Why curtains for the front vs Reflectix

[Bliss149]

I know there must be a reason that folks do a curtain behind the van seats rather than blackout fabric/reflectix in the front and side door windows. I'm fixing up a 2007 Town and Country and the front glass IS huge.

 

[bullfrog]

Cutting down the area you have to heat as the windows transfer a lot and stops drafts from front door seals.

 

[crofter]

If you want the cab to be blocked off with an insulated barrier, you could install a bulkhead behind the seats. I have this in my cargo van, and it decreases the amount of space that needs to be heated or cooled. Conversely when the sun is shining, I can also go into the cab and shut the door letting the solar gain of the cab area warm me up. 

I also keep solar devices on my dash, so I do not cover my dash from the sun during most seasons.

If you don't want a solid bulkhead, you could enclose the polyiso XPS insulation in a nylon cover and hang it from hooks or magnets between the cab and the cabin area. I use this type of insulated cover for my back windows. This method is low cost.

Using Reflectix gives up your stealth if that is important to you, and also reflectix has not much value as insulation compared to other materials.

~crofter

 

[Bliss149]

Cutting down the area you have to heat as the windows transfer a lot and stops drafts from front door seals.

If you want the cab to be blocked off with an insulated barrier, you could install a bulkhead behind the seats. I have this in my cargo van, and it decreases the amount of space that needs to be heated or cooled. Conversely when the sun is shining, I can also go into the cab and shut the door letting the solar gain of the cab area warm me up. 

I also keep solar devices on my dash, so I do not cover my dash from the sun during most seasons.

If you don't want a solid bulkhead, you could enclose the polyiso XPS insulation in a nylon 

Using Reflectix gives up your stealth if that is important to you, and also reflectix has not much value as insulation compared to other materials.

Thanks for both replies. I had planned to back the REFLECTIX with black fabric. 

But all these methods seems like would raise questions when it comes to stealth except the metal barrier like commercial vehicles use. 

Good point about solar up front. Plus I'm not finding the reflectix super easy to do and that giant sloping windshield with mirror in the middle is more than a little daunting.

The poly-iso idea is new to me. Will look into that - thanks! 

 

[user 423]

They sell oversize reflective sun visors for vans like yours. That would be better for stealth than something you make since so many people use them. As has been said many times tho, stealth is hard to achieve.

I use both a folding sun visor and a privacy curtain behind the seats. For parking at night in lots like Walmart,CB,etc. they help keep out unwanted light.

Not concerned with insulation value tho since I generally avoid cold weather.

 

[jonyjoe303]

I seperate the front from the back in my astrovan to keep the heat and cold out. I didnt use a curtain I built a divider with foam sandwiched between hardboard and then built a sliding door.
This works great in cold weather

In this picture straight ahead is the sliding door

 

[crofter]

Awesome pocket door joneyjoe. My bulkhead is made of wood, insulated and sheathed, and my hobbit door hangs on a piano hinge. Used standard schlage brand door bolt due to the fatness of the door.

I also use the backside of the bulkhead to mount things so very little of the bulkhead is visible in the cab. My greatest stealth is that the exterior looks stock except for two vents.  -crofter

 

[BelgianPup]

Reflectix is also kind of stiff when you're trying to go through it, esp when your hands are full.

 

[treesprite]

I think in a van, not isolating the cab with an insulated wall, makes insulating the living space almost useless. I plan to build an insulated wall with a door.

I love that sliding door idea - thank you for posting it. Having a regular type of door was causing me to design around needing space for the door to be able to open outward. Having a sliding door will save me some inches.

 

[nature lover]

My living space overflowed into where my passenger seat used to be. The recliner I sleep in lays back into that area. So the curtain or the doors you’re talking about aren’t going to work. Reflectix windshield cover is all I use at this time. I do plan to invest in one of those outside (canvas ? ) covers that goes on both door windows and front window and mirrors that they make for RVs. None of that is very stealth is it?

 

[MrNoodly]

My fridge is where the passenger seat used to be, and when I'm camped a milk crate of frequently used things occupies the driver seat. The wastebasket and 5-gallon bucket live between the driver seat and fridge. So I'm in and out of the front of the van all day long. So a wall or door would be inconvenient. I have a simple black curtain I pull to separate the two compartments when I need to. It helps enough in cool weather. When it's hot I have all the doors and windows open in the day, and at night I have the rear door open a crack and a front window rolled down a bit for circulation, so a barrier between the front and back would block that.

During the day in cool months I park the van facing south for solar heat gain through the windows. Sometimes I even reposition the van over the course of the day in order to follow the sun. In the summer I do the opposite. I have a couple of pieces of Reflectix I can pop in the back windows if there's too much sun coming in or if I need privacy.

I no longer use a heat shade on the inside of the windshield. It acts like a solar oven, superheating the air between the glass and the shade, which then escapes around the edges into the van. If I really need to, I'll use my vinyl window cover on the outside (if it's not too windy).

 

[user 423]

^
Since you have your passenger seat removed, do you have a chair that you use inside the van or do you sit on the bed?

Say in the AM when fixing breakfast.

 

[vanbrat]

I have an old quilt on a shower curtain rod for when I want something between the seats and back of the van. But don't use it much as that space is also for the dogs bed on the floor. I have some heavyish curtains for the front windows, but they will need to be remade of something quilted or padded to help with insulation. I put some velcro tabs in just the right places to keep things tight and where they belong.

 

[MrNoodly]

^
Since you have your passenger seat removed, do you have a chair that you use inside the van or do you sit on the bed?

Yes, my bed is my "chair." A very comfortable one. Since it runs most of the length of the van, I can sit wherever I need to be.

 

[user 423]

I'm getting a larger fridge and will put it where the pass. seat is now like your setup. Trying to decide if I'll keep the seat though. Removing it and relocating the fridge will open up quite a bit of space at the rear of the van where I'll put in shelving. The reversed seat is nice to lounge in but the upholstery is pretty bad. Maybe I'll just keep the base so I can install a generic seat later in case I decide to sell the van.

 

[GntlStone]

 The reversed seat is nice to lounge in but the upholstery is pretty bad. Maybe I'll just keep the base so I can install a generic seat later in case I decide to sell the van.

Keep an eye out for Honda Oddessy second row seats. Known to be very comfortable and adaptable to front seat replacement usage as the have built in shoulder/lap belts. A pair of those and swivels will see you sitting pretty.