Understanding stress cracks

Stress fractures in a windscreen aren’t always caused by stone chips. On motorhomes and campervans, they often start at the edge of the glass and slowly creep inward, with no visible impact point. At Motorhome Heroes, we see these every week across the UK. Here’s what causes them, how to spot the difference from impact damage, and what to do next.

A stress fracture is a crack that forms when internal or external forces exceed the glass’s tolerance without a blunt impact. The front windscreen on your motorhome is laminated (two layers of glass with a plastic interlayer), so it won’t shatter, but a stress crack can spread and compromise safety, MOT compliance, visibility, and weather sealing.

At Motorhome Heroes we follow a structured process: first we pinpoint the crack’s origin (edge stress vs impact) and cause, then inspect the windscreen aperture for corrosion, previous removal damage, or uneven bond lines.

We fit the correct-spec glass and fittings for your base vehicle/conversion, bond it precisely with measured adhesive height, fresh clips and trims, and the right primers, then recalibrate any cameras/sensors with documented results.

Snap a photo of the crack origin and give Motorhome Heroes a call. We’ll confirm whether it’s a stress fracture or impact damage, advise on safety/MOT implications, and, if needed, replace the screen correctly, anywhere in the UK.

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