Fixing the curtains

[sky_blue]

My RV is parked in my back yard facing south. So the driver's side gets a lot of sun. I was blown away when I discovered that in only 6 months the liner on the side curtain had deteriorated and fallen apart. Luckily I caught it in time before the curtain itself became damaged.

I called the factory for the part number and then called my dealer to get it covered under warranty. When he called back, he said that it might take several months because the curtains need to be manufactured specifically for my model.

I eventually made a deal with him. If I pay for the backing, he would pay for the curtain repair. I went to Joann's Fabric and bought $12 worth of backing and had my cleaners sew it in for only $45. I really like my dealer, DeMartini RV in Grass Valley, CA. They are easy to work with and have honored all my warranty issues to my satisfaction. Even from 7 hours away.

[Oneilkeys]

What my wife did was to buy nice looking fabric and turned the curtains around so the ugly gold was facing out and the new beautiful fabric is facing in. She just took off the backing and sewed the new fabric directly to the old and rehung the curtains. Really "spiffed" the place up.

[JamieGeek]

We cut off the backing and then use foil when the RV is in storage to cover the windows.
Multi-Purpose Foil, 4' x 10' - Direcsource Ltd AO2012-003 - Window Covers - Camping World
I picked up three of those and cut them to fit the front windows. Now the only time the curtains see any sunlight is when we're actually camping in it.

[aa9zz]

I used the same thing as Jamie and cut it for every window in my coach. When not traveling you have to turn on a light when you go inside. I leave all windows covered including the windshield. Then when we are camping I use the covering to block out light and keep everyone from seeing in all front windows. When traveling I usually take it out over the sofa and in the bedroom. When sitting even the vents are covered with this reflective covering. UV should not be an issue.

Phil

[belfastboy]

Yeh, we were shocked as well to discover the curtain backing had actually disintegrated. As it was too much bother to take it in my wife is in the process of sewing new ones.

[srolfe]

Our liner fell apart after a year. My wife is going to sew new curtains. I am probably also going to order Magne covers for the windshield and front side windows.

[Marine By Choice]

Originally Posted by srolfe

Our liner fell apart after a year. My wife is going to sew new curtains. I am probably also going to order Magne covers for the windshield and front side windows.

I bought Magna Shade for the windshield. Awesome product! We were in Baja, Mexico for a month. Our coach was the coolest inside of all we visited of our fellow caravaners.

They were envious of our Magna Shade!

[belfastboy]

Originally Posted by Marine By Choice

I bought Magna Shade for the windshield. Awesome product! We were in Baja, Mexico for a month. Our coach was the coolest inside of all we visited of our fellow caravaners.

They were envious of our Magna Shade!

I have been looking at the PanaShade system. They are mounted on the inside via suction cups and are cut to fit. Much cheaper than the MagneShades. Anyone have any experience with the PanaShades?
Or anyone have an opinion of inside versus outside?
I am thinking for storage the inside ones would last longer??

[Marine By Choice]

I haven't seen or used PanaShade, so unable to comment on them. The thing I really like about MagneShade is how quick it is to install. Less than a minute!!!

[Tom N3EQF]

Originally Posted by belfastboy

I have been looking at the PanaShade system. They are mounted on the inside via suction cups and are cut to fit. Much cheaper than the MagneShades. Anyone have any experience with the PanaShades?

We have the PanaShades in our Windsport 27K about a year now and love them! They provide privacy as long as the inside of the RV isn't lit brighter than the outside, and still allow you full view out the windows. I've actually cut them to fit other windows in the rig besides the cockpit area. These shades will certainly help prevent fading and rotting of the curtains.

Granted, the inside shields do not give as much insulation from heat as an outside shade would. But they're easy to use and really attractive. I recommend them 100%.

[belfastboy]

Thank you for the reply, it is most helpful. For clarification they do provide some insulation from the heat, just not as much as the outside ones??
My wife wants the inside ones as they are not subject to the elements, of rain, dirt/dust etc.

[petef]

I had the exact same problem and did the exact same thing, got good liner material from a fabric shop and had a seamstress sew them in. It is now much better protection from sun. Hard to believe they use a paper like material for a curtain liner! Mine actually got damaged the second day when I open the window and the air rushing in tore up the liner. Within 12 months much had turned to dust just disintegration on its own..

