Once you have the cardboard templates from the right side windows, just trace the templates out on spare pieces of cardboard. That included the vehicle, all the title and registration fees, plus everything inside! Hey there! When wed pull them back, you could feel the heat on the glass that the cover was keeping out. Regardless, Im definitely happy I stumbled upon it and Ill be bookmarking it and checking back frequently! https://vanconversion.academy/courses/window-covers. Step#2 will go over how to measure the windows. Some DIY curtain designs will cause the curtain to hang from the rod a little too low, as shown below. how to hold the curtains taut against your vehicle side if you have windows that tilt outwards at the bottom. The window covers are held tight against the window frame all the way around, so even if your camper sides tilt outwards you dont have extra work to do, Can look aesthetically pleasing if you find fabric you like, When the window covers are removed, youll need a place to store them, this package* has sew-on loop/soft side to go against your fabric and adhesive hook/scratchy side to go against your camper, OR magnets (rare earth magnets are super strong! Umm, why?! Another option is to use the existing screws at the top corners of your window frames to add rod mounting hardware. However, blackout curtain liner is available by the yard and can be attached to fabric of your choosing. The average price (between the 4 companies) was $627. For blackout curtains: It is difficult to find blackout fabric with patterns or designs by the yard. Use lightweight fabric, as velcro to headliner isnt as secure of a bond. For our first campervan build, we were on a tight budget, so we went super simple. Many camper windows do. Remember those addicting snap bracelets that were popular in the late nineties? And the ones we picked out at Goodwill were in perfect shape. Use really lightweight fabric along with adhesive velcro. First, decide if youre attaching the fabric to your window frame or to your vehicle headliner. Happy DIYing, and happy camping! Its a bit more expensive, but it is SO much easier to slide the curtains on. This product is a reflective window insulation similar to windshield sun visors. Measure each of the windows and cut out pieces of cardboard to fit the dimensions, leaving one extra inch on all sides (its much easier to cut off pieces than try to reattach them). Nevermind, just my work connection Keep up the great work and thanks for the guidance! Theyre mounted across the top of the window frame using velcro, and bundling straps are held in place behind the velcro. To do this, slightly unscrew the two bottom window frame screws, then wrap wire around each screw head before tightening them back down.
The example below was submitted on instructables.com by azukibean. We are sharing exactly how we made our own budget-friendly campervan curtains as well as letting you in on some things we would change if we were to do it again. Your email address will not be published. Price check fabric options. Contact Us, DIY, how to, build, truck camping, interior. Hi there!!!
If your windows are tilted out like they are in many campers, your curtains will hang straight down into your living space. See our full disclosure.). They really do make a difference, and there are some great (small) companies out there that your purchase will support. Although its about our truck shell camper, the directions can be used to make diy car, suv, van, or campervan curtains. After reading through the basic bullet points above, you may already have an idea of which solution is going to be best for you. Psst! To do this, you can go to myPatreonpage to choose which level you would like to support me at! And before you ask, yes, you will need picture wire along the bottom of the window. Two Wandering Soles Copyright 2022. Once the glue is dry, place duct tape around all edges, making sure all sides are covered. Wait before you tape up the sides however. Since windows are a key point of heat loss, we decided to combat this. Some windows may be slightly different sizes, so be sure to measure each one individually. Whatever your situation, you will need some sort of window covering for your campervan. After marking them and cutting off the excess, tape up the rest of the edges. Looks like the link to (https://vanconversion.academy/courses/window-covers) is no longer active. Hey yall!
