Sliding door screen

[GeorgeRad]

I am ready to purchase this new on the market sliding door screen. It is mounted under the sliding door gasket and they can locate door opening upon customer request. I asked about the noisy side fabric and he uses different fabric. Here is reply from the owner:

“Thanks for the interest. Our side material has changed since the install video was filmed..new video coming soon. The new material is a canvas type polyester- Its soft and quiet yet still strong.
Yes I could do the offset on the left vs. right side.”

ARB components had quality one but they disappear from their website.
Not much known about this screen https://ripplewearcurtains.com/coll...squito-screen-low-roof?variant=39506521030840
There is a Canadian company with seems as quality screens but are mounted with Velcro, not really possible with my factory headliner. https://www.rolef.ca/en/

Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[avanti]

I have had screens on the sliding doors of both of my Sprinters The first one was a very expensive zip-up, similar to the ones you reference (but snap on, rather than under the gasket). We found it such a hassle that we ended up never using it unless desperate. The zip-up models are fine for the back such as in DavyDD's van, where you do it once a day. But in a frequently-used door, they are more trouble than they are worth, IMO.

Our current one has rigid aluminum C-channel all the way around, with a screen that folds up accordion-style. Here are some pics (not my van):





This is a thousand times better than our old one.

Unfortunately, it came from Great West and I can find no manufacturers' marks on the unit, so I have no idea where to get one (which I will want to do with our next rig). I do know Great West was installing them for a long time and that it is one of the things that ARV continued with when they spun out of GWV. When GWV was still around, they used to pool their orders with ARV in order to meet some minimum order. Perhaps someone from the ARV world knows where they come from.

 

[@Michael]

vanupgrades.com has something similar.

Mine came with a sliding screen door that retracts like a window shade. It's not very usable, mostly because the retraction tension is very high so you have to hang on tight while your open and close or it'll suddenly retract. That makes opening when your arms are full impossible. Because one has to open it wide in order to ingress/egress, it lets in lots of bugs.

I replaced the side cargo door (and am replacing the rear door) with homemade screens with magnetic closure similar to the ones that you found, or the vandupgrades ones. The side door one is split in the middle, Velcros into place and stays closed with magnets.

Works much better than the OEM screen. Cost me about $100 in material.

 

[Davydd]

The back screen on most vans I see can be zippered and rolled down. No one usually comes and goes via the back doors. We just usually leave it in place.

I had the accordion screen on my first ARV with a latch to hold it open. They have since abandoned it evidently since I now have an automatically retractable roll screen that retracts in a side tube and magnets hold it open instead of a latch. If you are not careful you can’t see it in place as there are no strings and pleats.

 

[avanti]

I now have an automatically retractable roll screen that retracts in a side tube and magnets hold it open instead of a latch.

Nice. Do you know the manufacturer?

 

[Davydd]

Nice. Do you know the manufacturer?

No. I haven’t seen any markings or am not aware of any. ARV probably could tell you.

I was out all day in my remote garage woodworking on a project but mostly waiting for stain to dry. That’s when I took the time to take photos of my chair options and the screen door. Now I’m home.

 

[Sean65]

Love our Rolef

After much research, we bought and installed the Rolef on our Sprinter. And we love it. Very convenient, easy to use and nice looking. Be patient when installing it though. Take your time and make sure it is exactly as you want to it before putting the screws in to permanently secure the Velcro. We have a headliner without much backing, which caused me to use sheet metal screws into door frame across top. But not a big deal. Very secure.

 

[MsNomer]

If rear under-bed storage is isolated from the front, it makes no sense to me to have the rear screen go to the floor. I wrapped mine under the bed, leaving the storage area completely accessible. This also meant I didn’t have to have an opening in the screen.

 

[jjustj]

we HAD one of those slick framed screen doors in our GWV untill the dogs got excited and ran straight through it. now we have a mgnetic screen door like you see in the adds on tv.. its ok but not as good!

 

[ks@yvr]

We have a Bugwall screen and I can recommend them. Only difference is I recommend that you use Gorilla tape instead of clamps for install. Works much better and easier than clamps. I started with the spring clamps and some of them slipped and since I had Gorilla tape I tried it to hold top and it worked like a charm to hold the screen while I placed under door gasket. You also have to be aware that the sliding door bumpers need a little extra slack left in the sides below the window line.

 

[Davydd]

The back screen on most vans I see can be zippered and rolled down. No one usually comes and goes via the back doors. We just usually leave it in place.

I had the accordion screen on my first ARV with a latch to hold it open. They have since abandoned it evidently since I now have an automatically retractable roll screen that retracts in a side tube and magnets hold it open instead of a latch. If you are not careful you can’t see it in place as there are no strings and pleats.

