Thermal curtains

Lazlo

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Hi guys I'm thinking of getting some thermal curtains cab and rear door anyone used them and do they do what it says on the tin thanks lazlo
 
A must in my opinion esp winter ,externals are great .internals also good but cause a lot of condensation .
Externals not too good if you require a quick getaway
You may receive a varied amount of opinions on this
 
I can see good argument for internal thermals, but not so sure of a convincing case for external.
At least within in the context of wildcamping, especially if you like moving on a frequent short stop basis. They inevitably get dirty, and likely as not they'll be wet, and you've got to find a place to store. I'm not so sure
grit/sand trapped under them isn't likely to scratch the windscreen either. That's my case put forward and I'm sticking with it!

Or is OP discussing thermal drapes?
 
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Not exactly but..

We have a cheapo (£10) picnic rug
Black damp-proof one side
Blue white and red stripey the other.
Using an expanding curtain rail we hang this where the seats swivel ie where the cab ends and the hab area begins.
It is only 3/4 way to the floor but does a job.
We have the black side in too assist with darkness.

We also have external sun-blinds which we sometimes use as well.

We do have proper thermals for cab-door windows and windscreen but only use those if it is very cold.
It we used all 3 then minimal heatloss via the cab area..but a bit too fussy.

In an emergency we can drive a short distance with the external sun-screen or blinds in place as we can see out

PS We do not use MoHo in winter !
 
I have a thick blanket which I drape across the 'van behind the cab seats and which completely isolates the cab.

This makes a huge difference ...
 
We tuck a duvet under the edge of the top bunk and drape it down to the floor, it cuts off all the cab area and we get no cold draughts at all coming through. It's amazing how warm it gets even on the coldest nights as we're in our van fulltime through the winter. We use a lot less gas too..
The downside is you loose the front seats but that doesn't matter to us as we can sit in the lounge area at the rear. We don't get any condensation on the screen either until we lift the duvet but we only do that when we're going to move off but then we start the engine and screen blower is going..
It also makes it feel so cosy.....
 
Hi,

The Murvi has lined thermal curtains. We find them very effective and very easy to slide across the cab.

I am well past the age for fixing external screens in all weathers.





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dezi :camper:
 
Lazlo said:
Hi guys I'm thinking of getting some thermal curtains cab and rear door anyone used them and do they do what it says on the tin thanks lazlo
Click to expand...

Cannot confirm whether bought thermal curtains do what they claim as never had any. However, it is certain that almost any window covering will reduce heat loss through the glass and the cab windows are a major leak! One problem with stuff offered on the web is lack of measured facts. Many vendors say their products have good insulation value but fail to back this up with R or U values.

Very useful posts above which should give you a feel for what works.

We had an old van for which no silver screens, neither internal nor external were available. I cut some patterns from Coroplast (twin wall plastic sheet) as first stage in making DIY internal silver screens. We found they were excellent for privacy and reduced condensation. They were a tight fit and had to be sprung in place. The van felt warmer with them in place but we don't have measured values to back that up.
Just slowing down the convection currents that flow downwards over cold glass helps by reducing air movement.

The table below shows R & U values for windows in buildings with different coverings arranged in order of heat loss, worst at the top, best at the bottom.

Windows R&U Values.jpg

Obviously secondary glazing would be difficult in a van but silver screens, in or out may be broadly similar to well fitting shutters. Boxed blinds where the top, bottom and sides fit into a channel have the advantage of reducing, maybe stopping, convection currents across the glass.
Curtains can be made thicker with an insulation layer in the middle but need to be held against the body work around the edges to avoid cold down draughts. Magnets might do that job.

This link might be interesting: How to make awesome thermal curtains - Appropedia: The sustainability wiki :)
 
POI Admin said:
I have a thick blanket which I drape across the 'van behind the cab seats and which completely isolates the cab.

This makes a huge difference ...
Click to expand...

Likewise , pretty effective . Real pennypinching by manufacturers not providing a curtain . My van is coachbuilt , lounge to rear . Due to layout seats don't swivel , therefore curtain essential
 
My van had a full width bulkhead, recognising how much heat is
lost to the cab area on just about any van, I cut an access way
through full height, and insulated the remaining bulkhead.
The access through has a curtain made up from a thermal layer
lined both sides with standard curtain.
Disadvantage is, that the cab area is not incorporated within
the cab area. An advantage is that the van cab doesn't
need any rearrangement or seat adjustment before driving off,
and doesn't fog up as readily when say, cooking, or showering.
 
We bought a set of thermal curtains from dunelm. Put an extendable net curtain pole along the top of the cupboards at the front and curtains hang down behind the cab seats. Makes a big difference in the winter.
 
Are the external covers waterproof, ie they don't turn into a big sponge when wet? We have internal curtains and sometimes use internal quilted window covers, but they tend to cause condensation. Ta Bob
 
POI Admin said:
I have a thick blanket which I drape across the 'van behind the cab seats and which completely isolates the cab.

This makes a huge difference ...
Click to expand...

We used to do that in our Elddis Autoquest, it was proper draughty without it. we now have a Neismann & Birschoff A class which if not draughty anywhere and the cab forms the living space. I made an external insulated cover from quality laminate floor underlay and have used it in hot weather and cold weather to great effect.
We tend not to use it if wilding anywhere with a slight chance of disturbance but otherwise its great and weighs a few hundred grammes.
 
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