Now, pull the wire along the length of the window, keeping it super taut. However, if youd rather not feel like youre living inside of a spaceship, these fun and easy decorative shades are perfect for you! 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. Perhaps even a darker color sheet would have worked better in our case. When measuring to cut, write directly on the reflectix with permanent marker. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Van Life for all the answers to your most burning questions, or read some of our favorite articles below: Campervan Gear Essentials: The Ultimate Packing List, Inspiring Campervan Experts and Their Advice for You, Living in a Van: Road Trip Budget & Daily Costs of Vanlife, Van Life Q&A: All You Need To Know About Campervan Life. There were a few awkward moments when wed be pared somewhere and wed catch people trying to peek inside those gaps. 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. One of the major concerns of living on the road is safety. How To Make Roll-Up Camper Shell Curtains, The Best Memory Foam Truck Bed Mattress for Truck, Van, or SUV Camping, How to Cut Foam to Make the Perfect Camping Mattress, How to Install a Vent Fan in Your Truck Camper, 12 Truck Bed Camper Mistakes and How to Avoid Them. on How To Make Fun Blackout Shades for a Camper Van, 11 Things Ive Learned From Life on the Road. However, that does mean youll have to leave velcro on your car interior (which isnt the pretties to look at). ), this pack* would be good if you already have magnetic surfaces around your windows, this pack* would be good if you need to add magnetic surfaces (adhesive set and double the magnets), if using lightweight fabric, this style* would be strong enough, sewing machine and basic sewing kit (maybe!). I am so stoked about these that I created a tutorial so others can experience the game-changing magic of these window covers too! Get the plastic-coated kind! This will make your space look and feel smaller while letting extra light in, and theyll get in the way. Now thread the second half of the curtain. While they were good for keeping our van build budget to a minimum, they served only the most basic function they gave us some privacy. This would hold the curtain against the side of the camper, like in Ben's Chevrolet Silverado shown here. Storage Curtains: We also made a curtain for beneath the counter on our simple campervan kitchen so we could store our pots, pans, waste bucket, and water tanks. I thought my DIY curtains were pretty decent, but after discovering these insulated window covers, there is no going back for me! The key is ensuring the cardboard templates are cut big enough to pop into the groove against the window. So although we added curtains to a truck shell, these styles of DIY camper curtains can easily be applied to any camper setup. That said, making curtains is simpler and a bit cheaper. With all our materials cut out, its time to tape them together! I could have sworn Ive been to your blog before but after browsing through some of the articles I realized its new to me. They make my car feel so safe and cozy and I cant wait to get on the road and start adventuring!!
We bought 2 sheets from Goodwill for $3 each. Dont have a sewing machine? Thats not that much more expensive than making curtains (especially if you choose to go with a heavier fabric). Of course! If you have a campervan or RV, you will need to make curtains or window covers to block out the light (and give your tiny home added privacy, of course!). I bought a super budget-friendly Singer Start specifically for this project (and for future uses!) Is there somewhere else I should look for inspiration on insulated covers? Try borrowing one from a friend or family member, or ask in a local FB Group (Buy Nothing Groups are a great resource for this!). I know thats the let that takes the longest. Do you enjoy reading about all my travels and adventures?
Some people have a passenger van that has tons of windows that need covering (been there!). Im Meg, I like to make every day an adventure, dance the nights away, sing my heart out, explore everywhere, and live life to the absolute fullest! Fold the vertical edge over and sew it up on either side. In short, insulated window covers will be of higher quality and give you more benefits (insulation, total blackout, complete privacy) than simple curtains. different ways.
Youll need 2 pieces per window that stretch the horizontal length of the opening. There are a few other options that dont require new holes being drilled: For a truck shell camper, 4 tension rods* wedged between the top corners could be a quick way to hang curtains. The blinds are designed to sit against the window, and are held in place by the edges pressed against the window frame. As we mentioned earlier, making your own campervan curtains is certainly a bit cheaper and simpler than going with insulated window coverings. You could even use old ones you have lying around at home! 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!! We love our window covers and they are definitely game-changers when it comes to keeping your van cool in the summer and cozy in the winter. I would say in total, I spent about 6 hours on this project. You can buy reflectix in different size rolls online or from big-box hardware stores. Hint- opposing windows are the same shape and size, so only cut out one piece of cardboard for each pair of windows.
Moohah: With ethically-sourced fabrics, this family-run brand has the prettiest window coverings of the bunch (in our opinion! If you dont have the time (or patience!) After cutting the reflectix to size as described above, trace each piece onto your fabric, paying close attention to keeping your fabrics pattern level if it has one. So it might be worth the extra bit of money to upgrade to an insulated covering instead. Thanks for coming along for the adventure! You then use strips of velcro on the fabric or magnets in the hem to attach it to your existing vehicle headliner or onto your window frame, creating simple and effective window covers, as shown in this instructables photo posted by cstewart000. So, we decided to try to make something which would provided the privacy and heat necessary to make the adventure, fun! ABSOLUTELY! If youre still unsure, this is where were going to dive in deeper so you know whats involved with each option. If they are too big to fit into the windows, cut small slices off the ends until they are able to fit and stay up on their own. Remember: This only works if your cars windows are the same shape on the left and right sides. Window coverings are a very important part of your van build that often gets overlooked. If there are any gaps between the curtains, you can add velcro to close them. Now, your horizontal edges should be looking nice, but the vertical edge is still raw. I spent hours researching, plotting, and designing my own window coverings.