Originally Posted by gbrown

My RV is parked in my back yard facing south. So the driver's side gets a lot of sun. I was blown away when I discovered that in only 6 months the liner on the side curtain had deteriorated and fallen apart. Luckily I caught it in time before the curtain itself became damaged.

I called the factory for the part number and then called my dealer to get it covered under warranty. When he called back, he said that it might take several months because the curtains need to be manufactured specifically for my model.

I eventually made a deal with him. If I pay for the backing, he would pay for the curtain repair. I went to Joann's Fabric and bought $12 worth of backing and had my cleaners sew it in for only $45. I really like my dealer, DeMartini RV in Grass Valley, CA. They are easy to work with and have honored all my warranty issues to my satisfaction. Even from 7 hours away.

[Tom N3EQF]

Originally Posted by belfastboy

Thank you for the reply, it is most helpful. For clarification they do provide some insulation from the heat, just not as much as the outside ones??
My wife wants the inside ones as they are not subject to the elements, of rain, dirt/dust etc.

You're welcome. They do help insulate from heat but not as well as an outside shade would. The sun still heats the glass since there isn't anything on the outside of the windows. We used outside window shades in our two previous RV's and they do get dirty and nasty, and it's a real pain if the weather doesn't cooperate.

[belfastboy]

Originally Posted by petef

I had the exact same problem and did the exact same thing, got good liner material from a fabric shop and had a seamstress sew them in. It is now much better protection from sun. Hard to believe they use a paper like material for a curtain liner! Mine actually got damaged the second day when I open the window and the air rushing in tore up the liner. Within 12 months much had turned to dust just disintegration on its own..

My wife is planning on purchasing special UV material and either hand sewing it to the existing curtains on site or bringing them home and using her machine. The stuff is expensive, she figures about $70 to do it but it should last as long as the RV.

[l100fltmgr]

Thank you for this thread, got my interest up so i looked at back of curtains and it is all shedding. My coach is a 2014 Windspot 27K and it seems like a warranty or recall for defective material. I called Blue Dog RV up in Portland OR and they verified this is not a warranty item. I'm beginning to wonder what ls.

[Mr Sunshine]

Like gbrown in #1 above, we went to JoAnn's and got their heaviest curtain liner material for under $10. It took Mrs. S longer to get out the sewing machine than it did to snip out the old liner and sew in the new. That liner material may hold up north, but was no match for the Florida sun.

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine

Like gbrown in #1 above, we went to JoAnn's and got their heaviest curtain liner material for under $10. It took Mrs. S longer to get out the sewing machine than it did to snip out the old liner and sew in the new. That liner material may hold up north, but was no match for the Florida sun.

We cut out the backing material and leave it that way. When in storage I leave the curtains all bound up, and cover the front 3 windows with the foil from campingworld.

The only time those front curtains are used, now, is when we're camping.

[belfastboy]

Originally Posted by Mr Sunshine

Like gbrown in #1 above, we went to JoAnn's and got their heaviest curtain liner material for under $10. It took Mrs. S longer to get out the sewing machine than it did to snip out the old liner and sew in the new. That liner material may hold up north, but was no match for the Florida sun.

My wife ended up making new curtains. Picked up a great colour at Ikea that fits perfectly. It took my talented wife a bit to cut them to fit but it is a real nice upgrade. We live in Vancouver, Canada....far from the sun belt and our curtain backing rotted away within the first year.

[schreinertms]

One of the first things I did when I got home with our new RV was replace the side window driving compartment curtains with roller shades. This way they can also be used as visor's while I am driving plus they look at lot nicer. I ordered them on-line from a window treatment store. After 2015, Thor started installing the slow-rise shades instead of the sliding curtains on the side driving compartment windows.

[sky_blue]

Originally Posted by schreinertms

One of the first things I did when I got home with our new RV was replace the side window driving compartment curtains with roller shades. This way they can also be used as visor's while I am driving plus they look at lot nicer. I ordered them on-line from a window treatment store. After 2015, Thor started installing the slow-rise shades instead of the sliding curtains on the side driving compartment windows.

Can you please post thr URL of the roller shades?