Curtains

[tentcamper]

We got tired of the curtains rubbing along the sides of the trailer. When the camper is wet or dirty on long trips the curtains can became a mess.

Joyce came up withe the idea to use the magnetic curtain rods. for the sides. After buying one and playing with it for about a year we figured out how to make them work. I had to do a little modifications with longer rods, had to buy an extra rod for extra support in the center on the longer windows. We installed small steel plated when we redid the valances with the material used for the new curtains.

We been using them for the last 10 or so trips. So far its quick and easy to put them in place.

[Jampcourt]

Would love to see some pictures when you next get a chance!
Thanks.

[tentcamper]

will do, we will not have the camper up for a few weeks.

[tentcamper]

I uploaded some picture. (full assembly, Right side magnet, Center magnet, right steel plate, center plate.

View my Album "Curtains Magnets rods" http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...hp?albumid=282

Our concern was to change the side window curtains. Front and Rear windows we stayed with the tape and track assembly type curtains. We only changed to a magnet curtain rod for the side windows.

As I mentioned. This was something that we played with the idea for almost a year. Made a couple of prototypes. We were not going to change the curtain design unless we were certain it would be better for us.

I first bought a magnetic curtain rod at walmart, which I found the magnets were to weak.

Next I bought a magnetic curtain rod from lowes, which the magnets were strong enough.

The rods are long enough for the small windows, but not the large windows. I found some longer plain rods, I think it was lowes, but may have been walmart. If you gently pull on the rods they will pull out of the magnetic end and you can insert the plain rods into the assembly. Now I have the length for the longer rods. But they were a little weak in the center.

I took the 2 ends from the walmart magnetic curtain rods from our first test. Pulled out the rods, cut off a plastic ball on the end and used them as my center support on our 2 large center windows.

I bought a flat steel rod, I think it was 3/4", maybe 1" wide. Cut slightly longer than the magnets. Drilled a hole in each and bored a countersink hole for the screw. The top of the screw must be below the top of the steel plate.

DW made the new curtains with a micro fabric. I made new valances slightly larger to cover holes. We removed the factory upper curtain track, but the lower one we left do to the holes that would be visible when removed.

We used the new rods for 6 trips. They work well. The front and rear side curtains we store on our front bed. When we arrive at a campsite we put those 4 curtains up, before we pull out the beds out, while standing up on the ground under the camper shells. This keeps us from having to crawl up on the bed to install them.

The 4 center curtains we put up from inside.

Over all it takes less than 2 minutes to install all of the curtains.

[Jampcourt]

Thanks so much for posting the pictures and also for your detailed explanation. I've not been able to tackle the project this year, but hope to work on making new curtains this winter. I concur that using magnets is one of the easier solutions. Your curtains look great!

[tentcamper]

I understand it took us almost a year from when we started thinking about it and over six months after we figured out how we were going to do is. There is a lot of work.

Thanks for the compliment, but it was Joyce that made it look good and most of it is her design. She is exceptional with a sewing machine. I'm just the grunt. She has me making the patterns and cutting material.

[G&KEllis]

these are the ones I'm going to use to sew new curtains.

https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb...d=XJYJYWLLWPTL


https://smile.amazon.com/Designer-RV...+carriers+a103

Kate

[tentcamper]

I would buy a sample of the items and make sure they work with the tracks. Our last camper it was very hard to find the parts that worked wit the tracks. I have a small sample of several different parts that I thought would work.

[Craigrrr]

I tie-dyed our curtains, they were faded and I am guessing were a beige color to begin with... Boring . very boring life needs color. anyway here they are. They do shrink after washing we added about 3 inches to the bottom . Now after a year or 2 not sure how long it's been. they have loosened up / stretched out a bit but still operate fine and the sun fades them again, they will get another dye job.

[b3conswj]

Here is a picture showing how we did our shades with the existing valance. Backside is wood, sides are wood and front is the existing valance that I added fabric to on each end, to wrap around the sides. It was very easy. The shades are mounted on the wood. The other side of the wood has Rockler mounting brackets, similar to trailmanor cabinet mounting brackets.