"Blacking out" night blinds.

Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Posts
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Location
UK
Funster No
399
MH
Hymer B544SL
Exp
30+
One of the things that bugged me about the RV was the amount of light that the "night" blinds let into the bedroom, especially in the summer.
Since we've had an Abbey caravan,I've noticed that the blinds let no light in at all and appear to be foil backed for insulation purposes.

This got me thinking, I wonder if it would be possible to back an RV blind with foil to keep out the light on summer nights and have the added benfit of helping to keep in heat on winter nights?
I know I could put up blackout type curtains but I was trying to get a more "proffesional" looking result.........besides, I like tinkering!:BigGrin:

I can think of two possible problems tho'
1. Any adhesive used might "leach" through to the inside and cause unsightly staining.
and
2. The foil might crack at the corner of each blind crease.

I think I might ring Swift and ask what they use, in the meantime.....thoughts?:Smile:

PS. If it wasn't for ScotJimLands extremely usefull "threading" diagram, I wouldn't even attempt this!:thumb:
 
PS. If it wasn't for ScotJimLands extremely usefull "threading" diagram, I wouldn't even attempt this!:thumb:

Thanks Zaskar,

When I removed the broken blind with the cords all pulled out it was a nightmare trying to figure out the threading route, hence the very rough diagram for future use.. Chaz had been playing with the loose ends making things worse (as kids do):RollEyes:

Your idea is worth investigating, our bedroom blinds are fine, the nightshade is a dark brown material and totally light proof apart from the small cord holes, but we could do with something in the lounge to keep the heat out in the summer.. :Cool:

I'll give this some thought and have a prowl round the DIY stores to see if there is a product that could be used.. :Smile:

Either that or paint the windows.. :Laughing::Laughing:

Jim
 
The day/night blinds in our Monaco Cayman were absolutely awful quality and fell to pieces within 18 months - and yes, the night blinds let in too much light as well - so - we took them all out and replaced them with normal domestic type 'thermal' roller blinds.

The result is that, when the roller blinds are down, the temperature in the RV goes up by about 5 degrees and the interior is very, very dark at night. :Smile:

The proof of the pudding, so to speak, is in the morning when the blinds are rolled up, you can feel a very definite wave of cold air hit your hands and feet!

Now we have to figure out a way of getting 'thermal' protection from the windscreen curtains. :Wink:
 
Good tip, thanks Dick :thumb:, never thought of that:Doh:

Could you expand on......"normal domestic type 'thermal' roller blinds."......please?

As in make and retail outlet.

Ta:BigGrin:
 
....I can think of two possible problems tho'
1. Any adhesive used might "leach" through to the inside and cause unsightly staining
Best adhesive for a job like this is what carpet fitters use. Comes in an aerosol can and bonds extremely well and quick....so make sure you 'have it right' on the first attempt as there won't be a second chance! It can't be bought over the counter at any DIY store, you would need to go to a carpet specialist. It's not cheap either....but it does work very well!

I got mine from a local company which converts commercial vans to campers. They use it on interior linings.

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Best adhesive for a job like this is what carpet fitters use. Comes in an aerosol can and bonds extremely well and quick


Yep, know the stuff. good tip, thanks.:thumb:
 
Hi

Googling 'thermal roller blind' brings up quite a few suppliers but I thought these looked good, come either 4ft or 6 ft wide, from Argos at £13.99 ..

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The day/night blinds in our Monaco Cayman were absolutely awful quality and fell to pieces within 18 months - and yes, the night blinds let in too much light as well - so - we took them all out and replaced them with normal domestic type 'thermal' roller blinds.

Dick,

I presume your Cayman like our Discovery has matching pelmet & side window finishings to ALL windows except the windscreen?

Those fittings look a nightmare to remove in order to remove and replace the 'standard' RV pleated window day / night blinds, how did you do it? :Confused:
 
Supplier of Roller Blinds

I think Scotjimland supplied one answer - Argos - but in fact we got ours from Kaleidoscope, the 'clothing' catalogue company - because they supplied them in an off-white cream/beige sort of colour and they also supplied them in several different widths. Even with that we had to cut them to size.

As to fitting them - that was quite a nightmare until we spoke to Stateside Tuning and found that they supplied several sizes of 'square headed' screwdriver bits.

Then we simply took down the overhead cupboards, whipped off the pelmets, screwed the roller blinds to the under side of the pelmets and put it all back together. Sounds so simple doesn't it?

Perhaps it would have been if I had another pair of hands to help support the cupboards etc but with Mo in the wheelchair - I was by myself and those darned cupbords were heavy!

Later I discovered that it is possible to actually take the windows out of the sidewall and fit the rollerblinds straight into place. Not to be attempted if you are in the least bit scared of damaging the sidewalls but there is one added benefit of this method.

If you have ever taken the windows out of your RV you will find that the 'hole' into which the window is fitted is quite often larger than the actual window itself. That is why the metal window frame can get quite cold and allow condensation to form on the frame inside the vehicle.

It is perfectly feasible to fit the outside part of the window into the RV (get somebody to hold it in place) then fill around the outside edge of the window with expanded foam filler (Between the edges of the window and the sidewall) allow it to expand - shape flat to allow the inside of the window frame to be replaced and then screw it all back together.

I have seen it done but I have not yet had the nerve to try it myself! :Eek!:

I did acually remove one window to fit one blind but remember, I am single handed, so it was the very small kitchen window - but it did prove the theory that it was possible to do it that way.

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Due to a problem with our double glazed windows fogging we recently had 10 window units replaced under warranty.

Now Fleetwood would only pay the Fleetwood dealer 1 hours labour to change 1 window unit and looking at the windows I would imaging that ALL the screws around the inside of the frame would have to be removed for the frames removal and I can see no way that this could be done with the pelmet and side trims in place............Phew what a job:Eeek:
 
During periods of storage in the California sun, we use a simple method of keeping the interior of the coach shaded. The missus bought a couple of telescoping rods that some folks use to hang shower curtains, and created an open seam along one edge of some heavy fabric. The rods are fed through the "pockets" in the pieces of fabric, and put in place above the inside of the windows, between the day/night shades and the window.

Turns out that we leave these "shades" in place while travelling in the summer, to help keep the coach cool. We also leave the one over the window behind the bed in place all the time; This also helps with those cold winter nights.
 
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Mick,

We had a large side window replaced on our prior (Fleetwood/Pace Arrow) coach after some kids broke in while on a storage lot. I called the insurance company, and they sent out a company that specializes in windshield replacement. (We had a windshield replaced at the same time). I watched these guys replace that side window and it took them very little time.

Using a cordless drill and screwdriver bit, the "pelmet", blind, and window frame were removed in no time. The window and frame were removed, old caulking removed, new window, caulking and frame installed, pelmet replaced. Less than an hour for the whole thing.
 
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blackout blinds

Has anyone used easyblind blackout material with the velcro suction cups. Seems good idea but it would good to know how easy to cut to shape and use and fold away.

Thanks
 
Mo and I simply replaced our day/night blinds with normal domestic thermal roller blinds - not easy to do BUT makes a huge difference inside the RV for warmth during the winter.

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