Silver screen or not
Hi All,
I'm new to motorhomes so in need of some advice. I pick up my 2019 Auto-Trail Imala 734 next week which my wife and I intend to use throughout the year. On looking at various blogs it appears that a silver screen cover of some description is really required.
Any advice on these things would be really appreciated.
Regards
Mike
Comments
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I have used silver screens on both a low profile MH and an A class and wouldn't be without one.
The main benefits are much better thermal insulation, both in summer and winter, and less condensation on the inside of the windscreen during colder weather.
If you get a silver screen which has a velcro panel on the front, this can be folded down to give more light and also affords a better degree of privacy if you are facing another unit on the opposite pitch.
We tend to only use the screen for stays of longer than 1-2 nights, unless protection from extreme hot or cold is required.
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we dont use them either....generally dont stay very long at a site (certainly not in the uk) and we have a thick, pleated internal front screen which does a pretty good job of insulating the cab and is easy to deploy and slide away.
on longer term continental stays, the same screen keeps the sun out if required..
i also have a window vac for the occasions when we get condensation.
...a better trade off than using large, heavy, possibly wet external screens.
however, if we didnt have the thick, insulated internal concertina pull down screen we might have gone for an external one.
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We only use ours early and late season to prevent condensation on the cab windows. The cab is the coldest part of the van due to lack of habitation insulation and the screens do help.
Internal screens will not prevent condensation but good external ones will.
Most people agree that Taylormade or Silver Screens are the best.
https://taylormade-covers.co.uk
http://silverscreens.co.uk/?LMCL=JllVur
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From very soon after starting motorhoming we invested in an external silver screen and I reckon that and duverlay mattress toppers were our top buys. We had the one with a fold down middle section, you can even get a built in privacy panel which I'd go for that if I had to re-buy.
Much easier than curtains and blinds. Keeps an even temperature all year round. We used, we have no motorhome at present, when it was stored too. Kept the windscreen clean if nothing else! Avoided condensation when cooking too. Takes minutes to put on or remove.
Enjoy your new purchase, ask if you have any questions and let us know how you're enjoying it.
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Another vote for Silver Screens or Taylor Made for all the reasons stated above especially elimination of condensation. If it makes your van gloomy you don't have enough windows or skylights. Wouldn't be without mine although I don't use it for storage preferring a cheap universal screen off a market stall for that.
peedee
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I think you can manage without during the summer months unless you are somewhere pretty hot where they help in the reverse way to winter by keeping the heat out. In the colder months of the year they really come into their own not only in helping to insulate the motorhome but also in preventing condensation. Saves all that bother of mopping up the water caused by the condensation. We have a Taylor-Made screen which has been very good ( I imagine Silver Screens are of the same quality) One thing I like about the Taylor-Made variety is that they do a slightly longer version that covers the bonnet grill which stops the likes of leaves collecting in the gully under the windscreen.
David
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Another positive vote for External Thermal Screens from me !!
At present I've got the slightly longer version of Taylor Made as mentioned above by DavidK AND I have the fold down centre section type but I bought the extra mesh 'privacy' piece as mentioned by Bakers2 to go with it.
As David says the Silver Screen version is pretty similar to Taylor Made and I have had one make or t'other for my vans over a couple of decades or three now and nary a complaint unless I'm on a very steep pitch. Then it can be a bit of a faff using the central fold down but I'm told the stretching exercise is good for me
. When I'm on the move the Screen lives in the shower room -- ideal place for wet things.
Let us know how you get on with this motorhoming life -- we are reeeely nosey on CT !!
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I use mine at each end of the "season" but during the summer months I can save the space by not taking it. I also made up some cheap curtains for the cab to provide a bit of additional insulation for heat/cool.
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Another fan of the external screens. We have a Taylor Mades. Lightweight, easy and quick to put on, take off, dry quickly if they do get wet. They come with a storage bag, so even if wet we just dump ours in the bathroom so we can dry them later. Insulate from both cold and heat, we get no condensation problems with them on.
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One of the best buys we have had, Taylor made....use it mainly in the winter, no condensation at all and snug and warm, we tend to open the flap right down during the day ( so just the side windows covered ) so not so gloomy and still able to watch the world go by...we have used it during a lucky heatwave we were in and it worked brilliantly keeping the moty cooler when we were out and about...we were lucky as bought it for our last moty and having a Ducato again was able to transfer and use it on our current model, well worth the outlay and easy to store etc
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Check out classified ads on MH related sites, Mike. There are often second hand screens for sale.
Enjoy your MH.
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They have been worth it for us M786. If you decide to get new (they are made for specific base models) persevere if you need to telephone companies direct, it can be a tad difficult, but worth it. Both are, or were quite old fashioned suppliers, so might not be as slick and polished as most in this internet age. But their product are excellent.
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As an aside, in case it’s of interest to anyone, we bought a Taylormade for our 2011 Merc Sprinter based MH and later found it fitted our 2017 X290 Peugeot so closely that it wasn’t worth buying another.👍🏻
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Silver Screens (insulation mats) are not required. Alternatives include internal screens, or a Karcher window vac to clear away condensation, or a couple of giant, thick, microfibre cloth such as those used when drying a car after a wash. Good ventilation can reduce condensation.
Putting up external silver screens on a dark, cold and wet night is unpleasant as is taking them down again and finding somewhere to put the wet screens (usually the shower cubicle).
Whilst the Karcher vac and microfibre cloth will easily cope with condensation that may arise, external and internal mats are good for keeping warm and keeping the van cool in the summer; external silver screens should stop cab condensation.
If the OP is going to do regular winter nights away, then silver screens are advisable whereas for occasional winter nights, the cost may not be worthwhile.
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Another vote for external screens, we have been motor homing for 16 years now and we have always used them at some time but since we moved to live in Spain we have used them even more specially in July August to keep the extreme heat out believe it or not it keeps the van cool with the help of aire conditioner.
Phil
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...which is why we changed to eternal ones
Wow, that's even better than a lifetime guarantee.
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We have a Silver Screen that fits on the outside. In the cooler months without the SS we have bad condensation each morning but with it fitted we have none. It also keeps the Van warmer in the winter, during the day we peel it down to allow the daylight in. As I said we have a Silver Screen but from what I've read Taylor Made are equally as good.
If you plan to tour in the winter then get one.
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Got be must we bought the original silver screen from the place in Huddersfield the lady was brill ordered on a Tuesday arrived Friday, before we had the inside ones no comparison. No condensation anymore, we can leave them on and lower the centre through the day
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"If you plan to tour in the winter then get one."
it depends where you tour in winter
....we certainly dont need one in the places we visit....and even in 'warm places' in warmer times, our insulated blind does a good job of keeping the heat out.we also do a few short stays in the uk at this time of year but, for our van and for such a short time, an external screen is not really worth the effort.
it really depends on your touring pattern/locations and the type of van you have.
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I'm with you Heethers. Also don't have to drawback the curtains tidy and tieback, that always took longer as I'm particular that they are balanced and look tidy 😉.
We always closed the air inlet from the engine too. We didn't have a longline one.
In an emergency the cab doors can be used with no real delay as the velcro pulls apart if you shove hard and only takes a second to undo anyway, no longer than opening the door. If that were the case even I wouldn't worry about tidiness 😉 and I think lifting the floor length curtain, in our case, whilst trying not to panic would be worse.
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