That big piece of black, the the right of the image, framed by the red metal skin of the car should be as see through as the other window in the shot, but its not! Which my sewing machine didnt want anything to do with. Difficulty: Beginner Make any necessary adjustments for the templates to snuggly fit the windows. How to Make Cheap DIY Insulated Window Coverings! - by Brittany Goldwyn Id love to hear your questions and comments on this content below! A great plus is the short time involved to build them. The covers help to accomplish two tasks: Helping to insulate your car for winter adventures, keeps the adventures fun! I stuck the pieces together using Trim Fix high temperature contact adhesive and then trimmed them down. My total insulation template height was about 26. You just need to leave little extra for the stretching of doors opening. This trapped air is how the insulation works. But, we werent going to let the low temps get us down. When choosing this method, you cut the reflectix to the size of the windows and wedge it in the tracks. They were very easy to locate since they all could only go in one way now with the black sides facing outwards and the white sides facing inwards. And the cover did a great job of wedging into the window sill and didnt need any other help staying put. My solution was to use some thickarmaturewire (Amazon Link) to build an internal, bendable structure in each panel that was over an opening window. I then did the same for the windscreen. Applying short strips every foot or so should do the trick. They keep enough light out to make napping in broad daylight outside, not much of a problem. Last, attach the velcro or magnets. Curtains dont get removed so dont have to be stored elsewhere, Look nice whether up or down, interior and exterior view, Extra steps needed if your windows tilt outwards at the bottom. In this blog I share my tips and techniques of how I fell in love with this way of life, and hopefully show you that using the vehicle you already own can get you on the road: traveling, saving money, and living intentionally sooner than you thought! Wouldnt have to attach anything to your window thingys(technical term,hehe). How To Make DIY Van Window Covers - MotionWindows.com Comparison of camper curtain covering the frame vs not when mounted, depending on the velcro placement on the fabric. Trace the Templates onto the Roll of Insulation 15 minutes Cardboard template sandwiched between pieces of insulation. If your windows are tilted out like they are in many campers, your curtains will hang straight down into your living space. Having done the large side windows and the windscreen, I completed the small side windows, also known as the quarter glass, in the same way. With the fabric attached on both halves of each panel, I used the same spray adhesive to join the halves, making sure all the edges lined up. When mounted, this creates a cleaner look, as both the velcro pieces and the frame will be covered by the fabric. Quick and easy to do (under a couple of hours), Insulates from both cold and heat (reflective surface does wonders), No modification to your vehicle or truck shell, Aesthetics-not nice to look at from the inside or outside (but!! } They also isolated me from some of the road noise and foot traffic outside my vehicle. If this is the case, curtains mounted only at the top as traditionally done will hang straight down into your living space. If your car windows are the same shapes on the left and right, only cut templates for one side of the car. *Tip* Position the velcro on your fabric inch in from the edge rather that right up against the edge of the fabric. But, JoAnns had some fleece on sale at the time for about half the price of the felt. Basically, you mount a rod of some type across the top of the window, attach your fabric so that it can slide to open and close, and then find a way to keep the curtains from hanging straight down into your living space if you are dealing with tilted windows like in a truck bed camper shell. This would also mean I would have to make sure they could dry, or I would risk molding (this never became a problem). With all the fabric cut out, I started the process of attaching it to the Reflectix using theSuper 77 spray adhesive (Amazon Link). The stack was way to thick and too squishy to be moved through the feed-dogs of my machine. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I was thinking it may be possible to achieve this with some 3/4 strips of cardboard zig-zagged and glued between the two panels. The goal is to get an accurate template of each window shape in the car. You should purchase ready-made full automobile sunshade kits from firms like Climate [], [] They should fit neatly into the window sill and completely block all light. You can buy reflectix in different size rolls online or from big-box hardware stores. If needing adhesive, buy industrial strength and make sure you go with lightweight fabric. Having all the window covers bent to let in air worked really great, but they also created huge entrances for bugs. This would hold the curtain against the side of the camper, like in Ben's Chevrolet Silverado shown here. I arranged the wire in a zig-zag pattern of roughly four inch by five inch rectangles all the way along the length of the panel where the window opened. If you cant wedge the material into your track (because