SILVERSCREENS INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL ?

[dmurton]

What is best if anyone can advise internal or external silverscreens and when to use them.

Does thos also stop condensation ? or is that just poor ventilation.

[RogerC]

External every time.  We had internal ones delivered with our MH from new and had a lot of condensation problems.  After some research we bought external ones from 'Silverscreens' with the fold down centre section and hey presto no more condensation.  They are easy to fit and stow in the supplied bag.

 

There will be those who say internal ones are best if you need to make a 'quick getaway' but IMO that's 'wild west' thinking.  Others will say they are a pain to fit/remove in the rain.  Well I would rather get a little wet than have all that condensation running into my dashboard.

 

We also noticed that the MH stays much warmer in winter and cooler in summer.......so yes 'Silverscreens' external everytime for us.

 

[globebuster]

External October through to April

The externals with the fold down flap are great.

 

Internals in the warmer months, quick and easy.

[bazooka]

External for no condensation.

Baz

[Sydney1]

Tried both. External every time for me

[Rayjsj]

Agree, Externals every time, Taylormade or Silverscreens, both as good as each other, had both.No complaints. Found internals a pain, and they leave 'circle' sticker marks on the windscreen.

No condensation with Externals. And they come with a handy 'Stuff bag' so don't take up much room. Ray

[Zydeco Joe]

Again a vote for Silver Screens. Used one over a 6 week France and Spanish trip over Christmas and New Year plus even last Saturday in all the snow and cold damp conditions with not condensation. Get a set sorted....

[FRANKP60]

External ,use it in winter and summer,Tried just pulling cab curtains and had heating on condensation was terrible .In summer keeps sun and heat out ,have screen with drop down front so can still see out.

[Keithl]

But INTERNAL for me!

 

I wouldn't want the hassle of taking off soaking wet external screens and then having to find somewhere to put them to dry.

We find we get very little condensation with our internal screens and what we do get is wiped up in a few seconds with a chamois.

 

Keith.

[laimeduck]

Externals - so easy & efficient - no condensation inside (an old towel to dry them if wet) :-D

[JamesFrance]

I remember visiting the Silverscreen stand at a Stratford-on-Avon show in about 1995 with the intention of buying a set of internal screens. Their chap was so determined to persuade me that externals were what I wanted that I walked away and bought what I actually did want from the Taylors, very good they were too. It all depends what you want them for.

[JohnP]

External ones every time. If you have to remove them when they are wet, shake most of the water off and just slip it into a bin bag or place in the shower area.

[lennyhb]

External every time easy enough to store in the shower if wet.

[Overdrive]

External Silverscreens everytime.

 

Have so far had no condensation, but snapped 3 radio ariels due to strong winds whipping the cover off the windscreen and catching on the ariel.

 

David

[Iain Strachan]

If you want, suction sticker marks all over your windscreen, and still to have condensation, internal! But if you want no condensation and a warm cab buy a set of External Silver Screens they're great.

Cheers

[rupert123]

Neither, never use them now, I have a set of external for sale on ebay if anyone interested.

[lancepar]

My tuppenny worth is that I like my internals, when taken down I clean/dry the screen with a shammy leather, this removes the sucker marks and ensures the screen is nice and visually clear for driving.

Also I don't need to get any wetter if it's raining/snowing on arrival or departure, putting them up or removing them.

If they have any moisture on when removed, a wipe over with a towel and then stored on the over cab bed.

Pros and cons for both types.

B-)

[dencol]

tried both and would go for external for the reason other posters have given. The only drawback is taking wet screen down and storing them but worth the effort.

 

The only change I would make to mine is to get a set with a drop down window section. I tend to leave the screens on all day if staying on site but miss being able to see what is going on around the site. also fine on hot sunny days they can help to keep temp down in the van

 

[Bulletguy]

dmurton - 2013-03-26 12:37 PM

 

What is best if anyone can advise internal or external silverscreens and when to use them.

Does thos also stop condensation ? or is that just poor ventilation.

 

Poor ventilation. The condensation you hear people talk about is not due to the type of screens at all. It's because they don't vent their van properly. If you shut all windows and vents.....you will get condensation without any kind of screen covering simply because as the outside air cools, if the heat from inside the vehicle has no way of circulating, condensation will form on the windows. That sometimes occurs with my car when i've parked it up in the drive and forgot to leave the vents open. Exactly the same applies to any van.

