Curtains
Comments
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I'd imagine it will be a have them made to measure and expensive. But how about the likes of the The Range, IKEA etc for some that you may be able to cut down on the drop and re hem.
Colin
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It’s usually the fittings that prove a bit problematical. You need to examine carefully how your curtains are hung, what kind of hooks/tapes etc. If you can get the old fitting off the old curtains, and reuse, it might be very easy to have some new ones made. When we refurbished our van, we had to go with a different method of hanging them. Good luck with it. My top tip is to go for blackout linings and something to keep heat in👍
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I second takethedogalong especially on materials, weight will be an issue nothing too heavy.
If you can remove yours and take photos of fittings and how they go together, you'll forget 😉. Take them to a local place that do repairs and alterations, possibly a dry cleaners? And get them to give you an idea of costs - you may well be pleasantly surprised. Then you can pop along to your local fabric store/market stall/hobbycraft to check out materials, again you'll get helpful advise, or you should if they are any good. They may even be able to point you in the direction of makers.
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Apart from our very first van, which did not have curtains, we have never drawn them preferring to use the blinds when we need privacy.
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We seldom use our curtains in MH, as you say have blinds. However, in Winter it’s quite surprising how much warmer it can feel drawing curtains as well. I’m not certain a modern van would actually give enough curtain material to draw, some are merely window dressing. But thermal blinds are good.👍 Our old van only has curtains.
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When one of our daughters bought herself an old campervan I made new curtains for it, using the old ones as a pattern and adding black out thermal linings...it was a quite a task. The curtains were various shapes and sizes including long ones in the cab. They looked good, nice bright stripey ones in seaside colours and then she sold the van!! If you're not up to making them a good seamstress/local curtain makers etc might be of help as well as the commercial offerings. In hot weather when blinds stop the airflow, we open the windows, pull the fly screens down and use the curtains. So I find curtains useful, they also add extra insulation in cold weather.
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Redid our curtains in our last caravan even did the trim across the van in same material and I got a pair a larger pair than I needed from a charity shop in Lynhurst for £10 and they looked good when done even revamped the lower front curtain fittings. I like curtains closed even with the blind down I find that light gets underneath and I really do not like that first thing in the morning. Also got to do the same with latest van as the curtains are horrible slippery material and do not fit the windows at all.
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I've made caravan curtains a few times when we had old vans. If you have a sewing machine its not to hard a job. The fixings we have on our current van curtains are hand stitched on. I tend to make the curtains then make a couple of scatter cushions to match.
We do use the curtains in the caravan especially in winter but also in the summer, the blinds should not be closed when the windows are closed as it can distort them. So when we are out for the day in hot weather we close the curtains to keep the van cooler.
Just now the curtains are closed to keep the sun off the seating, while its parked up on the drive over winter, also stops folk looking in
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My curtains are only 5" wide and cosmetic only. relying on blinds for light control. Does have fine mesh nets though so I can curtain twitch unseen.
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Yes, it's the continental way, in fact the 'token' curtains are only on two windows, at the rear in the bedroom and on the lounge side window...
However, we do have net curtains...again on the two same windows, let's not overdo things...blinds all round everywhere else.
we had real curtains on the Swifts...not sure about their usefulness...the jury might be out.
what I did make was some insulated, quilted sections for the long front/side windows, which fit between the blinds and the window itself...seems to be a pretty effective, cheap (SIL castoff from MH project) and does blackout and added winter warmth and can't be seen from inside..
the windscreen has its own double skinned blind..
curtains can be very effective but just wouldn't be right for this type of van as cab supports the lounge area and fixing in the dash area curtains would impact on the spaciousness.
on tip for MHers...some converters have a 'curtain' of various possible materials that sits along the bottom edge of the (say) Ducato dash and keeps out cold from the footwells...could be a warm 'curtain' but far more elegant than a full height one..
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Our curtains are tiny cosmetic and fixed. Our nets live in a plastic bag at home in the garage. We usually have the fly screen pulled down if we want privacy, if not they are up. At night it's the blinds down.
Colin
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Our very first caravan didn't have blinds so the curtains were really used as curtains, but since we had blinds we stopped using the curtains although the can be still bed sued as such.
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Like TG we have the curtains closed, and blinds separated, when the van is at home, to reduce tension on the blinds and stop sunlight from damaging the upholstery. When away and at night in hot weather we have the windows open, the fly screens down and the curtains drawn. The biggest problem with the ones on our van is the way they are attached to the curtain glides, the "hooks" are very fragile and break easily, and cost a ridiculous amount to replace.
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