Screen room or screening

[SGT DAVE]

The Leisure Travel Van with the new slide has a frame screen door.
I think the screen door will become a regular item in future B's.

SGT DAVE

[Boxster1971]

Also the new Advanced RV Sprinters have a screen door inside slider. They say they will also install in other B-van Sprinters at their factory in Willoughby, OH.
Advanced-RV

It's a bit pricey:
"Installation price range is $1500-$1950 based on cabinet configuration & existing interior finish. Price includes fabrication & installation of forward & rear door jambs, door header, screen door assembly, and material & installation of support/screening for "fixed" portion of screening toward rear of door opening. Installation takes two consecutive working days."

Video:

Advanced Screen Door - YouTube

[eliasurbina]

This is my Fiamma Screen Room and we love it. I also had custom made screens for sliding door and back door for quick stays and cool nights.

[Doug454]

We bought the same one, we like it very much also.

You mention you have a screen on the side door, can you send pics? Where did you get it? We bought one 48" wide with a magnetic seal that is not working well.

[aa9zz]

[QUOTE=eliasurbina;1324341]This is my Fiamma Screen Room and we love it.

How long does it take to put up and can one person do it alone?

I would prefer a full screen side and front. Is there anything on the market that would be full screen?

[eliasurbina]

Yes, I will send screens pics for slide door on side and back door, right now I am having the bathroom fan fixed so it may take a few weeks. I had them custom made at an upholstery shop in Arizona using snaps similar to sliding door curtains. It works and looks very nice.

To install the privacy room from Fiamma, you need to think like an Italian and it took me 3 hours to do by myself. Going forward I think about half an hour or so each to put up and take down. You will need a ladder so I bought a 4' folding ladder to 53" by 4 inches weighing 17 lbs to stow.

I did not find anything with full screens but really only looked at Fiamma since install is to awning.

[Protagonist]

[QUOTE=aa9zz;1324391]

Originally Posted by eliasurbina

This is my Fiamma Screen Room and we love it.

How long does it take to put up and can one person do it alone?

One person CAN put it up solo. As a solo traveler I do it by myself most of the time. With practice and a five-foot stepladder or taller, one person can put it up in about 45 minutes, or take it down in half an hour. Maybe a little longer if you count the time to unpack it and lay out the pieces in a reasonable order, or to repack after taking it down.

The first time takes much longer. There are a couple of holes to drill for brackets on the awning tube, and the awning legs may have to be repositioned slightly; the top ends of the awning legs have to be directly in line with the edge of the awning fabric; mine were about an inch inside the edge of the awning fabric, and I had a hell of a time figuring out why I couldn't get the side walls installed right. But once you've installed the brackets and repositioned the legs to line up with the awning fabric, you never have to do it again.

There are a couple of "vertical rafters" that come with the awning that you'll never use; the Interstate's curved/angled sides mean that the rafters can't be installed. Instead, you need a couple of bungee cords that will stretch to about eight or nine feet in length, to go from the awning tube to the bottom edge of the Interstare's sides, to hold the edge of the screen room side walls to the Interstate.

I would prefer a full screen side and front. Is there anything on the market that would be full screen?

I'm not aware of one that fits the Fiamma F65 awning.

The Privacy Room has roll-up plastic windows over mesh screens. I generally set up my Privacy Room with the windows rolled up out of the way, and no curtains, so I get a good breeze blowing through.

Side note, I detest the bag the Privacy Room comes in. Very first time I used it, the stiching on the webbing handles tore out. I replaced the bag with a Sam Ash trap drum set wheeled bag from Amazon, that holds everything but the "fast clip" side rails that clip to the edges of the awning. I use a fifth-wheel stabilizer tote bag from Camping World to carry the fast clips.

After recently getting a wheeled carry bag for my Sea Eagle inflatable kayak, I think that bag may work even better than the Sam Ash bag. I'll have to take the kayak out and repack with the Privacy Room to see if it fits. If so, I'll let you guys know, and tell you how to get one. Because if it does fit, I'll be buying another, so I have one each for my kayak and Privacy Room.

[eliasurbina]

Better said and I agree. I was stuck on putting the bracket fixture to hold horizontal rafters within awning housing. Drilling was easy once lined up with awning cover and agree that the legs holding up awning need to be realigned to outside edge of awning.

Putting on wall panels on side were a little difficult and I found doing them from the top sides to lower side easiest to install (slide in).

My Fiamma came with bungee cords already for top and bottom and agree don't use vertical post near vehicle, but would use one near door. My Fiamma has two doors that is handy as well.

The Fiamma outdoor rug is also very nice to complete screen room.

[Lily&Me]

The Fiamma Screen Room and outside shower in a related thread are really lovely, guys.

We are liking our tension rod screen for the cargo door, but have not yet had to deal with malicious mosquitoes or no-see-ums. The gap at the bottom will then render it useless.

We have decided to have some of the top cut off and a new pocket sewn for the tension rod, to bring it up to where it will attach to the running board and close that opening more completely. All it is is up top is a pocket for the rod. Fixin' to visit friends in MN who have a heavy machine......