 

I've used both types of screens;

 

EXTERNAL 'PROS'

 

Slightly better insulation for cold weather use than internal.

 

EXTERNAL 'CONS'

 

Can only be used externally so if you park up for the night and it's peeing down with rain......tough. You are going to get wet!

 

Cannot be removed without unlocking and exiting the van in order to move off. Find yourself in an 'awkward' situation....and this could prove a problem.

 

More expensive than internal.

 

INTERNAL 'PROS'

 

Fit from inside the van so weather does not matter.

 

Van doors can remain locked at all times.

 

Screens can be removed very quickly without unlocking the van.

 

Price.

 

INTERNAL 'CONS'

 

Insulation not as good as external in cold weather use.

[Wills Wagon]

Stalwart sets out the case well. But condensation will always form on internal screens in cold damp weather because of the moisture in breath. Law of physics internal temperature 70 degrees and external below freezing = condensation on glass. The answer is to wipe it off.

We use external in cold months with fold down front and take an internal windscreen cover to keep the sun out in summer. We have Taylormade versions of both which we have used over the past 10 years with no problems.

[Derek Uzzell]

This question is a forum regular. Here are three previous (2010/2009) threads that may be useful.

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Window-screens/21087/

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/internal-or-external-blinds/21093/

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/External-Screen-Supplier/17644/

 

As Derek owns a Adria Sonic A-class motorhome, it may well be not just a question of which type of insulating screen is preferable, but where Derek obtains the screens from, how (in the case of the external variety) they can be attached securely to the vehicle, and how much he is prepared to pay.

[RogerC]

Bulletguy - 2013-03-26 11:38 PM

dmurton - 2013-03-26 12:37 PMWhat is best if anyone can advise internal or external silverscreens and when to use them.Does thos also stop condensation ? or is that just poor ventilation.

Poor ventilation. The condensation you hear people talk about is not due to the type of screens at all. It's because they don't vent their van properly. If you shut all windows and vents.....you will get condensation without any kind of screen covering simply because as the outside air cools, if the heat from inside the vehicle has no way of circulating, condensation will form on the windows. That sometimes occurs with my car when i've parked it up in the drive and forgot to leave the vents open. Exactly the same applies to any van.I've used both types of screens;EXTERNAL 'PROS'Slightly better insulation for cold weather use than internal.EXTERNAL 'CONS'Can only be used externally so if you park up for the night and it's peeing down with rain......tough. You are going to get wet!Cannot be removed without unlocking and exiting the van in order to move off. Find yourself in an 'awkward' situation....and this could prove a problem.More expensive than internal.INTERNAL 'PROS'Fit from inside the van so weather does not matter.Van doors can remain locked at all times.Screens can be removed very quickly without unlocking the van.Price.INTERNAL 'CONS'Insulation not as good as external in cold weather use.

 

At the risk of 'incoming'............If you're so concerned about doors remaining locked at all times might I suggest you're parked in the wrong place?

 

[Bulletguy]

RogerC - 2013-03-27 3:45 PM

 

At the risk of 'incoming'............If you're so concerned about doors remaining locked at all times might I suggest you're parked in the wrong place?

 

Just to clarify, my van is unlocked during the day if i'm sitting by it outside, but I don't sleep in an unlocked van anywhere. I would have thought that to be quite normal? In just the same way as I lock all my doors at home before going to bed.

[Tony Jones]

Like some others, I've used both at different times. As ever, "it all depends."

As Bulletguy showed above, there are pros & cons to each.

If your primary concern is keeping warm (and "uncondensed") when it's cold, then the externals will do that best - no question about it.

If you're thinking more about keeping cool when it's warm, then internals are slightly better (more reflective), as well as being cheaper and easier to take down and store.

 

Now here's a thing - I see lots of externals in the UK,and on UK vans abroad, but nearly all the Continental vans I see have internals. Which bears out the distinction I made above!

[Mel B]

You are correct Tony, when you buy a 'mainland Europe' produced motorhome or van more often than not you will get internal screens supplied with it (unless it has Remi type cab blinds permanently installed).

 

As for only being able to use external screens outside, that isn't actually true as you CAN use them inside - you simply hook them onto the doors from the inside instead, in the same manner you would hook them onto the doors on the outside, and then push them onto your windscreen, using the sun visors to keep them in place ... you cannot really use internal screens outside though.