Well, our 4 month campaign that started innocently with Fantastic Fans is finally over. The Excella now features new carpet, kick panels, couch and chair upholstery, mini-blinds, curtains from Ambrose, temper-pedic mattress pad and plumbing/faucets. Add in the Power Controller for the Dometic Refrigerator (shut down before after 12 hours..), water heater ignition rewiring, replacement main power cable, and some general cleanup, betteries, etc, and we're ready for trip into Canada and on to Oshkosh by end of the month! Nobody has expressed any interest in former pinkish mini-blinds, so they'll probably visit the dump by month-end.. Also added swing-up cabinet door over refrigerator (where microwave once lived..) to make pantry space, and replaced ugly black plastic panels on refrigerator with Oak..
I'll try to post a couple before and after photo's... First two are "Before's".. Others are "After's"
John McG
__________________ Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
We too had mini blinds everywhere. I have left only the one across the back window, as we have found it useful in retaining privacy while permitting ventilation. They really do not work well with the windows Airstream has used these past 30 years or so.
Blinds question: My newly acquired airstream had ugly mauve plastic miniblinds throughout, except on the curved area which appears to be original and in good shape. All the tracks are gone from the blinds throughout and replaced by cheap thin metal rods. I hesitate to find better quality mini blinds. I was thinking of perhaps of doing something like a natural ratan/bamboo role up. Any recommendations? How do I secure the bottom so it won't slap when in motion? Or is it possible to replace track system and try to go fabric?
We replaced mini-blinds (ours were 1" aluminums) with equivalents from Home Depot at $15 to $25 per window for privacy and ventilation, though they are a little cumbersome behind new fitted curtains from Ambrose, and might be considered redundant by some...
Our trailer had metal clips with holes on bottom side of each window, and we fabricated "pegs" from screws and nylon spacers on sides of bottom rail of blinds to lock into holes in clips and retain while traveling. If you also have curtains on rails, they do pretty effective job of keeping blinds from flying around when in motion.
Roll-ups could work, depending on type of valence or box or coves at top of window, plus curtain rail spacing. There might not be enough room for full roll to fit behind curtains when blind up and curtains closed, if you want that option.. We find we have to raise mini-blinds half-way to open or close and latch windows, since latches and lifters in our trailer are behind blinds.
We also looked at fabric blinds (as used in some new RV's) which slide up and down on stretched strings alongside windows... We found curvature of side windows too much for straight-line fabric blinds, though they might have worked on front and rear end windows...
John McG
__________________ Condoluminum
In Theory, there's no difference between Theory and Practice, but in Practice, there is usually a difference...
Quick Links
Finally Finished! Muaves & Flowers GONE!! 
Hybrid Mode
