RV sunshades

[Pat]

Missy the cat loves to lie on the dashboard and watch out the windshield.

Does anybody have those exterior snap-on sunshades by RV Sunshade Company?  Any downside to them? To what are the snaps attached?  Do they make holes around the windshield to attach the snaps?  That worries me. Does rain and dirt get under them so they have to be removed and cleaned during long stays someplace?  Do they block out most of the heat that tends to come in a windshield?  I believe at night they are see through, so if I got them, I'd use my inside privacy curtain at night. 

I have had the white plastic winshield cover.  It wraps around and hooks over the top of the driver's and passenger's doors and then a weight holds down the bottoms.  They are not seethrough.  The weights flap around and damage the door paint.  They get very dirty underneath and need frequent cleaning.  They do not fit snugly.  However, is there some similar windshield cover that blocks most of the sun's heat but is seethrough that would not require snaps to be drilled into the surface of the motorhome? 

--pat

 

[Tom]

Like many others, we have screens that are attached to the windshield and front/side windows. Ours are attached by snaps, which require drilling, but some folks have them attached by heavy-duty velcro.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

To what are the snaps attached?

They screw into the Rv's walls and yes they make holes.  The snaps aren't terribly visible, though.

Does rain and dirt get under them so they have to be removed and cleaned during long stays someplace?

Yes

Do they block out most of the heat that tends to come in a windshield?

Yes, they block a fair amount of the sun that heats the interior and the windshield itself.

I believe at night they are see through, so if I got them, I'd use my inside privacy curtain at night.

That's right.

Any downside to them?

You probably need a ladder to get the pesky things on & off.

You may be able to come up with an alternate attachment scheme.  On a previous rig, I had the sunscreen made with pockets at each end and I inserted an aluminum bar to which I attached slim bungy cords that hooked to the window frames at either side.  The bungy tension plus the wiper blades held the screen in place nicely and it went on/off easily.  On our current rig, there is no convenient place to hook bungies on at the side, so we aren't using a screen.  The velcro strips look ugly to me - the one I saw was very visible when the screen was off.

 

[Phil]

Does anybody have those exterior snap-on sunshades by RV Sunshade Company?

Pat,

I use one that does not require holes to be drilled.

http://www.rvsunscreen.com/

Phil

 

[Steve CDN]

Pat,

If you are, or plan to be in Florida, I can point you to a place where you can buy the material for about $1.00 a foot and make it yourself.  We've made two or three sets and several friends have done the same.

 

[Pat]

I was concerned that the holes for the snaps would eventually rust and rot out the window frame.

I have something of a normal hood area in front of my Chinook.  I can barely reach to wash the windows, much less snap on the shades. 

I would love to buy the fabric and make something that can be pulled over the windows and closed in the sides of the doors.  Something like the white windshield cover, only seethrough, and still a good sunblocker is great.  I'll keep an eye out for the material between here in OR and down in AZ.  The temperature in the cab area of my motorhome gets extremely high in the summer.  On a 112 degree day in Mesa in May, my overhead bin was at least 125.

--pat

 

[Pat]

Phil:  RV sunscreen is very much what I'd like, but they make for Class A only.  Chinooks are Class Cs.

--pat

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I made my own pattern and sent it to them - got what I wanted custom made. If it wasn't rvsunshades.com, it was one of the other makers. There are several online.

The snaps screw into the fiberglass walls, not the window frame.  The reputable companies provide a good marine grade snap (chrome plated brass) so rust is not a concern.

A company called Sun & Comfort (see  http://www.sunandcomfort.com/ ) advertises screens for Class c's and also do-it-yourself projects.

 

[JerArdra]

Pat,

Before you buy look here.  http://www.rvsunscreen.com  This is the only one that you can put on the front window WITHOUT using a ladder.  It does NOT use snaps or twist locks.  We have one and love it because it can be setup while standing on the ground.  The web site even has a short video showing how it works.

JerryF

 

[Pat]

Jerry:  RVSunscreen does class A's.

--pat

 

[Pat]

Gary:  Sun and Comfort looks interesting.  They didn't quite explain how the Class C screen attaches.  I assume it's inside with suction cups.  I wonder how well the suction cups stick in the heat. 

How well can someone see in during the day, and is the view out blurry or clear?  The Class C photos look like the side of the motorhome is very visible through the windshield, and the view out is blurry, but that could just be internet lack of resolution. 

I'm also interested to know how far from the windshield the cover rests.  One problem I have with mesh inside is the cat trying to pull it off with her claws.  And she will. 

-pat