I cleaned the edge of the aluminum with paint carefully to prevent any oxidation. It’s aluminum but why not keep things protected
Make your Sandwich - The sandwich will go Window, Butyl tape, GFC wall, Plywood, inner window trip, screws. Start by closing/latching your GFC walls. Apply butyl tape to the lip of your window that touches the GFC and place this in the hole you cut. Add the remaining pieces of the sandwich and adjust for any crookedness before completely tightening the screws
Trim any butyl that expands out after a few days (warm days are better for this) and carefully tighten the inner wood-trim screws.
Thank you so much for posting! There’s a large group of us that have been wanting to do this, but no one wanted to be first, ha. This is now reason 762 that I wish I had a long bed…it seems on the short bed a port would have to sit fairly low and I worry it will look funky. Appreciate your write up and will start investigating sailboat ports to make sure I’ve covered all options.
Be mindful that a gasket for the pass-through can rub the paint off the cab and can create a devastating rust hole around the window frame before you notice.
Here’s a couple photos of the plywood rings, tracing the cut, and the inside of the truck on the inside. The panels don’t feel any more flimsy than they used to, but you’re going to want to keep the plywood ring as thick as possible for added strength on the inside, I tried to keep it at 2.5" wide with some exceptions around the inner supports.
It adds some thickness to the wall panels, but it makes the bed feel a lot more open! I have a sleeper/kitchen box in the bed in these photos.
The windows are really cool - both the window panels and screens slide open, so I can quick toss stuff in the bed through the window, or leave things screened if its buggy.
Has anyone out there found a window option for a Tacoma with a 5’ bed? I’ve started to search but haven’t found anything yet that fit between the inner supports.
My dog needs to stick his head out the window when we’re on the road. The lack of the windows was, literally, the only thing that made me hesitate to buy a GFC but I bought one anyway. Now I just need to solve the window issue!
I’ve been looking all over…. It seems like the answer to this is to not look at RV windows but rather sailboat port windows… found a few that are extremely close but none to my satisfaction yet
Saw a Winnebago Revel with a small side window that was the perfect size for the shortness…. something like 10x14 but it was very thick and designed for the kickout panels for those vans so would be way too thick to Mount …… so close! Dammit!
The Arctic tern windows are really nice (put them in my trailer build), but I would think you’d want a slider style so you could have it open when driving.
I have a shell coming from GFC (one of these days, feels like forever) and this is one of the first modifications I want to do. Where did you purchase your window and do you know where I could get a wider one? Will a wider window work with the canopy’s frame?
Why not? Worst case is GFC makes another one for you. Next time buy one with a different powder coat. Think of the possibilities! I want to see a harlequin camper…
For a taco long bed this sized window was cutting it really close to the inner frame when installed, I wouldn’t go wider unless your bed is longer, do your homework with some cardboard cutouts. Here’s the link to the windows I used, they go in and out of stock fairly frequently. Make sure to get the trim kit too:
RecPro RV Window | Teardrop 21" W x 14" H Horizontal Slide | 1 1/2 Wall Thickness | RV Window Replacement (2 Windows, with Trim Kit) | Made in USA https://a.co/d/8KQnJSZ
and drop my Instagram a follow! @Andrew_Pitney