We really like that this stows so easily. Also, only $20.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by doug&maggie

…but have not yet had to deal with malicious mosquitoes or no-see-ums.

Is there such a thing as mosquitoes that AREN'T malicious?

By the way, the Fiamma Privacy Room leaves a gap under the Interstate by which insects, squirels, and other annoyances can enter if they really want to. Fiamma sells a separate panel to close off that opening, but it wouldn't work with the sliding side door or retractable step. Can't have everything, I guess.

Minor hijack here, but on the subject of insects, I learned a quick and easy way to keep crawling insects out of your Airstream and picnic tables. Sprinkle Comet cleanser around the tires and any other points of contact with the ground. Ditto with the legs of your picnic table.

This was recommended to me by the US Army Corps of Engineers at their Eastbank Campground on Lake Seminole. They were suffering an Argentine Ant infestation, and they handed me a leaflet when I checked in that recommended using Comet as an ant repellent. Seems to work for all crawling insects, so far. You may have to add more after a rainstorm, though.

[joemikeb]

…and the awning legs may have to be repositioned slightly; the top ends of the awning legs have to be directly in line with the edge of the awning fabric; mine were about an inch inside the edge of the awning fabric, and I had a hell of a time figuring out why I couldn't get the side walls installed right. But once you've installed the brackets and repositioned the legs to line up with the awning fabric, you never have to do it again.

How would this work with the awnings on late 2013 Interstates that do not have awning legs and instead have a motion detector that retracts the awning if it begins to flap in a wind?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by joemikeb

How would this work with the awnings on late 2013 Interstates that do not have awning legs and instead have a motion detector that retracts the awning if it begins to flap in a wind?

I think that if you call Fiamma, they'll just tell you their Privacy Room does not fit that awning model, end of story. Just like the Privacy Room Lite doesn't fit F65 awnings, only the F45; that's a pity because it weighs 20 pounds less, and packs down into a smaller bundle when stored. So there's no reason why even the regular Privacy Room has to fit all Fiamma awnings.

Side note, if the awning automatically retracts in wind, it must not be very safe to install hanging lights in the awning track? Retracting the awning without removing the lights first could damage one or the other.

[joemikeb]

Side note, if the awning automatically retracts in wind, it must not be very safe to install hanging lights in the awning track? Retracting the awning without removing the lights first could damage one or the other.

No awning lights period as far as I am concerned. The motion sensor is pretty sensitive and it doesn't take much to trigger the retraction. However, as there are no braces, better it retracts than the awning gets blown off.

[herrick51]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I only know of one Sprinter conversion that has a solid-frame screen, the Great West Legend. Are there others?

Both Free Spirit models have the screen door.

[herrick51]

Originally Posted by joemikeb

How would this work with the awnings on late 2013 Interstates that do not have awning legs and instead have a motion detector that retracts the awning if it begins to flap in a wind?

We found the screen room which attach to the awning are more trouble and not as bug proof or rain proof as LL BEAN woodland 10x10 with rain fly and floor. Easy up and down, works well but a bit on the spendy side. Ability to locate with the best view is nice.

Mary

[Skatiero]

Here are photos of our screen room, which works beautifully! Sets up in five minutes.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Skatiero

Here are photos of our screen room, which works beautifully! Sets up in five minutes.

Nice. But will it fit the Fiamma F65 awning on an Interstate? And where did you find it? Or did you make it yourself?

[Skatiero]

We made it ourselves. It was not difficult. I have posted a description of how we made it on here before. I am confident that it could be made to fit any awning.

[MILATV]

I'm new and just did an overnight in my driveway with the awning out (my 2013 Interstate has a fancy new "13' Armless Power Patio Awning"; problem is it 'auto retracted' twice in 4 hours of setting out by the lake.

I understand the 'safety' of better to set in the sun than to tear up a $2,000 awning; but my EZ-UP (beside the van) was fine. . . .

The winds were blowing; but it didn't seem they were bad enough to rip an awning off the van! I can't hook up patio light or anything to it; in risk of it retracting and getting messed up (and why else does one need an awning but to put cool lights on it).

Has anyone else had this issue with a 'no supports' awning? I'd rather drive tent stakes in the ground than

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by MILATV

I'm new and just did an overnight in my driveway with the awning out (my 2013 Interstate has a fancy new "13' Armless Power Patio Awning"; problem is it 'auto retracted' twice in 4 hours of setting out by the lake.

I understand the 'safety' of better to set in the sun than to tear up a $2,000 awning; but my EZ-UP (beside the van) was fine. . . .

The winds were blowing; but it didn't seem they were bad enough to rip an awning off the van! I can't hook up patio light or anything to it; in risk of it retracting and getting messed up (and why else does one need an awning but to put cool lights on it).

Your best bet might be to find the auto-retract sensor, and disconnect it in favor of retracting it yourself when needed.

Some folks here on the Forums have done that with their retractable steps, so they can stop with the engine running to load or unload passengers.