Article from craftyjournal.com. We currently specialize in top-quality window shades for Sprinters, Promasters, and quickly expanding to Transit vans. They make a huge difference if the sun is shining on the passenger side of the vehicle. I recommend working with Reflectix in the shade, as the reflection from the sun can be blinding. The flat sheet first has a tab cut at the base, which is folded up. I used spray adhesive to cover the inside surface of the Reflectix with muslin, an inexpensive strong cloth available anywhere material is sold. Ive written before about using Reflectix to add insulation to your refrigerator or cooler see that article here. We made dual-sided window coverings for our van conversion: Reflectix on one side and black canvas fabric on the reverse. The corners can be left square or cut rounded whichever you prefer. What youll need: Roll of Reflectix (25ft x 24in was more than enough for my Ford Escape) Ok everybody, its arts & crafts time, grab your supplies! The Eurcamper shades installed in And if desired the window can be left open with the Reflectix in place. We recently completed some upgrades which included sewing fabric to our current reflectix panels. Placing the Reflectix on the inside of your RV windows, especially when its scorching hot outside, can cause the window to heat up to the point of cracking. I live where it gets hot in the summer! Enter Reflectix. The template is then laid into the Reflectix and traced the edges with a marker; I then cut about 1-cm. The curtain has a small empty pocket which extends above the rod. However, if youd rather not feel like youre living inside of a spaceship, these fun and easy decorative shades are perfect for you! An excellent window cover would be the combination of Reflectix and bubble wrap mentioned earlier and recommend for use on the outside of your RVs windows. Step 2 - Cut the Material. August 13, 2019 at 8:41 am. Trace cardboard on Reflectix material. 1. So make sure to use plenty of them all around (we used 9 round magnets per cover for the rear doors, 12 for the slider door, 3 for each driver/passenger door) and make sure not to use a thick fabric over the magnets (we wished we used a slightly thinner fabric, the black border you see on our insulated window covers is quite thick). The interior temperature dropped immediately! I made the window covers using Reflectix insulation (available at your local Lowe's home improvement store) backed with an ironing board cover with special aluminized coating and padding (available at Joann Craft Store). Supplies 1 roll of Reflectix 48x 25 The gaskets around the active window are too tight to use as shade retention. In the second video I show you how to make an upgraded curtain. In that time, we made seven custom RV window shades for the camper van: three for the front and four for the back. A car sunshade, placed over the windshield on the inside, keeps a car cooler on sunny days. Tip: I recommend working with Reflectix in I suppose one can buy window shades online, but I happened to have a bit of Reflectix left over and was in the DIY mood. Today, as the mid-day sun was starting to make the interior uncomfortable, I installed the reflective insulation on the inside of my windshield. Window shade side track . Automobile sunshades also protect the car interior from sun damage. If you want to do an inside mount, follow the rest of the steps in this article. If you have ever placed a metallic accordion shade on your dashboard to keep your car cool during the summertime, you have used Reflectix. The EZ Snap RV window shade is encapsulated thermo-weave which does not fray. But, simple as these Reflectex shades are, they provide privacy and also some useful insulation for cold nights or hot days. Slip the battens in the material on the backside of the reflectix. Homemade window covers are another great way to insulate your RVs windows against heat loss in the winter or to keep heat out in the summer. I used newspapers to make window templates. How to Make Reflectix Shades. Heres how Reflectix bubble wrap insulation works. Close Window Shades and Add Black-Out Curtains. All products are handmade to [] Thank you so much! One inch dowel and half inch conduit . Windows are the climate control weak point of the van, plus they need to be covered at night to sleep comfortably.The black canvas faces outwards at night and completely blocks light in and out no one outside can see lights on in our van. So, special edge preparation isnt required. These diy window shades provide insulation, privacy, and keep the outside oblivious of the happenings on the inside. Thanks for your interest in our products. Ingredients. Use newspaper to . Window Treatment. The Reflectix bubble insulation can be purchased in a roll (7.5 m x 0.5 m, or 25 ft x 2 ft), allowing you to make several reflective panels; or you can buy a pre-cut length in some home improvement stores. Reflectix has caused a lot For our purposes, we want to reverse this effect. Overview . When parking your car in a hot parking lot, the first thing you usually do is put up one of those handy reflective window shades. Insulated window coverings can decrease heat loss in either direction. This is a simple DIY project that should take less than one hour. RV Window Shades. If you arent planning on covering windows with reflective insulation, make sure that all window blinds are closed during the day and add black-out curtains to further block sun from hitting the windows and heating the interior of the RV. Eventually we will upgrade these basic covers to include better thermal insulation and some nylon fabric. For more easy projects for the home, check out my