Pentagon window tint will save fuel

The Max Adventure team currently hold 3 long-distance driving records and in addition to these have driven hundreds of thousands of miles overseas, so they are pretty clear as to what vehicle modifications are necessary and what are just nice to have. Extra spot lights and all-terrain tyres seem obvious choices when planning to drive the full length of Africa non-stop, but others that are must-haves on their list include cruise control and tinted windows.

With a crew of 3 working around the clock, reduced glare through the panoramic windows fitted to Land Rover Discoverys is a must. Trying to sleep in the back while the bright sun shines through the glass is just plain uncomfortable, so heavily tinted windows need to be fitted. If the passenger doesn’t sleep properly, he’s in no fit state to drive and this then becomes a safety issue. At night, the glare of headlights through the rear and sides of the vehicles is greatly reduced as well.

Not only do tinted windows reduce the amount of light entering the cabin, but they reduce the amount of heat as well. With temperatures possibly reaching 40C on their Cape Town run, the team will have to either use their air conditioning or open the windows to keep cool, both will seriously affect their fuel consumption – by as much as 10%. By having tinted windows though, it allows them to stay cooler for longer and so ultimately saving fuel. This results in a greater range or even carrying less fuel in the first place, which means more nimble driving.

At almost no extra weight to the vehicle, having tinted windows is a win-win situation.

Tim Scannell, owner of Pentagon Glass in Reading very kindly offered to tint the team’s Discovery windows with their darkest shade – limousine. Mac took the left hand drive Discovery to their smart workshops and parked next to a brand new Jaguar XJ that they were working on. As the most professional of all window-tinting companies, they are approved suppliers to Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes and Land Rover to name but a few.

The door trims were skilfully removed without breaking any of the vulnerable clips that hold them on and both sides of the glass were cleaned thoroughly with a special mesh. Tinted sheets which had been pre-cut using their own templates were then placed on the outside of the glass and a hot-air dryer applied over them to mould them to the correct shape of the window. Once this had been done, they were applied to the inside and heated once more to make them stick.

With a skilled eye, every square inch of the glass was then examined for any imperfections, which were gently teased out until the tint was faultless. The door trims were re-applied and the glass was given a final polish. It will take about 2 weeks before the adhesive has dried and they are fully sealed onto the windows.

On a recent run to north-east England for further modifications, the temperature outside was in the mid-20’s and Mac didn’t need to put on the air-conditioning, the fan or open the windows during the 4 hour journey, thus saving money and increasing the vehicle range.

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