Window Coverings

[von_jonah]

I'm planning on having the windows tinted a little bit in my Pinto before I take off but I don't want the tint too dark. I don't want to be in violation of any states tint laws, plus I already have a hard time seeing out of my car at night. I don't need any help haha. Anyway, what are some thick materials that y'all have used to cover windows when parked?

 

[Seraphim]

In our van, we used white ABS sheet plastic, velcroed over the windows.&nbsp; We never needed it, but a dark insulating material could be glued to the plastic on the window side, giving a dark appearance from the outside&nbsp;and acting as insulation.&nbsp; We liked the white material inside beside a small light source would reflect better on the interior.&nbsp; Just our preference.<br><br>In your Pinto, it might be difficult to store when you take them off the winows, unless you had a flat place to store them.&nbsp; We made the piece for the windshield in two sections, then taped it with duct tape so we could fold it when not in use.<br><br>

 

[Suanne]

I've used several types of window coverings in my Prius hatchback, including fleece, Duvytene, and Reflectix.&nbsp; I've described below how I've used each of these materials.&nbsp; It's lengthy and detailed ... but, I hope I've done an OK job of describing it so that it's understandable&nbsp;... and that it's helpful to you.<br><br>The Reflectix is a thin insulating material with tin foil on both sides of bubble wrap. I've used it plain; and I've also used it with black material glued to the outside for stealth. It has enough stiffness that if you cut it a little larger than the shape of each window, it'll wedge in and stay put without any additional help. The down side is that it takes up quite a bit of room in a small vehicle like a Pinto (or Prius). Plus, it's kind of a hassle, for my lazy self, to put up, take down and roll away. The up side is that it provides insulation on chilly nights.<br><br>Duvytene is a material that is used in the theater for black backgrounds. The soft side absorbs light real well. When looking in from the outside, when the Duvytene is hung, it just looks like an empty car or darkly tinted windows. The same is true of the black&nbsp;fleece. The fleece stretches, but&nbsp;the Duvytene does not. The Duvytene ravels (and should have a sewn hem), but the fleece does not ravel. The Duvytene wrinkles,&nbsp;and the fleece doesn't wrinkle. The Duvytene is cotton and the fleece is polyester.&nbsp; Both are lightweight.<br><br>I started out using black fleece curtains onto which&nbsp;I glued a long strip of Velcro to the top (the hook side). The Velcro would stick good enough to the headliner to hold the curtains up. I have 4 curtains, 1 just behind the front seats, 1 just in front of the hatch, and 2 for the back windows. When hung, if you looked into the back hatch window, you could see the bed. But, both the tinted windows and the black sheet over the bed make it difficult to see that there is actually a bed inside.<br><br>But, just like the Reflectix, the Velcro'ed fleece&nbsp;was a hassle to hang up, take down and put away (in a stuff sack) each night and morning.&nbsp; I wanted easy.&nbsp; I wanted curtains that I could just draw closed at night and tie back in the morning.<br><br>So, I got some black bungee cord and made a&nbsp;curtain rod from it.&nbsp; I strung it from 4 anchor points inside of the car --&nbsp;2 at the&nbsp;front corners (using the handles above the doors) and 2 at each back corner (using the struts for the hatch) -- making a rectangle-shaped "curtain rod."&nbsp; I cut 2&nbsp;very wide curtains from the duvytene.&nbsp; One curtain would be tied back at the driver's side of the hatch and, when drawn, stretch across the back (just in front of the hatch)&nbsp;as well as cover the driver's side back passenger window.&nbsp; The other long curtain would be tied back just behind the front passenger window.&nbsp; When drawn, it would&nbsp;hang just behind both front seats and cover the passenger's side back window.&nbsp; When tied back, these curtains do not obstruct my view for driving.&nbsp; I hung the curtains so that they would slide on the bungee cord using small safety pins attached to the Duvytene.&nbsp; <br><br>The good thing about this set up was that it was easier to put up and take down.&nbsp; But, the unhemmed Duvytene raveled and looked raggedy, and the safety pins were not strong enough for daily use.&nbsp; Plus, the safety pins were starting to make holes in the Duvytene.<br><br>So, now I'm back to the black polyester fleece, also cut into 2 very wide curtains, and tied back at the 2 corners like I did with the Duvytene.&nbsp; At the top of each of the long curtains, I put in&nbsp;grommets&nbsp;which align&nbsp;to the anchor points for the bungee cord.&nbsp; At each of the bungee cord's anchor points&nbsp;I put an "S" hook that I slip the grommet onto when I draw the curtains.&nbsp; I use the bungee cord "curtain rod" to lay the top of the curtain over to hold it closer to the ceiling.&nbsp; So far, this is the easiest and&nbsp;cleanest looking solution to date.<br><br>FYI:&nbsp; I got my black fleece from cutting up blankets purchased at thrift stores.&nbsp; The Duvytene was a real find on craigslist for free.&nbsp; The yards of bungee cord were purchased off of eBay.&nbsp; And, I think everything else was purchased from Walmart.<br><br>BTW: When I had a Pinto hatchback many years ago, I wish that I would have done what you are about to do.<br><br>If you want any more info or pics of anything specific let me know.<br><br>The best to you as you get your Pinto ready to live out of.<br><br>Suanne

