minimalist privacy curtains

[tincaneasybakeoven]

has any one used blackout curtains from the dollar store and metal paperclips over the aluminum window frame lip; to effect privacy with minimal cash outlay? wont believe i am the first.

[skoolie_n00bie]

We're planning on getting fabric, then cut it, and sew it together to size.
Will make rods from 1/2 electrical tubing.
Didn't know the $ store had blackout curtains...

[tincaneasybakeoven]

7'6'l x 38"w with the rod pockets ripped out. fuse the ends with a lighter for no ravel ends.

[Robin97396]

I'm still at a loss for good window coverings. Nothing is cheap with this many windows.

I've wanted to try some type of light weight panel that could slide up from inside the wall under the windows, covering one window or even a pair, for insulation and light blocking qualities. Make some kind of a simple hanger system. Probably another bad idea.

[family wagon]

I went even cheaper than dollar store curtains before I got into completely stripping my bus down. Small 3/4" binder clips with one leg held to the wall with the window frame screw, and the clips holding sections of brown kraft aka "builder's" paper cut to size. In a few places where there wasn't an existing screw handy for holding the binder clip, we used packing or duct tape to hold the paper up.

Around the windshield I used black polyethylene sheeting held up with small (about 1/4" diameter) rare earth magnets to the body sheet metal.

We'll do something that's much nicer to look at and nicer to use after the interior build-out is done, but the paper and plastic did a fair job of being cheap, ugly, and functional.

(products linked are merely examples illustrating the idea, not the exact items I used, blah blah blah. )

[skoolie_n00bie]

Originally Posted by family wagon

I went even cheaper than dollar store curtains before I got into completely stripping my bus down. Small 3/4" binder clips with one leg held to the wall with the window frame screw, and the clips holding sections of brown kraft aka "builder's" paper cut to size. In a few places where there wasn't an existing screw handy for holding the binder clip, we used packing or duct tape to hold the paper up.

Around the windshield I used black polyethylene sheeting held up with small (about 1/4" diameter) rare earth magnets to the body sheet metal.

We'll do something that's much nicer to look at and nicer to use after the interior build-out is done, but the paper and plastic did a fair job of being cheap, ugly, and functional.

(products linked are merely examples illustrating the idea, not the exact items I used, blah blah blah.[emoji2])

That's not going cheap, that's going past scraping the bottom, digging and into the ground! Just awesome!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[tincaneasybakeoven]

the clips are surprisingly flexible to move a panel 2" front or rear. press and pull sliding 2" at a time just use a c clip off the bus seat, to drive between the back and frame flange and pull to make clearance for the metal paperclip then push down on clip; and remove the "C"clip. you could even leave the "C" clip in place and one screw a piece of 3/4" emt conduit to the "C" clip it to have sliding curtains with the pocket. only the clip on the end will be visible. sure do like a buses flexibility. matches my imagination.

[tincaneasybakeoven]

anyone tried this insulation?Astro-Shield Reflective Insulation 2 x125

5/16 inch light weight , cuts with scissors installs with tape r-15 down fits nicely in window frames. works! have it in the attic of the house. only 3 % gets through.

[dredman]

Originally Posted by tincaneasybakeoven

anyone tried this insulation?

Looks like the same as Reflectix?

I am using on the rear windows, and tried it on the front, but I like LOOKING out my windows, and moving it around sux, so I have blackout fabric that moves and folds in easily - but none of it was cheap

[family wagon]

Originally Posted by skoolie_n00bie

That's not going cheap, that's going past scraping the bottom, digging and into the ground! Just awesome!

Yeah, I'm a bit embarrassed about it... it looked every bit as awful, ugly, and tacky as one would imagine. Thankfully my bus had tinted windows which significantly muted the appearance of the brown paper from the outside. We really only ran it that way on one 10-day trip and maybe two or three single nights. It got the job done, and now I'm up to my eye balls at least in my roof raise and re-skin project. We'll come up with something more attractive for covering windows after the new exterior skin and paint are in place!

[skoolie_n00bie]

Originally Posted by family wagon

Yeah, I'm a bit embarrassed about it... it looked every bit as awful, ugly, and tacky as one would imagine. Thankfully my bus had tinted windows which significantly muted the appearance of the brown paper from the outside. We really only ran it that way on one 10-day trip and maybe two or three single nights. It got the job done, and now I'm up to my eye balls at least in my roof raise and re-skin project. We'll come up with something more attractive for covering windows after the new exterior skin and paint are in place!

Bah...no need to be embarrassed about it...!
I use the hell out of those clips any chance i get! I just made some picture frames using cardboard, a sheet of plexiglass i bought at the orange box, medium clips....framed 4 pictures, already! the whole project cost me about 1/2 compared to what i would have spent even at Ikea...and let's be honest, ikea picture frames are not the most durable...
But when the alternative is a $20 frame for a 5x8...i say: "GTFOH, where's my dremel?"