I found the screen door ARV used on our van. You can come and go without using it and it is rolled away. We had screens similar to this before and if you have a dog it can be damaged but on the other hand with the magnetic screens you can’t keep your dog inside and it would be a nuisance to have to pass through it even when not needed.

https://www.metroscreenworks.com/retractable-screen-doors-1/

 

[GeorgeRad]

We have a Bugwall screen and I can recommend them. Only difference is I recommend that you use Gorilla tape instead of clamps for install. Works much better and easier than clamps. I started with the spring clamps and some of them slipped and since I had Gorilla tape I tried it to hold top and it worked like a charm to hold the screen while I placed under door gasket. You also have to be aware that the sliding door bumpers need a little extra slack left in the sides below the window line.

Thank you for your info. Did you use double sided tape or you taped the fabric to sheet metal. I have the factory headliner, no access to the sheet metal.

 

[michaelingp]

Unfortunately, it came from Great West and I can find no manufacturers' marks on the unit, so I have no idea where to get one (which I will want to do with our next rig). I do know Great West was installing them for a long time and that it is one of the things that ARV continued with when they spun out of GWV. When GWV was still around, they used to pool their orders with ARV in order to meet some minimum order. Perhaps someone from the ARV world knows where they come from.

I am in the same boat with my Safari Condo. It has an accordion-style sliding screen in an aluminum channel (on three sides). It too has no manufacturers' marks and I did quite a bit of research and couldn't find it. It works well most of the time, but I would love to have the installation instructions. Safari Condo service was of no help with this or identifying the manufacturer. It likes to jump off its track at the most inconvenient time, and I'd like to fix that. Also, it has a very complicated (to me anyway) system of strings that keeps the leading edge vertical and I'd like to adjust that a bit.

 

[avanti]

it has a very complicated (to me anyway) system of strings that keeps the leading edge vertical and I'd like to adjust that a bit.

Mine has no strings, so it must not be the same model.

It is surprising how many different models seem to be around. The one that DavyDD showed is obviously intended for residential use, so I a guessing it is probably more robust than the RV-specific ones. I will very likely go with one of those. One of ARVs valuable contributions to the B-van world is seeking out high-quality but obscure components and not being secretive about it.

 

[Snowy-ClassB]

but on the other hand with the magnetic screens you can’t keep your dog inside and it would be a nuisance to have to pass through it even when not needed.

Are you sure a screen like the Roleff would be a nuisance? If you don't need it you roll it up to the top, out of the way. If there are some bugs, you just push through it and it snaps into place. If there are a lot of bugs, it is more like a "bug air lock" that only opens as much as you need to to get in and out and the fabric might scrape off some bugs as you enter from the outside. With a sliding screen you need to open the whole door to get in which would let in more bugs.

Magnetic screens are popular with people who have cabins in buggy areas of Alaska, at least in my limited experience.

I think using a screen door to keep a dog inside a van is a recipe for a broken screen door.

 

[michaelingp]

Is the Rolef actually magnetic? From watching the video it appears to install with stick on Velcro, then use zippers to open and close. Are there actually any magnets?

 

[Snowy-ClassB]

Rolef screen doors are magnetic.

 

[Davydd]

James is fit. Get it, FitRV.com I generally hold on to a grab bar getting in and out and prefer a visual fix on the step. So, if I am carrying something in one hand, I use the other hand to grab the grab bar and I don’t have third hand to grab and lift the screen. Too clumsy for me.

My screen does not interfere with the sliding door operation. It can remain closed or open at any time traveling or stationary. It snaps open just by releasing the full height magnetic strip and re-closes by sliding it over to the magnetic strip with no mechanical latch. Rolling up screens is not as easy as James makes it out and time consuming. Whereas I can decide in an instant whether I want the screen closed or open.

The magnetic screen is not going to be potentially damaged by a dog going in and out like my sliding screen but then you can’t keep your dog in the van without closing the sliding door.

I’ve had three screens over three Class Bs. The first with my Great West Van Legend I made homemade from scratch mainly to screen the opening for ventilation. The second was a sliding screen with a mechanical latch, and my current one is an automatic roll-up snap back to close and magnetic strip latch to open.

 

[rvsprinterguy]

DIY Screen

I assembled an effective screen from two "As Seen on TV" Magic Magnet instant door screens. Just a bit of cutting and sewing. I sewed in a short length of paracord on each side to serve as tie-backs when I didn't want or need the screen to close.

 

[MsNomer]

I assembled an effective screen from two "As Seen on TV" Magic Magnet instant door screens. Just a bit of cutting and sewing. I sewed in a short length of paracord on each side to serve as tie-backs when I didn't want or need the screen to close.

I did something similar. I made my own custom screen from noseeum fabric and used just the magnetic strip from the purchased screen. I also replaced the screens in some of my windows with noseeum fabric after getting eaten alive one night in Georgia. I noticed immediately that the number of tiny bugs attracted to light approached zero. There are many insects smaller than mosquitos.