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Home made Silver screens ! !

trickydicky

By trickydicky
in Motorhome Matters

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lennyhb Grand Master

lennyhb

Posted
Posted

Have a look at the post by "Tea Cup" on This Thread.

 

I've been looking at making some for the new van as A class ones are so expensive, plenty of material available on the web & ebay if you search Rip Stop Fabric, Kite Material & Tent Material. You can also get waterproof quilting which I thought I could use for the inner side as that worked out cheaper than buying a separate wadding material for the insulation and will make the construction easier.

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Steve928 Mentor

Steve928

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Posted

We made our own and are really pleased with them.

 

They are a 3 layer construction left as loose layers and then just edged all around the outside with binding tape.

- 4oz. PU nylon in light grey on the outside.

- Hollofil quilting as insulation - can't remember the weight but about an inch thick uncompressed.

- then a polyester mesh lining.

 

Velcro to attach the side window covers to the main screen and various ties and shockcord to attach them to the van.

They roll up into a sleeping bag size stuff-sac.

We use them summer to keep the heat out and winter to keep it in.

 

I didn't fit the side window covers very well in this picture:

 

Capture.JPG.3709a1e5929c4a11d047d2834a8636c3.JPG

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Steve928 Mentor

Steve928

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I can't recall I'm afraid - it was a couple of years ago now. I would guess at £50 though + a few hours cutting and sewing on a normal domestic machine.

 

It was more about getting the features we wanted: very high insulation value (no condensation EVER) yet easily compressed for storage, good coverage over the bonnet vents, a 'soft' inner as we use them a lot and didn't want to wear at the paintwork and headlights, plus finally letting some light through and not turning the cab into a black hole.

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Guest 1footinthegrave

Guest 1footinthegrave

Posted
Posted
Having had a Taylormade screen we too never had any condensation, but used it so infrequently I gave it away..................having looked at the current price I should have put it on Ebay :-S
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Steve928 Mentor

Steve928

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HymerVan - 2013-12-06 10:03 AM

 

Per my earlier thread I am thinking of making something for the rear of our PVC. Can Steve advise where he purchased his material ?

 

I always use Pointnorth (http://www.profabrics.co.uk/index.php) for my sewing projects..

They will send fabric samples upon request.

 

I think it was these:

4oz. PU - http://www.profabrics.co.uk/shop/show_product_info.php?id=D4-60

Thinsulate rather than Hollowfil - http://www.profabrics.co.uk/shop/show_product_info.php?id=IT50

Polyester mesh - http://www.profabrics.co.uk/shop/show_product_info.php?id=PM3-09

 

£50 seems a bit of underestimate now but as I said it wasn't really about the price.

 

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Guest 1footinthegrave

Guest 1footinthegrave

Posted
Posted
Steve928 - 2013-12-06 10:40 AM

 

HymerVan - 2013-12-06 10:03 AM

 

Per my earlier thread I am thinking of making something for the rear of our PVC. Can Steve advise where he purchased his material ?

 

I always use Pointnorth (http://www.profabrics.co.uk/index.php) for my sewing projects..

They will send fabric samples upon request.

 

I think it was these:

4oz. PU - http://www.profabrics.co.uk/shop/show_product_info.php?id=D4-60

Thinsulate rather than Hollowfil - http://www.profabrics.co.uk/shop/show_product_info.php?id=IT50

Polyester mesh - http://www.profabrics.co.uk/shop/show_product_info.php?id=PM3-09

 

£50 seems a bit of underestimate now but as I said it wasn't really about the price.

 

Blimey, judging by those prices it looks like the retail ones are a bit of a bargain after all................ :-D

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Brian Kirby Grand Master

Brian Kirby

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Posted
lennyhb - 2013-12-05 10:54 PM

 

Have a look at the post by "Tea Cup" on This Thread.

