Sun Blocker idea

sallylillian

sallylillian

LIFE MEMBER
Joined
Oct 29, 2011
Posts
3,945
Likes collected
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Location
Falmouth, Cornwall
Funster No
18,670
MH
Palace Liner 90LO
Exp
2011
For the last 4 years we have used a Thule Sunblocker
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/motorhome-a ... m-_-307290
It has worked well but it inhibits the breeze and on some hot days it can get a bit stifling. However overall it did the job. Last year I saw a guy who had used some camouflage net with great success. It provided better shade and allowed a greater throughput of air. Before I could get to go and inspect the installation in detail he left. So this winter I found several suppliers on the web and ordered a 6m x 3m Grey/Black one.
https://www.camonets.com/product-catego ... -camo-net/
I had the local sailmaker manufacture some special clip mounts for me and today I did a first fix to see how it would work. The colours work well with the van and the individual slide on clips enable a quick release and easy install.
20200308_142643.jpg

20200308_142652.jpg
 
These were my efforts Michael, I got a couple of "Beach flags" from the factory for owners group meets but realised that they were far too big for a flag pole so I cut a bit off the end and then stitched a beading on the top to run it into the channel on the awning front rail.

IMG_1423.jpeg

This one is older and real quality material so doesn't let a breeze through,

IMG_1427.jpeg

This is the newer one and works really well keeping the sun off but letting a breeze through unlike the Lillypad sun blocker which got very hot behind it with no air movement.

Martin
 
I wonder if the same could be achieved using muslin?

It could be gathered with heading tape the same as for a window at home then mounted onto beading and slotted in. You can get weighted tape to stop it billowing too much.

I think it might look quite elegant ?
 
Southdowners said:
I wonder if the same could be achieved using muslin?

It could be gathered with heading tape the same as for a window at home then mounted onto beading and slotted in. You can get weighted tape to stop it billowing too much.

I think it might look quite elegant ?
Click to expand...
That would be like the Lilypad blocker, which we have too for the sides only, they are not very good at blocking the sun but do block any breeze which can be understood by the product name.

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Southdowners said:
I wonder if the same could be achieved using muslin?

It could be gathered with heading tape the same as for a window at home then mounted onto beading and slotted in. You can get weighted tape to stop it billowing too much.

I think it might look quite elegant ?
Click to expand...
Ooooh..... twitching net curtains outside the van.....
 
Addendum
Please zoom in on the pictures and examine my slide in clips. Because of my desire to be able to remove the net without having to move it completely by a permanently attached long slide cord I have ended up with a sort of gap at the top but cannot get my head around a better solution which still achieves the ability to easily erect and remove the screen. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
 
Nirvanauk said:
Can you just not peg the Thule one further out instead of having it vertical?
Click to expand...
Have and indeed do do that, and because our awning bar is quite high there is a huge gap at the bottom but it still creates an airless feel especially when the breeze is very weak. And it is not a very good sun blocker.
 
I made my own windblockers about 8 years ago to use with our MH (Chausson Flash 04). I used a large piece of voile and stitched on vertical binding tape to give strength where it was pegged at the bottom (the Lillypad ones are made from strips of material which they join so they have these vertical pieces anyway). Mine different at the top though as the LP ones have one continuous strip of beading whereas for mine I just put a 2 inch piece every now and then on the top which slotted in the awning front rail slot, this mean they could be pushed back a bit if needed to get in/out. It worked very well.

wind screens 1 - Copy.jpg

Outside part drawn.JPG

1.jpg

2.jpg

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sallylillian said:
That would be like the Lilypad blocker, which we have too for the sides only, they are not very good at blocking the sun but do block any breeze which can be understood by the product name.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can see how there'd be a problem with the Lilypads. I was thinking of more of a floaty muslin/voile curtain that would billow in the wind and diffuse the sun. I'd stitch it to heading tape at the top and gather it up but then allow it to free float. You can buy tape with tiny weights inside to stop too much billowing... a sort of Turkish tent type of thing.

I do have a roll of muslin... if we venture into warmer climes this year I might give it a go and report back ?
 
Southdowners said:
Yes, I can see how there'd be a problem with the Lilypads. I was thinking of more of a floaty muslin/voile curtain that would billow in the wind and diffuse the sun. I'd stitch it to heading tape at the top and gather it up but then allow it to free float. You can buy tape with tiny weights inside to stop too much billowing... a sort of Turkish tent type of thing.

