Window coverings and curtains

[lab_nomad]

I’m thinking at this time, since I’m not full-timing, it makes sense to use something that keeps people from looking in and keeps the light out. So, I’m leaning toward black foam like people say they get in the dollar store, or cardboard covered with black tape of some sort. When I’m boondocking or otherwise not needing to be stealthy, I’ll use reflectix.

I’m attaching pics of my windows. I’m wondering what the best way to do this is. Since the window doesn’t have plastic all the way around it, i.e. the headliner is at the top, then maybe the best thing is to cut the coverings ever so slightly larger than the window and just shove them in versus making them larger and using Velcro or magnets or whatever to stick them on. Any other thoughts?

And I’m trying to figure out how to hang a curtain to separate front and back. I do have handles on either side and there’s the control thingy for the middle vents. So, I thought about using Velcro on the back of that thing so that the curtain will at least be up tight in the middle. Maybe a bungee or paracord strung between the handles? I don’t want to do anything involving putting something into the headliner. I don’t know why. I guess since I don’t know what the heck is underneath it, I don’t want to mess with it. Any thoughts about that?

 

[BelgianPup]

I don't know what the black foam is, but if it's made of rubber or plastic-type material, it tends to degrade in sunlight.

Why not make a close-fitting paper pattern of the windows, and transfer it to cardboard. Leave a cardboard "thumb" sticking out on each side so you can use them to pull the cardboard out if you want light. Paint the outside of the cardboard black. Press into the window frame.

 

[visitorfromsomewhere]

I empathize. I initially wanted back windows but could not find a van with back windows. So I settled for no windows with a plan to try to find a trade later. Now I like it.

I put curtains just directly behind the seats. A shower rod from the major retail store worked just fine and two curtains. There's broom holders that are meant to be drilled into walls. I improvised and affixed magnets to the back of them. The broom holder magnets to the van and hold the shower rod (works better than curtain rod).

 

[visitorfromsomewhere]

Maybe use clips but be careful not to damage fabric. Clips like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYB73N...abc_H15H8ZX3HTXM6942HAYT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I used to be in an SUV and I got fabric from a store and just clipped the fabric in the wedge area between the SUV ceiling and wall.

I hope you find a best solution for you

 

[lab_nomad]

I don't know what the black foam is, but if it's made of rubber or plastic-type material, it tends to degrade in sunlight.

Why not make a close-fitting paper pattern of the windows, and transfer it to cardboard.  Leave a cardboard "thumb" sticking out on each side so you can use them to pull the cardboard out if you want light.  Paint the outside of the cardboard black.  Press into the window frame.

Good idea. I got plenty of cardboard lying around (Amazon junkie). I could also decorate the “inside” of the cardboard so it’ll be pleasant to look at.

Some of my windows are pretty large. Newspaper for drawing the pattern?

 

[lab_nomad]

Minivan Lee on YouTube has blackout curtains at her windows, but she somehow has them put into the rubber part at the top of the window, but in the video I saw, she neglected to mention how she got them in there. I’m a little leery of messing with that rubber.

 

[B and C]

Rubber is soft and pliable unlike plastic. Pull the upper edge back and stuff the curtain in.

 

[lab_nomad]

Rubber is soft and pliable unlike plastic.  Pull the upper edge back and stuff the curtain in.

 
But I feel like things like that have a shelf life, so to speak, and it's not meant to have something shoved between it and the glass and may get to the point where it doesn't lay flat anymore or something.

 

[user 30781]

I started a thread about window coverings earlier this month and there were a lot of ideas in it. Maybe something in there will catch your fancy.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=42619

 

[lab_nomad]

I’m just irritated b/c I don’t want to do anything that might be permanent, especially if I do it wrong the first time and leave a “scar.” I’m also irritated b/c I know that whatever I do, I’ll realize later how I could do it better and will feel like I have wasted money/time.

And I read suggestions online and watch people’s YouTube videos, and then when I go look at my van, I’m like, “I don’t remember anything I saw/read/listened to.”

Grrr.

 

[user 30781]

I'm not doing anything permanent because I bought a '97 Grand Caravan in November with 133k miles on it and I have no idea how much longer it's going to last. If it were new(er), I'd go ahead and make some nice Reflectix window coverings or even buy some from Weather Tech or Heat Shield. This is why I'm going with using fine straight pins to pin something to the headliner and blue painters tape to attach to plastic. Straight pins don't leave a mark in the headliner, which I wanted to avoid because the interior of this minivan is pristine. A stack of dollar store tablecloths and a pack of straight pins was about $10, so I'm happy about that. Plus, I won't be full time, at least not for a couple years at the earliest.

All the Youtubes I watched eventually made my head spin. I must have watched 30 different videos on how to hang privacy curtains and cover windows. By the time I made my thread I felt pretty desperate. lol

 

[lab_nomad]

Thanks for this reply.  Good to know that pins don’t mark the headliner. Blue painters tape! I forgot about that. I have a 2019 DGC, and I hope to have it for a long time, but I still don’t want to make any marks on it. If I knew it would work the first time, I wouldn’t necessarily mind having something glued on or screwed in.  I’m reasonably handy when I set my mind to it, but I can suffer from analysis paralysis. 

I’ll check out the companies you mentioned. That might be the answer. Thanks!  :heart:

 

[lab_nomad]

Wanderingsoul, thanks so much! :heart:  :heart: I just went and looked at both businesses, and Weathertech is the winner! They have silver on one side and black on the other, and the price is doable. Heatshield only had black with gold. My van is silver. It offends my sensibilities to mix gold and silver. Plus Weathertech was a bit cheaper.

Yay! Knowing the windows will be taken care of without too much angst is calming me down immensely! I was in a strange crabby mood today, and now I’m feeling better. Although I did eat an entire box of taquitos and drank a liter of iced tea, so it could be that. 

 

[user 30781]

Oh good! Yeah, if I had a new van I'd probably go with them too. I'm glad you're feeling calmer!

 

[Granny]

I bought a cloth shower curtain to separate front seats from back. I bought bungee cords to put it up. I don't want anything permanent because I  plan on camping part time. As far as the side windows and back window, I am thinking about  black foam board with cheap , Dollar Tree,  silver windshield visors glued to them to face inside. Black facing out looks like tinted windows.

 

[user 30781]

That sounds good! I used a bungee cord for my privacy curtains behind the front seats too.

Man, dollar stores have so much good stuff you can repurpose. My youngest daughter can walk into a dollar store and look at something and see 20 different uses for it. I can't do that. lol

 

[lab_nomad]

My window coverings arrived today! They are soooo nice. They are black on one side and silver on the other (from Weathertech). I highly recommend them if someone can spare the funds. They are marked so you know what window they go in. I did not know that you could get ready-made coverings. Thanks to wanderingsoul for mentioning this. You just tell them the year, make, and model of vehicle. Easy peasy.

 

[user 30781]

Wow, that was fast!! Glad you like them! I kinda wish my minivan was newer/with less miles so I could feel right about ordering a set. lol