Curtains, WHY?
My van has curtains. Virtually all the new models in the NEC show (with the exception of some continental builds) have dozens of curtains. They are tied back and serve no purpose whatsoever. I have never used the curtains in any leisure vehicle, I have excellent foldy blinds that give 100% blackout. They look untidy and usually go from Laura Ashley twee to Parisiene brothel in stye. They add weight and are pointless. I may be wrong but I think is an excellent cost down weight down opportunity!
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I am glad to use our curtains in hot weather, I find the concertina type blinds don't let in air or they rattle in wind. I sometimes use both to stop outside lights getting through. We have plain curtains so no garish patterns to look at.
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After 40 years of caravanning I still don't understand why some people close their curtains before towing? Its almost like worrying whether your aircraft has frosted glass over the toilets! Seriously, we all stow all our bits & pieces before setting off, so what does it matter if someone gets a fleeting glance at your velour! And if they're going to want to knick it at the services, they'l do it anyway!
TF
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I have never given this any thought until now but I tend to agree with Apperley's post, they do give a certain look to the interior. Without them I feel the appearance, especially at this time of year, would look a bit cold and uninviting.
We use ours in the colder weather, it just makes it feel more cosy.
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Curtains date back to the time when we had to use them as blinds didn’t exist. For some reason they have continued to be fitted.
I suppose they'd be useful if/when a blind fails.
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According to my interior design consultant, the curtains are good to disguise the ugly blind holder things!
Ours are fairly plain and purely decorative as they are mainly just semi see through fabric, We have never drawn them.
We don't have any at the bathroom or kitchen windows.
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must admit we never use them, but I still wouldn't like to be without them, they make the inside look more cosy/like home.
Do they add a lot of cost to the price of the van? I would think not, so if you don't like them take them off
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I guess it would be difficult to sell a van without them. I tried to take ours down when we first got our van but was firmly overruled as the apparently "make the van look nice" even though they are never used.
Perhaps they should be an optional extra.
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We have an older motorhome and our curtains and nets are all in one. Hard to describe but 2 plain deep pleated matertial giving the appearance of curtain joining to net curtain on a curtain pole. They do dress the window but because of the design don't shut out the light. They are sometimes pulled back when we're in there. But when the blinds are down they definitely dress the window/blind. Can' think that they or the poles way much 😉.
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We removed the curtains once in our van to have some work done at a dealers and the van looked very plane and empty, but maybe you would get used to it in time. But we do leave the curtains closed in the summer when the van is not in use to stop the sun taking the colour on the woodwork, because as you know leaving the blinds down for a long period of time takes the tension out of the springs.
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Initially I understood your views about the curtains being surplus to requirements, but then:
Our caravan is a 2012 Swift and, besides the curtains, also has those typical concertina blinds which can be collapsed into either the top or bottom position, depending on choice of fly screen or not. In recent times, some of these blinds have been difficult to operate due to stiffness in the guide channels, and following the advice in the handbook for rectification has not worked. So, in the event of a blind seriously failing whilst on holiday, we do have the back up of curtains to fall back on. Fortunately, the curtains are neat in their tied back positions, and are not of very significant weight - perhaps less in total than one heavy wooden jumper. Therefore, it's belt and braces for us, and they stay put!
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"heavy wooden jumper" Do they call you Twiggy?
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I prefer closing my cosy velour ('Orient Express') curtains rather than the blinds, and the frilly golden cushion piping is sooo hippie 70's
I like the inside to feel more like 'home' rather than sitting in the privacy and sterile practicality of blinds in the waiting room of a VD clinic .
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I like the inside to feel more like 'home' rather than sitting in the privacy and sterile practicality of blinds in the waiting room of a VD clinic .
I'll take your word for that, having never been in one
Our curtains give a sort of brightness to the caravan even though they are tied up always when touring, so I like to keep them for effect.
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I like curtains in the van, in the winter it makes it feel cosy. When the van isn't being used I leave the blinds open and I close the curtains to keep the sun from bleaching the upholstery.
I also agree with Kj that the curtains cover the unsightly frame of the blinds.
Also in the summer when its very hot I tend to open the windows but close the curtains, this leaves breeze blowing through the van but keeps the sun out.
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