[mysty]

No no no... the alternative for picture frames is $1 (as long as you're not looking for something larger than 8.5x11). Get ye to the Dollar Tree!

[Robin97396]

Yeah they have a lot of stuff in the size/quantity needed for a tight living situation, and they are absolutely everywhere. I still haven't seen these curtains in there.
There were independent dime stores when I was a kid. I didn't think inflation would go up ten fold in a lifetime.

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by skoolie_n00bie

We're planning on getting fabric, then cut it, and sew it together to size.
Will make rods from 1/2 electrical tubing.
Didn't know the $ store had blackout curtains...

Depending on what you want/need?
My wife ended up working night shifts and had to sleep during the day with full sun in our bedroom windows by 7 am? We tried everything that wasn't permanent and what we ended up with was foam board cut to fit the windows and wraped with the dollar store blackout curtains to fill the gas plus regular curtains with shower curtain liners behind them? That was for 2 house windows.
I saved 10 windows plus the driver and if I had to do all of that for them I would cover them all permanently?( joke/discussion between my wife and I)
But I use mine as a camper more than an RV for now.
Foam board cost a little more than poster board but it is 3x as thick,can be cut to fit and with duct tape will stick anywhere?

[tincaneasybakeoven]

Originally Posted by dredman

Looks like the same as Reflectix?

I am using on the rear windows, and tried it on the front, but I like LOOKING out my windows, and moving it around sux, so I have blackout fabric that moves and folds in easily - but none of it was cheap

yep, same stuff.

[tincaneasybakeoven]

some one mentioned using 3/4 emt tubing as a curtain rod. the bus seat bottom clips are 3/4" and will fit at the tops of the window lip allowing an instant curtain wherever you want it. i use a translucent shower curtain and rod, curtain rod clips and 3 bus seat clips when i want more natural light inside. minimalist style allows great flexibility. of course you could use zip ties to attach the curtain to the rod, just don't tighten.

[Robin97396]

I cover the bottom half of my windows with black plastic which hangs down to the floor. This was for winter use and this configuration catches most of the condensation from windows and lower wall, and stops your quilts or whatever might be near a window (everything organic) from getting wet and molding. It also provides a modicum of privacy compared to full window exposure. Anything over the windows provides a bit of an insulation quality. That's why my black plastic curtains hang to the floor. When it's really cold I can raise them up to cover the entire window. I have tinted windows, and when covered with a curtain of black plastic it just looks all dark from the outside.

Does anybody else see the irony in keeping a refrigerator in your bus during the winter? I found out it's hard to fry frozen eggs.

[tincaneasybakeoven]

fire up that rocket heater!

[Robin97396]

That helps with the heat, but you still got to have something over the windows during freezing weather, not to mention for an occasional bit of privacy. Just an air barrier to slow heat transfer. I like black plastic because it doesn't look like there is something taped over the windows.

Yeah, I thought about building a rocket stove. It's a good idea if you have access to lots of quite small sized wood. I opted for the medium household wood stove that will hold a fire for 12 to 14 hours rather than feeding a rocket stove every 20 to 30 minutes. I really don't know which one would use more wood, but I know I don't like feeding a stove every half hour.

During freezing weather the far end of this 26' bus was to cold to sit in basically because of the windows. There's a lot of interior metal parts that sweat from exposure to cold air just like the windows. Covered with any barrier makes a very noticeable difference.

So goes my first winter without insulation. That's what happens with October and November bus buys.

[tincaneasybakeoven]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

That helps with the heat, but you still got to have something over the windows during freezing weather, not to mention for an occasional bit of privacy. Just an air barrier to slow heat transfer. I like black plastic because it doesn't look like there is something taped over the windows.

Yeah, I thought about building a rocket stove. It's a good idea if you have access to lots of quite small sized wood. I opted for the medium household wood stove that will hold a fire for 12 to 14 hours rather than feeding a rocket stove every 20 to 30 minutes. I really don't know which one would use more wood, but I know I don't like feeding a stove every half hour.

During freezing weather the far end of this 26' bus was to cold to sit in basically because of the windows. There's a lot of interior metal parts that sweat from exposure to cold air just like the windows. Covered with any barrier makes a very noticeable difference.

So goes my first winter without insulation. That's what happens with October and November bus buys.

put a rocket bell and insulated riser over a wood stove outlet and keep more heat. if you put a heat loop half way down the bell you can recirculate water and heat the other end of the bus too.my secondary heater does 90,000 btu at 150 degrees with that setup you could maintain 150 degrees out of the bell easy!