Think about needing to occasionally remove and clean them when youre considering how to mount them. Even with the sizable gaps we have in the photos above however, the blinds block out most of the outside light. And then there were two in between. Are there certain ones that work best or am I just doing it wrong? Place your fabric underside-up on the table youre working on. With the thrift store sheets, thread, picture wire, screws, and velcro, we spent a total of $26 for all our curtains. from the front of the car. But with these magnetic window covers, theres no gappage (is that a word?!) I was wondering how you screwed into the metal? Yes, you will need to have access to a sewing machine. This means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. All while still feeling safe and secure! First,cut a small hole in the outer edge of each corner of the fabric with scissors into which you can insert the wire. Required fields are marked *. If this is the case, curtains mounted only at the top as traditionally done will hang straight down into your living space.
This is a fun and practical way to add a splash of color to your interior while concealing those not-so-pretty things. Excited to dig in . Using a drill, put screws in the 4 corners of each window, only screwing them in halfway. Since they were so lightweight, it makes sense that they didnt do a very good job of blocking out light. Let us know in the comments below! Repeat this process on the bottom edge. This tutorial will walk you through all the steps so you can make beautiful & functional window coverings on your very first try! And they did absolutely nothing for controlling the temperature inside our van. What we came up with, were insulated car window blackout covers.
This allows you to open them more easily, and you simply pull them to the middle when youd like them closed. Do not use a sewing machine to sew adhesive/sticky velcro to anything - it will gunk up your machine! This is something you could always upgrade later on. Now, drill the screw in until it is firmly in place and holding the wire. When mounted, this creates a cleaner look, as both the velcro pieces and the frame will be covered by the fabric. You may find a magnetic surface like your window frame screw heads, or you could use adhesive magnets against your vehicle (linked in material list). ), but theyre also the most expensive. Your email address will not be published. But, we werent going to let the low temps get us down. (True story!) Using the tape measure and pencil, make two markings: The first marking should be 1/2 inch from the top, The second marking should be 1 inch from the top, Fold the fabric over so the crease is on the 1/2-inch mark. Youll find all the materials listed above. Once all the pieces of fabric are cut out, spray adhesive glue onto the Reflectix and press on fabric. The only teeny drawback is that it can be hard to wake up since it stays so dark inside! See images below. We got quotes from 4 different companies, and by making them ourselves we saved a whopping $540.58! The absolute cheapest quote we saw was $460 for the 4 window covers (heres that company if you want to check them out!). We kept this curtain open during the day, but closed it at night to block out lights and give us privacy.
Dont forget to add 2 inches to the vertical height of the window, and two inches to the horizontal length of the window. Ensure that the pieces of cardboard you select are larger than the windows in your car. Thats totally fine! Thanks for your support! Some of these options would allow the curtains to slide open and closed more easily than others. Now, thread the wire curtain through the tunnel you created in the fold of the fabric. Now, sew a straight line near the 1-inch mark, to create a tunnel for the wire to be strung through.
I accidentally did this with my first attempt and had to start over. Here are a few different ways to address that problem: * Tip - Check if your window frame screw heads are magnetic, and if not, check out these magnets* that adhere to your frame. Again, its significantly easier to cut away extra than trying to reconnect pieces. Again, the amount you need will depend on how many curtains you need to make. Thanks to quarantine, Ive now been able to make that dream a reality! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Example: Heavy fabric will not stay in place with adhesive velcro. Or purchasing premade blackout curtains and cutting them to size may require less time, effort, and money.
at all. Consider the weight of the fabric and the method youre using to mount the curtain.
Shop around and see which ones are best for your van: Xplr Outfitters: The least expensive option weve found for buying pre-made van window covers. As always, thanks for reading, and please SUBSCRIBE! But thats what alarms are for, right?!
The curtains gapped a little at the edges and they were also pretty lightweight, meaning at night our shadows could be seen through them. We have TONS of resources on converting your own campervan and #vanlife in general. We are definitely getting these, I told Ben when we began our second campervan build. Applying short strips every foot or so should do the trick. If youre wondering how to make camper curtains for your truck shell, car, suv, van, or campervan - youve landed in the right spot! By accessing or using this site you are indicating your consent to and agreement with the: Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Affiliate Disclosure, Powered by a Toyota 22R | 2022, takethetruck unless otherwise noted. Everyone has a different window situation with their van. If I can make these, you can too! Thats just under $22 per cover an absolute STEAL compared to what youd pay to have them made for you. Going this route can allow you to use a heavier weight fabric. Add a small piece of Velcro to each window cover and window to make sure they will stay up, even after months of use.
