Blinds Up or Blinds Down (1 Viewer)

[RS_rob]

This is something that has bugged me since we bought our MH & as its Parked On the Road we've/I've decided to park it Blinds Up thus preventing nosey parkers looking in & taking note of how vulnerable it is.

There is only one other van on the estate & it is a campervan & not a fully blown MH like ours.

A recent thread on this forum outlined similar issues I have had that being blinds that do not roll down when required &/or suddenly snap down after not performing as they should.

So the BIG Question here is.............
If you park your MH on the Road overnight (not sleeping inside) do you Blackout the interior by closing the blinds or leave it open for all too look inside.

???????????????????????????????????????

pros & cons considered...............

Thanks.

 

[grasscutter]

Ours has had the blinds closed whenever parked up for the last five years.
We keep them closed for two reasons,
1, Stop prying eyes
2, Stop the interior fading from sun bleach

Graham

 

[jonandshell]

Do closed blinds mean you are trying to hide something worth nicking though?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Skeggysue]

My only worry with closing all the blinds when your vehicle is parked up on the street etc., is that if anyone were to break in (especially at night) they could put all the lights on and have a good search around your vehicle for valuables etc and of course with the blackout blinds all shut, they wouldn't feel the urgency to scarper asap due to being conveniently hidden from view to any passers by or nearby residents! Whereas, if the blinds were all open, the villain may be reluctant to switch on any lights or hang around too long, for fear of being seen in action!

When our vehicle is parked on our own property, it is secured behind locked gates, and so we always shut the blinds then. I think keeping them closed helps to prevent the sunlight from fading the upholstery and furnishings etc.

Sue

 

[Armytwowheels]

Our van was parked on our frontage but with passers by able to look in if the blinds were up. Mindful of the damage sun can do to the upholstery and over stretching the blind springs if shut for long periods, I made some window covers out of thermal sleeping mats. Cut to the shape of the windows, they were easy to put into place just by putting them behind the window catches. They never fell out and did a great job of keeping the sun out.

 

[Sidney]

The window blinds are closed. The roof Light blinds are half closed/ half fly screen.

This keeps the heat down and the UV rays from the sun out.

Some may say that it damages the springs but our MH has concertina blinds so doesn't have any springs.

I can't say Ii am bothered whether or not people look in or not.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Daifuse]

I used to have a narrowboat, on a towpath mooring on the Oxford canal, opposite a pub (the WISE ALDERMAN) and by the side of two fully occupied cottages. It was a cruiser style boat with a large after-deck and a large cover over it. Thieves were able to work unseen under the cover and remove not only both my leisure and starting batteries but tools and other items. No-one saw or heard anything! So, my residential street parked MH has all the blinds up.

 

[JJ]

I don't keep my blinds up because if I do their return springs are constantly under tension and I feel that this weakens them over time.

But then I have cutains, both net and material on my windows as well as the blinds.


JJ :Cool:

 

[Another Lesley]

Ours is kept on our drive, behind 6ft gates and a 6ft fence. The blinds are left open, we have loose throws on the seats so no issues with the sun. The only exception to this is the blind in the loo....which is kept permanently closed....other wise himself forgets to close it before using the facilities.......Not likely to be a pretty sight.

If it was parked on the road, probably the blinds would be down or other means of blanking out the nosey neighbours.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scotjimland]

To prevent the springs being weakened, I would leave open.. , and to prevent UV damage cover the soft furnishings with old sheets or blankets..

and for the same reason leave curtains open.. don't care who looks in ..

 

[Barclaybasher]

Close blinds on the 'sunny' side and bedroom area only, doesn't look like it's locked with nobody at home and you can't see in too well from the side with blinds down

 

[Gooney]

I had little stickers on the windows of my van showing windows with the blinds half closed, on enquiring what this was about I was told that leaving the blinds fully closed in full sunlight resulted in heat building up between the blind and the window and in extreme cases causing the window double glazing to delaminate.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[RS_rob]

Thanks guys a mixed response with different views, I will keep with the closed blinds for now but always open them when travelling.

I might consider closing the curtains instead

 

[daisy mae]

When it is bright sunshine I have the side blinds closed as well as the heiki2 when travelling as it can affect my view on the rear view camera monitor.

 

[schojac]

Have never closed concertina type blinds for an extended time as they then became problematic when reopening. Decided to use the silver thermal stuff designed to fit behind radiators, cut to shape and use them to block UV. They are quite robust and have been used for several years when the van is on storage.

When parked on the drive, for short periods only, I leave the blinds down - look at those pretty flashing LED's linked to the alarm and look, no steering wheel.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[yorkieman]

We have net curtains as well as blackout blinds in the bedroom, so I just have the net curtains down most of the time, but not the blackout blinds.

We often have the living area blinds down, but not always. I figure a bit of sunlight, particularly during the winter, will provide a little wanted heat, although I do wonder whether that would cause additional moisture.

As for the cab, I rarely close the windscreen blinds as I just can't be bothered messing around with them. I often don't even pull them on when we're in the bedroom sleeping as we have a curtain between the bedroom and the living space which hides my wife's modesty.

 

[acdcdave]

WE have a mix of both. Our van is in storage and we keep the blinds closed but the front curtains open. People can see into the van and realise there are no valuables and no steering wheel ( we take it home as it is a pop- off one). Just one of several deterrents.

On site we draw the net curtains.
When travelling all the blinds inc the loo are open.
Lucille Staging lady

 

[mikebeaches]

In winter I'm particularly keen to keep the blinds on our van open so that any limited sunlight warms the interior to 'air' it and minimise the build up of moisture.

However, we usually leave the blinds open in the summer too...

Mike

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chopper602]

Blinds down when we put it back in storage.
Blinds tend to be open when in use, the bed drops down and covers the one in the dining area and the ones is the roof remind me to get up soon . . .

 

[Mastercamper]

All my Habitation windows are fitted with privacy glass. No blinds needed.
At night they tend to work in reverse, that is, anyone inside with lights on, would be perfectly visible to any one looking in, not even knowing that,that was the case. Therefore, any ransacking or stealing would be visible, if outside persons happened to look in.

 

[Jaws]

Blinds up and top vent closed .. Sun bleaches stuff really quick.

For those folk who thing the coil springs will weaken if under pressure

How far have the springs on your van sagged on the front ( yesssss,, they do on the back if they are leaf springs but that is because the basic mechanical design is intrinsically flawed )

Cheap springs will weaken over time but they have got to be pretty duff to start with ..

Our blinds have been up when parked for the past 6 years without a problem

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[teknik155]

blinds

My van is a1999 autostratus and I pull curtains and use an old windscreen cover when parked in drive. So far I've had all 3 blinds around u lounge repaired due to a plastic clip breaking stoping blinds retracting.only 3 more to replace for a full house.

 

[Reallyretired]

Mostly closed, they are concertina one with no springs. Those at the front windscreen are left open as it is parked facing north so no sun that way.

 

[leeboy]

Blinds Down

Got a caravan in the South of France and the roller blinds have been down for 10 months every year for the last 18 years without a problem, work like new every year.
Lee.:thumb:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pamella]

We keep the blinds up and the curtains open but we have the origional hymer pleated nets drawn.

 

[RS_rob]

My van is a1999 autostratus and I pull curtains and use an old windscreen cover when parked in drive. So far I've had all 3 blinds around u lounge repaired due to a plastic clip breaking stoping blinds retracting.only 3 more to replace for a full house.

Interesting......
are those clips easy to come by ?