of a screen or maybe there isnt a track at all), use velcro tabs or strips to hold the reflectix in place around window. how to hold the curtains taut against your vehicle side if you have windows that tilt outwards at the bottom. When measuring your fabric, dont forget to account for all hems, as well as extra length if you opt to create a tunnel at the top (and possibly bottom) of the curtain to slip the curtain rod through. In this video, I'll be making DIY thermal blackout van window covers using leftover automotive lining carpet and foil bubblewrap reflectix insulation, as I c. There should be two pieces of insulation per cardboard template. This diy camper curtain idea has a lot of variation. With the windows measured, I made templates to work from. Below you can see the type of wire Im talking about. And also on the screening component and how that worked out. I had all my windows cracked open as far as they could go and still be covered by the rain guards on my car. Id be interested in any updates you have on this. . Required fields are marked *. So, I had to scrap that idea and moved to plan B. Before making our camper shell curtains, we looked into a lot of different possibilities, and for this post weve compiled pros and cons, directions for making, and related tips for 4 different styles of camper curtains or window covers. These window covers attach magnetically (except for the windshield) and are insulated with Low-E. Perpendicular to each other. Also fully like all materials gets stronger with multiple layers. Find this Pin and more on Van Conversion Life by Joe Dlugosz. This will help improve their insulation properties as well as strengthening the covers. Sq9fcb . As an engineer, I had to look at all of these materials to see if they would work for my application. Weve written a very detailed post titled How To Make Roll-Up Camper Shell Curtains with step-by-step directions on how to make these curtains for your camper. This video explains how to easily do stealth insulated window covers for a converted van, or for car camping.This video is part of a series about van conversion. For patterned fabric: There is a top and a bottom to this type of fabric in order to have all your curtains hanging with the pattern going the same way once completed. DIY Camper Window Cover Option #1: Reflectix. Once theyre done, pop em in the windows! Also, if your fabric has a distinct pattern, be sure that the pattern is level as you cut your pieces. The headliner in my car could be used as the loop side of the velcro. [] If you want to find out all the details of how I build these covers, got great airflow through them, and bug proofed them, check out this dedicated article:Make The Best Privacy Window Covers Complete Guide [], I have to Rav4 2005 long time. I could then turn the cover over and repeat the process to complete the edge. 4. on: function(evt, cb) { Just Need to Learn a Bit About You First: Why Would You Choose to Live Out of a Car? My next step was to double up the insulation by gluing a second layer. Almost all of them didnt fit properly, and with the help of my scissors I reshaped them all to best fit the windows, keeping in mind that the fabric would also add some interference between the covers and the window frames. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/LensOfJames Entire van conversion playlist: https://bit.ly/2ZewxLt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogi.the.van/ Check out my van blog: https://nv200vanconversion.wordpress.com Thermal suction cups 1: https://ebay.us/dUPVoT (affiliate link) Thermal suction cups 2: https://ebay.us/n2q8Ax (affiliate link) Trim Fix high temperature contact adhesive: https://amzn.to/3vPsO41 (affiliate link) Thermawrap bubble wrap insulation: https://amzn.to/3BRcSCk (affiliate link) Music: https://soundcloud.com/architct0:00 - Intro0:16 - Measuring the windows and making templates1:13 - Making a prototype1:27 - Making the windows covers1:47 - Checking the fit and adjusting2:28 - Cutting out a second layer of reflectix3:44 - Carpeting the window covers5:17 - Adding edges to the window covers8:40 - Adding suction cups9:36 - Testing the covers out!---I started by measuring the van windscreen, the two large side windows and the two small side windows. Building Insulated Window Shades for Your Sprinter Shop VanMadeGear.com. Gutter screens cut to fit,will slide into channel,have about 4inches of outside air. It made the space feel a bit more roomy having those in there opposed to a darker color. However, that does mean youll have to leave velcro on your car interior (which isnt the pretties to look at). