AN inexpensive afternoon project

[seraphim]

Needed to replace those old stained curtains on the Falcon we bought. Here's an inexpensive project ($35-$50) that I think looks nicer and works better. (Tossed the web page together in a few minutes, so excuse the basic appearance *grin*)



http://www.the-buckeye.org/falcon/index.htm

[Whiskyecho]

do you stow them when not in use?.....bill

[seraphim]

Yes - they can fit under the mattress in the overhead. The Plastex is flexible and could be rolled, but I'm afraid the material might remember the curl. Better, I think, to keep it flat.

[markopolo]

I used a foil covered bubble wrap on the rear windows in my Roadtrek.
Very private, reflected my LED lighting to make it brighter inside and gave us a few more inches of usable bed length.



I like your idea better. It's very clean looking and easy to do - no sewing needed

[seraphim]

Necessity is not the mother of invention - it's laziness *grin*.

[julievojo]

We used the foiled bubble wrap too, and made covers for all the windows. It keeps the inside much warmer in cold weather and much, much cooler when parked in the desert on a hot sunny day!

It's very nice during cold weather because my head stays much warmer up against that back window with the insulated covers. We then pull the shades down over them so it look pretty normal from inside.

JV

[seraphim]

I've never even heard of foil covered bubble-wrap!

And all this talk of insulation is putting ideas in my head: if I put black felt between the plastex and window glass, the sun would heat the air between them, creating a thermal barrier of warm air. If I wound a small plastic water tube in that space, would each window then become a small solar water heater?


Nah - I'd have to use a thin sheet of metal painted black to get the requisite temperature...

The insulation idea would work on cold mornings, though. Thanks for the inspiration!

Addendum: black sponge foam, the thickness of the air space would be better - a black vinyl on the surface that touches the window, so it looks uniformly black from the outside...

[julievojo]

Hey Seraphim

You can buy the foil covered stuff in the insulation department of any home store. One roll was more than enough to make covers for all the windows in our Plateau - with some left over.

I used grey seam binding (from a fabric store) and just used a regular sewing machine to sew it onto the edges for a nice clean finish.

We also use the window covers in the summer when the van is in storage to keep the sun from fading the shades or the interior and the keep the electronics cooler.

PS.... want to come to Minnesota and help us build some solar panels for our earth home? It sounds like you've got the right ideas!

[seraphim]

An earth home!? Ever since I was a young teen, reading Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and Mother Earth News, I've wanted to build an ungerground home that was self-sufficient: wind energy, solar energy, etc. Life just got in the way, somehow.

Sounds like fun! I'll admit to being woefully ingnorant of the technology involved or available.

I did enjoy the link to the solar panels on Cathy's RV...

[julievojo]

We were looking for a property on which to build and earth sheltered home, and found one with the house already built. Unfortunately, it's not off grid, but it was cheap, and we'll work on the self sufficiency gradually. The first project is solar hot water, so we can run it under the floors as the heat source instead of this propane furnace. Then I want a wind turbine to pump the water and provide electricity.

The problem is that the technology is so expensive! I know we can build our own, we just need to find someone with a little know how to guide us along.

How's that for a tweak, mod or project!!??

[seraphim]

Sounds like fun. A bit larger than a class B, though *grin*

When our son's out of college we plan to retire and we're looking out towards Wyoming - around the Wind River Valley. Maybe by that time you'll be the experts and we can learn from you!

[julievojo]

Originally Posted by seraphim

Sounds like fun. A bit larger than a class B, though *grin*

When our son's out of college we plan to retire and we're looking out towards Wyoming - around the Wind River Valley. Maybe by that time you'll be the experts and we can learn from you!

I think the B is part of why we haven't gotten anything done on the house yet. Everytime we get a few days off we get in the B and go - instead of working on projects around here.

[seraphim]

Each day has its own priority, and some days enjoying life must be it.

Most days, perhaps...

[julievojo]

We just can't resist the lure of the B - It's too much fun. We are hoping that this time next week, after the kids go home from their visit, we may just hop in and take off for a week or so. I would love to go find some nice warm sand somewhere.

It's all of -3 degrees here today (a big improvement over yesterday) and snowing... again.....

[seraphim]

We're heading over to Brown County, Indiana, this weekend. It's going to be cold, but it'll give us a chance to learn how to work the furnace.

Better make dure the propane tank"s filled up!

[julievojo]

You're going the wrong direction, you should be heading south!