I do have a roll of muslin... if we venture into warmer climes this year I might give it a go and report back ?
Click to expand...
You could do what I did with my home made version by putting some pieces of beading spaced out across the top.

front top corner.JPG


The issue you might have with muslin is that it could be quite stretchy so trying to stitch tape to a long length of it could be a pain in the bum ... my experience of doing it with the voile I used was bad enough and I wouldn't do it with muslin.
 
sallylillian said:
Addendum
Please zoom in on the pictures and examine my slide in clips. Because of my desire to be able to remove the net without having to move it completely by a permanently attached long slide cord I have ended up with a sort of gap at the top but cannot get my head around a better solution which still achieves the ability to easily erect and remove the screen. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
You could sew a deep strip of material across the top edge of the net so it is 'stiffer' and will hold the net level and fill the gap if you attach the hooks lower down the net from the top edge. Alternatively you could make a filler piece by putting some Velcro on the inner side of the awing case and use a strip of material with the other part of the Velcro on and cover the gap with it, if you do this make sure you put the grippy part of the Velcro on the casing - this would be the simplest/easiest solution and you could then also use it as a little 'sun shade' on it's own, a bit like this:

Fiamma Shade 550cm Sun View | Leisure Outlet

www.leisureoutlet.com www.leisureoutlet.com

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sallylillian said:
For the last 4 years we have used a Thule Sunblocker
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/motorhome-a ... m-_-307290
It has worked well but it inhibits the breeze and on some hot days it can get a bit stifling. However overall it did the job. Last year I saw a guy who had used some camouflage net with great success. It provided better shade and allowed a greater throughput of air. Before I could get to go and inspect the installation in detail he left. So this winter I found several suppliers on the web and ordered a 6m x 3m Grey/Black one.
https://www.camonets.com/product-catego ... -camo-net/
I had the local sailmaker manufacture some special clip mounts for me and today I did a first fix to see how it would work. The colours work well with the van and the individual slide on clips enable a quick release and easy install.
View attachment 367649

View attachment 367650
Click to expand...

Love it!
I actually manufacture and sell awning blocker panels. Mine do the opposite in they are fully waterproof and clear laminated plastic. I like your idea and think that if a full length of keder was machined along the top it would improve it massively. Shame you are not local or you could have dropped in and I could have taken a look if its do-able.
 
Minxy Girl said:
You could sew a deep strip of material across the top edge of the net so it is 'stiffer' and will hold the net level and fill the gap if you attach the hooks lower down the net from the top edge. Alternatively you could make a filler piece by putting some Velcro on the inner side of the awing case and use a strip of material with the other part of the Velcro on and cover the gap with it, if you do this make sure you put the grippy part of the Velcro on the casing - this would be the simplest/easiest solution and you could then also use it as a little 'sun shade' on it's own, a bit like this:

Fiamma Shade 550cm Sun View | Leisure Outlet

www.leisureoutlet.com www.leisureoutlet.com
Click to expand...
Thanks I will develop the Velcro concept I think. What I have been trying to avoid was a long strip of cord/fabric to feed into the bar. The existing Thule is a real pain requiring 2 people.
 
jezport said:
Love it!
I actually manufacture and sell awning blocker panels. Mine do the opposite in they are fully waterproof and clear laminated plastic. I like your idea and think that if a full length of keder was machined along the top it would improve it massively. Shame you are not local or you could have dropped in and I could have taken a look if its do-able.
Click to expand...
What's a keder may I ask?
 
sallylillian said:
What's a keder may I ask?
Click to expand...
Keder is another name for the beading strip that you feed in the awning rail slot, in your case it wouldn't be any good as you want to be able to remove it easily and/or slide it open/closed, something you couldn't easily do with a full length beading strip, hence why I decided to only put pieces of it spaced along the top of mine.
 
sallylillian said:
For the last 4 years we have used a Thule Sunblocker
https://www.thule.com/en-gb/motorhome-a ... m-_-307290
It has worked well but it inhibits the breeze and on some hot days it can get a bit stifling. However overall it did the job. Last year I saw a guy who had used some camouflage net with great success. It provided better shade and allowed a greater throughput of air. Before I could get to go and inspect the installation in detail he left. So this winter I found several suppliers on the web and ordered a 6m x 3m Grey/Black one.
https://www.camonets.com/product-catego ... -camo-net/
I had the local sailmaker manufacture some special clip mounts for me and today I did a first fix to see how it would work. The colours work well with the van and the individual slide on clips enable a quick release and easy install.
View attachment 367649

View attachment 367650
Click to expand...

Do you not get a constant russelling sound from the cammo netting with any breeze ?
 
Sandancers said:
Do you not get a constant russelling sound from the cammo netting with any breeze ?
Click to expand...
Only just fitted it whilst the van was inside its hutch, as per the pictures. I have yet to try it in "anger", a breeze of any note will have some noises anyway from nearby trees and the awning itself so I dont anticipate an issue but I will make a point to observe.
 
I’ve seen this idea before, and thought about it for my van, But I couldn’t work out how to attach it to the awning front rail. I think I would need to buy one first then hope to solve it, at the time I was looking there were plenty of green nets but no white ones.
Perhaps there’s a business opportunity here as the nets are considerably cheaper than the fiamma shade.
 
sallylillian did you get the camo net or the reinforced version? Interested in this as we've been looking for a sun shade that doesn't block the breeze.

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RetiredPope said:
sallylillian did you get the camo net or the reinforced version? Interested in this as we've been looking for a sun shade that doesn't block the breeze.
Click to expand...
I did get the reinforced version. Reinforced Light Grey/Charcoal Camo Net. This has a string net backing, sort of like a fishing net if you will. The squares are about 4 inches or so. It provides a structure which makes it easier to hang without support. You can buy stock sizes or specify an exact size if I recall.
 
You can get them in various colours including blue and pink ... just have a Google!
 

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