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I converted my 2009 ToyotaRAV4 into a camper a while ago to travel and potentially live out of it full time, crazy right?! See Reflectix 2.0 below), Condensation gets trapped behind and doesnt get to dry out if you arent removing them daily, Must store them somewhere when not in use (weve typically slid them under the mattress if possible), Unable to open part way like a curtain for ventilation or letting some light in, maybe adhesive velcro* or clear command hooks* (depending on your windows). How to Make Blackout Window Covers for a Campervan With this success in and, I continued with the rest of the covers! Insulated Van Window Covers Custom sprinter van camper insulated window covers can provide a barrier between the heat from the summer sun and the cold from the winter nights. One time in 2013 i make diy roofrack (aluminium) . If you already know the style of DIY camper curtain youre interested in, skip ahead by clicking on the image: *(This post contains affiliate links. This video explains how to easily do stealth insulated window covers for a converted van, or for car camping.This video is part of a series about van convers. See image from ethanmaurice.com for clarification! Read More. Thanks for the great information, and photos. So, I took the smallest window template in the car and cut out a few Reflectix panels that matched the template, and then cut out each fabric color with about an inch of overlap. Theres the added benefit of preventing humidity from our breath to build up inside the car, which would leave us damp and cold. The picture below requires a bit of explaining to know how awesome it is! They better insulate our car from the cold. This will show better in the following photos. event : evt, We also decided to use magnetic tabs to hold the window covers up because our campervan windows are metal. The insulated material helps keep hot air from getting in through the windows. I was wondering also. Theyre mounted across the top of the window frame using velcro, and bundling straps are held in place behind the velcro. You may need to have your fabric or at least ring clips mounted to the rod before securing your rod to your vehicle! Measure a window, length x height with tape measure. Before I started making all the covers, I wanted to test out my idea. As always, thanks for reading, and please SUBSCRIBE! So the covers would just fall out or have trouble just going up. * Tip - using plastic coated picture hanging wire* will allow the curtains to slide more readily. So I made the top panel 6 wide and the rest 5. Shortly after I finished the window covers, I set up the sleeping space in the car and went to sleep in the parking lot of my apartment to test out some of my systems. The trip I took up the east coast of the United States showed me that not only was this a viable way to live, but that it was immensely enjoyable and much easier than I had imagined! He called these eyelashes (pestaas) and he slipped them into the rubber and fabric gaskets all around the windows. Another option is to make or buy your own custom window covers. However, blackout curtain liner is available by the yard and can be attached to fabric of your choosing. The blinds are designed to sit against the window, and are held in place by the edges pressed against the window frame. Take note that I am not sponsored by anyone. While this can help to make a snug fit, too much material will make the blinds buckle and not work properly. There are certainly other ways to rig up DIY camper curtains, but hopefully these ideas and details can get you started in a direction that will work for you and camper windows! Then came the trial and error part. I knew I was going to use a material called Reflectix (basically a metallic bubble-wrap used in housing insulation, Heres a link to the one I bought) and I would wrap theReflectix in some kind of fabric to make it more appealing to look at from the inside and indistinguishable from the window from the outside. With the right sides of the blackout and decorative pieces facing one another, sew three sides shut. I had a general idea of what I wanted to make. And since the two door and back side windows are symmetric I only had to take one template of each. You can buy reflectix in different size rolls online or from big-box hardware stores. And more importantly, people expect to see those kinds of window covers already, it would be strange to see a cars entire front window blacked out by my privacy window cover. Since windows are a key point of heat loss, we decided to combat this. (One section left open) Step 4: Add the insul-bright fabric So cheap and lasted me three years even going through lots of rain. For our Toyota Highlander, we elected to make blinds for only the back five windows. How to make affordable, no-sew window covers for privacy and to help protect your van from the hot sun or cold temperatures! This will help keep your van cool in hot temps! For blackout curtains: It is difficult to find blackout fabric with patterns or designs by the yard. I have all my lights on in the car and they are pretty bright. Insulated Window Covers For Car - windowcurtain [] warmth by putting a thick reflective sun shield in your front windshield, and cutting insets out of Reflectix wrap (available at most hardware stores) for your other windows. I simply pealed apart the two halves of each window cover, and then placed in the wire, and used some more spray adhesive to join everything back together. If you look closely, you might notice that I didnt take a template of the front windshield. Although its about our truck shell camper, the directions can be used to make diy car, suv, van, or campervan curtains. This was a good short term fix, but the modification had so many problems I wont bother to show the construction. Because this material is sold rolled up, there are creases and folds that cant be removed. You have two layers of Reflectix, when you cement them together have the lines perpendicular. . I was staying with some family right before I left on my trip to Maine. 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