post on recaulking cracked staircase stringers, installing a peel-and-stick glass tile backsplash, and creating a drawer organizer for spices!. Test out fit in window. Trace plastic onto Reflectix. These insulating window shades made from Reflectix insulation were described on a post to the Yahoo Solar Heat Group. They slide in grooves in the window molding to make for an efficient seal. Custom RV Window Shades. How to Make Insulated Window Coverings. Its probably more, but Im being conservative. This product is a reflective window insulation similar to windshield sun visors. This particular reflector panel is a 1 m x 1.5 m (3 ft x 2 ft) panel. Curtains seem like they could be a good idea, except that hanging them is a huge hassle, as is finding/making curtains that are suitably dark/light-blocking for privacy use. Spread out your beautiful roll of patterned fabric. One of those projects was reflectix window covers with some basic insulation. 1 XLG large window shade Reflectix This is a simple DIY project that should take less than one hour. You can make your own window cover with some Reflectix or purchase one already pre-measured for RVs on Amazon and in stores. I knew I was going to use a material called Reflectix (basically a metallic bubble-wrap used in housing insulation, Heres a link to the one I bought) and I would wrap the Reflectix in some kind of fabric to make it more appealing to look at from the inside and indistinguishable from the window Window Coverings. My reflectix window shades easily pop into each window. Watch the video below to see how we got crafty to make this custom solution. Down it came by at least a good 10 degrees. Apply maximum strength duct tape, hot-dog-style, around edges of window shade to secure fabric. Plus yours are prettier. You can make your own accordion sunshade and personalize it with a one-of-a-kind design. However, one of the most effective ways to improve insulation for your windows is to use bubble wrap with a layer of foil (also known as Reflectix) on either side. One of the upstairs rooms has 3 enormous west facing windows so the hot afternoon sun bakes this room for several hours each day. One of the easiest and most affordable options is buying a roll of Reflectix and fitting each piece to your windows. Custom Reflectix Window Coverings. Use the shades for DIY window insulation and to block light. Whether coming in or going out, a substantial amount of heat moves through a window. These are some of the benefits of having reflective window covers in your RV (and in the car) over the summer. The Reflectix shades in back are intended to be a temporary solution until we can make or have made some fabric shades. I was just hanging my husbands shirts over the blinds for a while there =P I bet theyll turn out great! Right now Ive just hung up black fleece over the window shades, but its such a pain to put them off and on. A roll of Reflectix can be cut into inserts to fit any RV window. To keep the light and heat out of your camper, you can use the same idea. Window covers will keep the interior cooler. Your welcome! Add duct tape pieces to Reflectix for glue spots (Prius Stealth Camper warned that hot glue does not stick to Reflectix - may depend on type of hot glue used). We bought rolls of Reflectix, which are basically the material that the auto windshield shades are made from and cheaper than the shades (it can be hard to find outside the US, hence using windshield shades). How to Insulate Windows from the Summer Sun Cheaply! When the curtain is pulled closed, that extra material blocks light gaps at the top of the rod. Cut out Reflectix with box cutters or razor blade (scissors did not work well). DIY Camper Window Cover Option #1: Reflectix. The idea behind the thermal part of these shades is actually pretty simple: think of a giant potholder. Measure the window and figure out if you want to have the shades fit inside or outside the window frame. You can buy reflectix in different size rolls online or from big-box hardware stores. Reply. When choosing this method, you cut the reflectix to the size of the windows and wedge it in the tracks. In that time, we made seven custom RV window shades for the camper van: three for the front and four for the back. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 for every window. If you use your fingertips and eyes, you can tell the places where you can stuff the Reflectix under the trim, the active window (that goes up and down) does NOT have a place to stuff it under. Trim plastic as needed for better fit. Yes! Here was my process: After unscrewing and removing my window shades and curtains and cleaning my windows with a microfiber rag wet with water, followed by a dry microfiber rag (which beats Windex at streak free glass cleaning, by the way), I held up the plexiglass to the window I planned to coverand immediately realized I had forgotten to take into account the curved corners of the window. The kit came with a white pencil to aid in marking out my cuts. With some reflectix, magnets and duct tape we were able to make some tight-fitting and surprisingly simple window covers. Use a Dehumidifier if Camping in Humid Locations Make the curtain much wider (add 3 feet) than you think you will need. This approach of putting the Reflectix between the window and screen could work on the big Dodge rear window, Cover the silver side of window shade in Adhesive Spray. The Crazy Outdoor Mama says. Our mission is to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter with the highest quality and most practical shades on the market today. Then put it The window shade mesh material is easily cut with a sharp pair of scissors.