 

[von_jonah]

Thanks both of you! Those are some great ideas to get me ready. The fleece&nbsp;should&nbsp;definitely be no problem since I frequent thrift stores.<br><br>And yep, I love my Pinto! At this point I wouldn't trade it for&nbsp;anything.

 

[Tobias]

<p>anyone ever try this?</p><p>http://www.blackoutez.com/<br><br>i have it on my windows at hom... going to put it on my camper unless someone can suggest better. Its exp and doesnt work as well as advertised but is prety good still and can be easily removed and put back on.</p>

 

[hyperslug]

I like the idea Suanne is using with surrounding curtains though I am not a big fan of fleece and it's hair clinging properties since I travel with a dog. I have been thinking of a similar solution but using 1" synthetic insulation sewn between fabrics as the curtain. If you run it to the bottom of the side walls and seal the top of the curtain to the wall it should insulate quite well. Anyone tried this?

 

[Suanne]

anyone ever try this?&nbsp;<a href="http://www.blackoutez.com" rel="nofollow"> http://www.blackoutez.com</a>/

<br><br>That looks like cool stuff.&nbsp; I'm wondering if you could get curtain insulating fabric at the store for cheaper tho'.&nbsp; In the video he said that the velcro that comes with it sticks through heat and moisture, but I'd definately want to test it out for a year of living in a vehicle to make sure.&nbsp; The gorilla glue that I use to attach my velcro (for window screens)&nbsp;is even failing after a couple of years.&nbsp; For stealth, I'm wondering if it would make more sense to face the black side outside and the white side facing inside.&nbsp; Having white inside would make it feel bigger too.&nbsp; <br><br>Thanks for sharing.&nbsp; We all have different needs and priorities and it's good to know that we have lots of options to choose from.<br><br>Happy Trails, Suanne

 

[HomeOnWheel]

I been living full time in hatchback for more than a year and use Windows Sox from eBay for windows. At night I can put windows down for fresh air and stealth parking. Very hard to see from outside but from inside easy. I cover back window with one way vision sticker from eBay and always park in undercover parking area. I am so lazy to put and down windows cover every day so this setup is good for me. 

 

[USExplorer]

I have tinted windows in the back of my SUV, so I am not picky about window coverings. Of course, when I am stealth camping, I don't use any coverings. When I camp at Walmart, I use squares of tarp strung through a stiff wire at the top. The wire hangs from a couple of hooks screwed into the plastic over the windows. The tarps roll around the wires when not in use and stow away easily. They cost next to nothing and are super easy to make.

 

[GotSmart]

I cut out some thin wood panels, spray painted them black and used shelf pegs to hold them in place.  The Dodge side windows have a thick rubber trim that seals it perfectly. They install and come out in seconds.

This was the first set I made. I made a second set that fits perfectly.

 

[phaux]

I've been living out of my ford taurus station wagon for a few months now and have gone through a couple of methods of window privacy.  First I used some adhesive velcro to attach a set of cheap black sheets to the windows (bought at walmart).  It did what I wanted it to do, but was a pain in the ass to have to velcro up each night, and eventually the adhesive on the back of the velcro strips wore off resulting in a couple uncomfortable nights. 

