Front Curtain Track

[markopolo]

Swivel seats certainly extend the living area in a Class B van. See my post here: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...hp?f=12&t=1925 But, you need to make that area private for use at night etc. I'm guessing most "factory built" campervans have a curtain that covers the front and side windows. My B+ had a very bad front curtain: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...php?f=33&t=629 I did improve it but My Roadtrek had a proper curtain track - way better, by comparison. I wanted that in my campervan.

My current custom B van has the curtain behind the front seats. That makes the front area unusable at night if you want privacy.

I bought some curtain track at Walmart. I think it came in 7' lengths and didn't cost much at all. Surprisingly, it was very easy to bend by hand. Installation was easy. I flattened a bracket and used it under the sun visor on each side and I bolted other brackets through the head liner with flat washers in the middle. The other ends reached the the plywood - easy to fasten. It feels very solid.









Now the curtains.................

Oh yeah, those are the same seat covers I used in my Roadtrek, my Trail-Lite and my Bigfoot! No, I don't use seat covers at home I like them in an RV though. You don't have to worry about sunscreen or bug spray or dirt getting on your seats.

[Mike]

I have to admit, we only just started using the full front curtains on our last tour.
They work quite well, and do increase the usable "stealth" area inside the van.
I'm thinking it would be nice to be able to velcro the bottom of them to the upper edge
of the dash, as some stuff we use is located in and around the little storage pigeon holes
in the dash.
Or, we could just plan better before bedding down for the night.

[markopolo]

We made some curtains............... Not an easy job when you don't know how to do it DW did the sewing and I helped with pinning and putting the hooks on etc.
They work OK. They look a little better than what the photos show. Not much but a little...............







On to the next project.

[markopolo]

The new rear curtains work really well. I used that stretchy wire. This a big improvement over what was there.

[Davydd]

My old Pleasure-way had a curtain behind the front seats making the seats useless when in camp. I resorted to an outside window cover which was not great for boondocking or getting on the road when raining. My current Great West Van has a curtain that snaps in and allows use of the front seats. Since I bought mine Great West Van has gone to a track system like you put in . I changed my snap in curtains covering the sliding door opening to a track system similar to what you installed.

[Mike]

That looks pretty good. I like the colour. Did you back the outside with anything to protect them
from fading in the sun? I guess they'll be retracted during the day, so that's probably not going to
be an issue.
I used a similar setup in my 1979 E150 Econoline - the original idea I think I got from the curtains
in a Grey Coach bus we used to take home from school, if we missed the regular school bus.
Or maybe it was from a CN passenger rail car back when it was still considered an economical
way to travel between cities. Pretty sure they had curtains on a wire on the windows which could
be used as sun shades during daytime travel. Long before tinted glass was more widely used in them.

[markopolo]

The front curtains have a white "blackout" backing.
We doubled the material for rear side curtains. We used what was hanging there previously (way too long) and had material left over even after doubling it. The outer layer will fade. The was a bit a fading on them which is now in the inner hidden layer.

[teachergal]

I'm impressed that you made not only your own curtains but your own runner! Looks great!

PW has changed the design of their front privacy curtains - my 2011 Plateau has a runner along the top of the door and the windshield and the curtains go around the front seats! After having rented several RV and all of them being difficult to block all the windows for privacy I'm thrilled with this! The only minor problem is that when the curtains are pulled back for driving it's very easy to grab to the curtain and pull it out of it's band instead of pulling the seat belt! I need to get another band to put around it so I there's nothing to grab!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by markopolo

The front curtains have a white "blackout" backing.
We doubled the material for rear side curtains. We used what was hanging there previously (way too long) and had material left over even after doubling it. The outer layer will fade. The was a bit a fading on them which is now in the inner hidden layer.

Site Admin, electrician, seamstress. Is there no end to your abilities????

[markopolo]

I wish. J did the sewing Mike. She hadn't sewn on a machine in a decade or more but it all came back and she did great.

[Mike]

Funny about sewing on a machine. L sews too, but about as often as J, it sounds.
She has a fancy older one, but it's largely become an inanimate object in her "sewing room".
I still think the collaboration was successful on your project, no matter who did what.