getting to know me and questions on perforated vinyl

[nancy]

I am 74, twice widowed and a snowbird.  I have a condo in FL that I bought 9 years ago because it is very close to the grandchild. He is the commitment in my life.  He has multiple health issues and his parents can use all the help I can give them.   But I can't hack FL summers.  A year ago I sold my house in St Cloud MN. and my 'summer place' is a parked 5th-wheeler on a friends farm in west central MN.  So why am I joining this forum?  When I sold my house and found out how much it was going to cost to rent vans to distribute all the furniture, etc.  I realized it was cheaper to buy a van.  I now have a 2003 Chevy 2500 econo van.  It had gotten a new motor and transmission just before I bought it and since then I have put in a new radiator, thermostat. water pump and front tires.  The ball joints in the steering will need to be replaced soon, just like my arthritic knees.  I put 20,000 miles on it going to CN, Seattle, NC and several trips to FL.  I don't want to be a full timer although it does suit my personality but not my situation.  I want to outfit my van so that I can take 2 - 4 week trips once or twice a year.   
I have been watching Bob's videos and taking lots of notes.  
:huh: I am sure I will have many questions but here is my first one.  I have seen mentions of perforated vinyl.  What windows can it be put on?  Can it be put on driver and passenger side windows?  How much light do they let in?  Are they stealthy for nighttime?   Do they help with heat?  Is it difficult to install?  Is it installed on the inside or out.?  How expensive is it?  Where do you get it?  Is it something I can do myself?

Also most of my life is east of the Mississippi.  I would like to know of meet-ups on this side of the country.

 

[Smitty716]

Nancy , welcome to the forums. As far as The perforated vinyl goes , you cannot put it on driver or passenger door. At least in my state you can’t . Bob Wells just did a video of Casey putting perforated vinyl on her van . You may watch that on YouTube. He has a lot of other videos that may help you also

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Nancy to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

I just bought a 2003 Ford Econoline 150. I have put in a platform bed with storeage underneath in the back and a chest of drawers and something to hang clothes on in the front.
I was just about to put perforated vinyl in the back windiws when I found out you can see through it at night if there is light in the van. I was told that it does not block UV rays ether. This makes it almost worthless to me, so won't bother putting it in.

 

[travelaround]

Hi Nancy - welcome to the forum! That's great that you have a commitment to live near your family... also, that you've found van vacations to be something you want to pursue. There's room in life to go after more than just one dream.

 

[user 22017]

Hi Nancy,

Glad you mentioned perforated vinyl. I had never heard of it. Might be something I will be interested in using someday.

Here are a couple links mentioning perforated vinyl, in case you haven't read them yet:

https://advrider.com/f/threads/window-van-window-dilemma.1155008/page-2

https://squattheplanet.com/threads/stealth-van-car-truck-living.21771/

 

[MrNoodly]

Can it be put on driver and passenger side windows?  How much light do they let in?  Are they stealthy for nighttime?   Do they help with heat?  Is it difficult to install?  Is it installed on the inside or out.?  How expensive is it?  Where do you get it?  Is it something I can do myself?

Not on driver and passenger windows. They block about 50% of light. You see from the dark side to the bright side but not from the bright side to the dark side -- like with a screen door. That means if lights are on inside the van at night, you can see in and you would want some type of window covering. It can be installed either inside or out. You can get it online or at some auto parts stores big box stores. I had mine installed by a shop that does vehicle wraps, but you could probably do it yourself. Here's the link to Bob's video with KC doing an installation:  

 

[Jackpine]

They often use perforated vinyl on buses and transit trains. They might be something to try to look at and see how much they block the interior view.