Covering up the windows in your RV for privacy and to block heat and light is a hot topic on RV forums and RV Facebook groups. Today, we’ll explore all types of RV shades to help you decide on how to cover those windows.
Cornice with Traditional Blinds/Shades
The little box around your RV windows is called a cornice, and while some folks think they look corny (pun totally intended), they serve a purpose. The cornices are designed to block light coming in from the outside around the edges of the blinds.
The downside of the cornice is that it does take up some space around your windows. If you’re modifying your RV to take out a dinette or adding storage solutions, these window covers can block access to vertical space.
Taking out the cornice can open up space, but you may want to add curtains to block the edges of the blinds you are keeping the blinds.
The plus side of this style of RV shades that the classic RV blinds have a double layer – a light filtering layer and a blackout shade. The lighter layer is great for daytime when you want to let in light, but you don’t want to compromise privacy in tight RV parks. It’s also great in cooler temperatures because you can let in natural heat from the sun.
The second layer of these traditional accordion blinds is typically made of blackout shade fabric. Pull this layer down when you want to block out heat and light. Great for daytime snoozing, these room-darkening shades can also drop the temperature on the sunny side of your RV on warm days.
Traditional RV shades do come with a few cons. The fabric can get dusty and pull like a sweater, particularly if it’s near furniture. The strings wear out, and while there are kits to restring the shades, it’s considered one of the most frustrating RV activities by many RVers.
Roll-Up RV Shades
Newer model RVs are going to a tried and true method of window coverings – the roller shade. This simpler design of the traditional day-night shade offers two layers that simply roll down. One is the light filtering layer and the other is a blackout layer.
Less strings means less chance that you will have to restring your blinds. These slimmer blinds also make your RV look more modern.
The cons are that most of the blackout shade colors are dark. This means more dust and lint show on the shade. It’s a simple fix to clean them with a lint roller or a damp microfiber cloth.
Cut-to-Size Foil Inserts
Those RV cornices have a handy feature – they can hold in a reflective foil layer to keep heat in or out, depending on which side you use. The reflective side sends heat out of your RV and the duller side will absorb heat in cooler months. Another pro of these foil window coverings is that they protect your RV from sun damage. This is a great option for the dash of your Class A or C coach.
The cons of the foil window coverings include having to cut them to size, removal and storage when you want access to your windows, and they are foil (this can seem unsightly to some).
Traditional Mini-Blinds
If you want to install a traditional mini-blind in your RV and ditch the cornices, this is an easy swap. The hanging hardware is similar and easy to install. Just be sure that the hardware you use will hold up to rolling down the road. RV blinds are installed with travel in mind, so ensure you use good hardware. It’s also probably a good idea to pull blinds up before you travel, so that they don’t swing in transit.
RV Curtains
A big trend in RV window coverings is to take out the cornices and blinds and replace them with curtains. Here are a few things to consider when switching to curtains:
- How will you hang them? Many DIYers use heavy-duty Command Hooks to hang their curtain rods and curtains above the RV windows. This strategy is helpful if you are unsure of where to drill holes or if you want to avoid drilling holes altogether. (This is especially helpful if you want to restore your RV to factory settings before trade). The main consideration? Be sure you get hooks with a weight limit suitable for your curtains and rods.
- Store-bought curtains may be too long. Be sure you can hem the edges of your curtains before you hang them. This a simple sewing exercise with a machine. You’ll need to take measurements from the bar to the desired hanging length.
- Top sheets make great curtains. Don’t know how to sew? Don’t want to sew? Consider using the hem on a top sheet as your curtain rod insert and hem the bottom with no-sew fabric webbing or glue.
- For a retro look, use drapery hooks. These hooks are similar to shower curtain hooks, but they have a small clip on the end of the ring. This is an inexpensive way to make sheets into curtains. You can purchase these from Amazon.
RV Shades for Sky Lights, RV Doors, and Windshields
Because your RV is a vehicle, sometimes you have light coming in from odd-sized windows and even overhead spaces. But don’t worry, there’s a shade for that too. Here are a few shade options you may not know about:
- Replace the door window with a window plus built-in shade. If you’re RV door is letting in too much light or you want to customize your lighting a bit more, consider spending about $75 to change out the door window for a window plus shade combo.
- Is your bathroom skylight keeping you up at night? For just under $10, you can get a custom shade for your skylights and vents. It screws into the edge of your vent or skylight and rolls up when you don’t need it.
- Reflect-the-sun shades. If you don’t like the idea of foil in your windows, a light-colored reflective shade insert can keep the inside of your RV cooler and protected from sunlight.
This guide to RV shades is just a scratch on the surface of all the cool window treatments you can add to your rig. Do you have something we missed? Tell us about it in the comments.
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