Seitz Blinds and frames

[clarkpeacock]

Late last year, in a moment of madness (created by excess wine I think!) I ordered replacement Seitz concertina blinds complete with frames to replace the existing ones which are getting a bit tatty, one with a small tear in it. £620 for two blinds . That's not the complete windows, just the internal frames with concertina blinds and flyscreen fitted. Seemed like a good idea at the time....

Anyhow, after much toing and froing between me, the UK supplier and Seitz to confirm sizes, serial numbers, colour of frame/blinds etc, they arrived after a couple of months and I proceeded to try and install. They didn't fit, as the screws weren't long enough. Closer inspection and it turns out the new frames are about 20mm deeper than the old, so I went back through the supply chain to complain that they had sent the wrong frames, despite multiple checking. After about a week of email exchange, Seitz finally advised the frames have to be cut down to size to suit the motorhome wall thickness. For £620, I somehow expected them to come ready to fit, but it seems not.

I arranged for a local caravan repair shop one man band, who I have used in the past and trust implicitly, to sort for me, but this was at the end of March as he closed down for 'Covid', and now looks like will never reopen, which is a bit of a tragedy. So I am left with some very expensive blinds that I can't fit as the plastic frames need cutting down, which is something I don't have the confidence, or indeed the tools to tackle myself.

A long ramble, but I do have a question. Can anyone recommend a company to cut/mill plastic in the Worcester/ Kidderminster area?

Photos of the existing and new frames follow to hopefully show what needs cutting off - I have two that need doing....

Existing Frame

New frame - needs the 'stepped' plastic trimming all round

 

[iandsm]

This may be a simplistic answer but why can't you just use longer screws. From your pictures they obviously cannot are cut down to size, if they were cut there would be no flat edge to go against the wall, just the sharp cut side

 

[n brown]

i've fitted dozens of seitz ,but i'm not sure what the problem is . do the screw holes line up with those on the outer frame ? if so use longer screws , wood screws will do ,same thickness or the heads won't recess . you want them to go into the outer frame by about 20mm . i sometimes use 2 or3 different lengths of screws if the van wall is tapered

 

[runnach]

Salop leisure

 

[clarkpeacock]

This may be a simplistic answer but why can't you just use longer screws. From your pictures they obviously cannot are cut down to size, if they were cut there would be no flat edge to go against the wall, just the sharp cut side

Thanks for the suggestion. I did actually try this, but it stands the blinds so far off the wall there is an unsightly gap! Seitz are adamant that dealers would always cut the blinds to suit the wall thickness, hence the steps in the plastic, but I have not spoken to anyone who can verify this. Cutting as they suggest would leave a flat edge. Difficult to see from the photos, but you can see where the existing blinds have been milled down to suit, I guess in the factory.

 

[clarkpeacock]

i've fitted dozens of seitz ,but i'm not sure what the problem is . do the screw holes line up with those on the outer frame ? if so use longer screws , wood screws will do ,same thickness or the heads won't recess . you want them to go into the outer frame by about 20mm . i sometimes use 2 or3 different lengths of screws if the van wall is tapered

Thanks N Brown. As per answer to iandsm, this stands the frame too far off the wall. I should be getting the van back home this weekend, so will take some more photos to show the problem.

I did also think about disassembling the blinds and fitting into the old frames, but too much possibly of damaging them I think!

For the money, I was really just expecting them to be a like for like replacement. Particularly with the amount of correspondence that went on pre order

 

[Deleted member 8468]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a related question. In our van the blinds are 'upside down' in that they travel in the wrong direction for our liking, down from the top instead of up from the bottom. What's involved in turning them 180 degrees? Is it just four screws and a bit of velcro?

 

[n brown]

well ,i haven't come across this before ,but i would hope that the designers would have made this an easy thing to do . be interesting to see more pics !

 

[mfw]

You might be able to use a multitool and a power plane to smooth level it off - but i dont know and you could wreck it - depends on whether a power plane will work on plastic without wrecking it - lot of money to gamble with though

 

[trevskoda]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I have a related question. In our van the blinds are 'upside down' in that they travel in the wrong direction for our liking, down from the top instead of up from the bottom. What's involved in turning them 180 degrees? Is it just four screws and a bit of velcro?

You just unscrew the frame and turn 180 d,mine are sorted as you request,one thing i am looking for is the side fillers as you can see.

 

[clarkpeacock]

You just unscrew the frame and turn 180 d,mine are sorted as you request,one thing i am looking for is the side fillers as you can see. View attachment 83944

HI Trev

Once I eventually get my new blinds sorted and fixed, I will have the old inserts spare.

 

[clarkpeacock]

You might be able to use a multitool and a power plane to smooth level it off - but i dont know and you could wreck it - depends on whether a power plane will work on plastic without wrecking it - lot of money to gamble with though

That's my worry. I can see me melting great lumps out of the frames!

 

[n brown]

i reckon the multitool might be ok, but i woudn't risk a plane . i think you could do it on a saw bench up against a fence with depth set right. but i think you might need a special saw blade for plastic,same as you'd use for aluminium

https://www.toolstoday.com/saw-blad...-saw-blades.html?sort_by=relevency&page_num=2 .

 

[mfw]

If you use a multitool support what you dont want removed/damaged wood packing and clamp it

 

[clarkpeacock]

i reckon the multitool might be ok, but i woudn't risk a plane . i think you could do it on a saw bench up against a fence with depth set right. but i think you might need a special saw blade for plastic,same as you'd use for aluminium

https://www.toolstoday.com/saw-blad...-saw-blades.html?sort_by=relevency&page_num=2 .

I've got one of these

And one of these


I reckon cutting the frames without damage is a bit beyond my skill sets

 

[martinmartin]

There are plenty of places that do routing on all sorts of plastics.

 

[n brown]

i'm pretty sure a sawbench will do the job ,but i'll wait for more pics

 

[clarkpeacock]

Thanks for the input so far. Van is in for service and MOT so fingers crossed it will be ready to collect tomorrow and bring home. Been in storage since the end of Feb, so a few jobs to catch up with before hopefully getting out soon!

Will let the expected rush die down a bit first

 

[trevskoda]

HI Trev

Once I eventually get my new blinds sorted and fixed, I will have the old inserts spare.

I will mes the size and pm you to work s out

 

[Silver sprinter]

You say you have faith in the one man band. But you think he might not open up. I would just fit the new blind and hang fire to the guy you trust opens up Even if he doesn't open up. He needs to get another job. So he will be glad to get the job to make a shilling. Out of curiosity did you price a new full windows. To see what the difference was. To maybe recoup some of your money.