 

I've been looking at making some for the new van as A class ones are so expensive, plenty of material available on the web & ebay if you search Rip Stop Fabric, Kite Material & Tent Material. You can also get waterproof quilting which I thought I could use for the inner side as that worked out cheaper than buying a separate wadding material for the insulation and will make the construction easier.

If you're still toying with the Hymer, Lenny, I'd suggest having a close look at the ones they supply. Yes, they cost €325, but the fit is superb, and the bottom edge covers to top of the bonnet so, apart from what little gets in above the top of the windscreen, it keeps the whole of the engine bay area damp free. The rear sections on both sides are slotted into sections of caravan awning channel that rise vertically just behind the cab windows (or where fitted, the cab door), which then curve around to return forward across the top of the window/door for the extent of the sliding pane (or if fitted the door). There are three sections: one for windscreen and the forward, fixed, side windows, and one for each side that have the beaded edging to run into the awning channel. If necessary, the panel over the door can be released to allow the door to open, while leaving the rest in place. The maker's label says Tecon Covercraft, but they don't appear on their website - and you would need to fix those awning channels to take the bead if they could supply. They achieve a very snug fit and are quite thick, of the usual waterproof, aluminised fabric, with good quality heavy duto zips. The make up is also good, and they appear durable - but time will tell!

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Guest 1footinthegrave

Guest 1footinthegrave

Posted
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On a general point, I've often wondered where those gallons of condensation on an uninsulated screen end up when any screen is fitted :-S
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Guest 1footinthegrave

Guest 1footinthegrave

Posted
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Seems to make perfect sense.............spend 45/55 k on a motorhome, then make a silver screen to save 40 quid :-S
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Tracker Grand Master

Tracker

Posted
Posted
1footinthegrave - 2013-12-06 12:39 PM

 

Seems to make perfect sense.............spend 45/55 k on a motorhome, then make a silver screen to save 40 quid

 

 

And if I had suggested saving a few quid by so doing you can imagine what all the usual suspects would now be calling me!

It may not be the politically correct point of view on here but we really can't be bothered to faff around with the wretched things at all because they just are not worth the faffing about, loss of daylight and view out and storage as far as we are concerned.

So we save even more cash to spend on the more important things in life!

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lennyhb Grand Master

lennyhb

Posted
Posted
Brian Kirby - 2013-12-06 11:47 AM

 

lennyhb - 2013-12-05 10:54 PM

 

Have a look at the post by "Tea Cup" on This Thread.

 

I've been looking at making some for the new van as A class ones are so expensive, plenty of material available on the web & ebay if you search Rip Stop Fabric, Kite Material & Tent Material. You can also get waterproof quilting which I thought I could use for the inner side as that worked out cheaper than buying a separate wadding material for the insulation and will make the construction easier.

If you're still toying with the Hymer, Lenny, I'd suggest having a close look at the ones they supply. Yes, they cost €325, but the fit is superb, and the bottom edge covers to top of the bonnet so, apart from what little gets in above the top of the windscreen, it keeps the whole of the engine bay area damp free. The rear sections on both sides are slotted into sections of caravan awning channel that rise vertically just behind the cab windows (or where fitted, the cab door), which then curve around to return forward across the top of the window/door for the extent of the sliding pane (or if fitted the door). There are three sections: one for windscreen and the forward, fixed, side windows, and one for each side that have the beaded edging to run into the awning channel. If necessary, the panel over the door can be released to allow the door to open, while leaving the rest in place. The maker's label says Tecon Covercraft, but they don't appear on their website - and you would need to fix those awning channels to take the bead if they could supply. They achieve a very snug fit and are quite thick, of the usual waterproof, aluminised fabric, with good quality heavy duto zips. The make up is also good, and they appear durable - but time will tell!

Not toying Brian it's on order, did think about ordering the Hymer ones must admit the price put me off a bit and I'm not bad when let loose on a sewing machine. I'll enquire, van's not due until March.

Out of interest with Truma heating covering the screen area is condensation much of a problem in the Exsis? We like to have the van quite hot but don't run heating overnight.

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