After the velcro failed, I ripped off a few panels on the interior in order to string up a few lines of hemp.  Then I simply hung the same black sheets over the hemp and called it a night.  This was functional for the time, but because of the distance from the window to the curtains, was not ideal.  The hemp needed constant adjustments and the curtains would sometimes, in the night, get kicked off leaving me exposed in some parking lot.  Also, since the curtains weren't flush with the windows, I noticed quite a bit of lost moving room in the already small interior of my wagon.  

Finally I tried crafting a couple of cheap cardboard cut outs, spray-painted black on one side, compressed into the windowsills of my car.  This is what I've been using as of late, and it is lovely thus far.  My moving space is maximized, they never come unlodged in the night, and from the outside of the car at night they look great.  Next I think I'll make a more permanent version out of a higher quality material.

 

[debit.servus]

I cut out some thin wood panels, spray painted them black and used shelf pegs to hold them in place.  The Dodge side windows have a thick rubber trim that seals it perfectly. They install and come out in seconds.

This was the first set I made. I made a second set that fits perfectly.

     I actually attempted something like this, cutting some thin wood panels larger than the window as to block all light. I taped them up temporarily with masking tape because I knew no decent way to mount the blackout panels. I ended up scrapping the idea but still have the panels stored somewhere. If you're in the San Jose, CA area or will pay for shipping you can have the blackout panels (after I find them)!

    Currently using black construction paper cut so it fits against the glass and black craft foam board for the rectangular portion rear camper-style windows. The black construction paper has shrunk in area and the black craft foam board has warped a bit but still does it's job. For securing the foam board, aluminum foil duct tape (like insulation tape) was used on the "windowsill" above the slide-open portion of the camper-style windows.  It hasn't come unstuck but has loosened with the craft foam board warping. The black construction paper and black craft foam board was acquired at DOLLAR TREE.

     Currently looking at other options including using the cheap black sheet method described in this thread and putting cut plactic tarp on the glass itself and sticking it somehow.

Finally I tried crafting a couple of cheap cardboard cut outs, spray-painted black on one side, compressed into the windowsills of my car.  This is what I've been using as of late, and it is lovely thus far.  My moving space is maximized, they never come unlodged in the night, and from the outside of the car at night they look great.  Next I think I'll make a more permanent version out of a higher quality material.

Cardboard blackout panels! Genius! Low cost, easy to fashion & looks great from the outside with a black coat of paint! This is now on the van mod list. My goal is to have the back of the van pitch black inside in broad daylight outside. Why is 100% blackout so difficult????

 

[compassrose]

Black sheets fade quickly and turn either a purplish grey or something worse. Have you thought of using the blackout thermal curtain liner material? I have seen it by the yard at Hobby Lobby. I'm sure it is available at other places that sell fabric by the yard as well. The white should help keep heat gain down yet it is "black out" and will block interior/exterior light. If you have square/rectangular windows you can put the material in DIY screen frames. You will probably need to go with a smaller spline than what the frame is grooved for. I know that was my problem when I replaced the fiberglass screening in the interior screen doors with painters canvas.

 

[SoulRaven]

Some of the store bought window screens and curtains use suction cups to hold them to the glass...

 

[Silver]

"black craft foam board was acquired at DOLLAR TREE"

Great tip ! thanks !

 

[Numpty]

Years back I was working surveillance work out of my own van. The rear section needed to be completely blacked out.

For window coverings I used a plastic board I think it's called 'hollow board'. It has 2 plastic skins with small hollow tubes filling the space in between, they use them as advertising signs for real estate FOR SALE signs.

So I acquired a few of those at no cost, cut panels to fit the windows snugly.
Then glued silver roofing sisilation foil to both sides of the panels.

Next step was to find some black fabric that didn't have any shiney shimmer to it, so that from the outside the windows just looked darkly tinted, if they looked like windows with a black curtain, that would be a give away.

The best I found was 'felt' black felt, it has a very matt appearance.
So i glued the felt over the insulation foil with spray glue and just pushed the panels into place.
From the outside you couldn't pick it and it worked well.

The downside to a black material finish is that it absorbs a lot of heat when in sunshine, but no problem in the shade.
Also used black felt for the curtain to section off the rear area.


So if you are really wanting stealth take a look at how surveillance vans are set up.

Just thought I might share that with you, cheers gang.

 

[66788]

Black felt over reflectix is an old standard use for us on this forum. Black side out winter, silver side out summer.

Black side out gives a limo tint appearance from the outside, yet blocks all the light from coming in or going out.