Day-Night Pleated Shades

[Alumaholic]

Has anyone figured out how to incorporate day-night pleated shades into their renovation of a 73-79 Airstream?

How did you mount them?
How did you accommodate the slide handles?
How did you cover the gaps between the shades?

[2airishuman]

hi ken

yes i did this to a 79...in about 89 or 90.

don't know if i've got any film pics from then i'll look.

the current hardward a/s uses screws into the walls and that will work on your trailer. screws at the bottom hold shade against the wall.

i didn't want to attach them that way and i wanted all the sides/edges fully blocked so window "boxes" were built. also i didn't want curtains over the shades like the factory does the combo...

these were thin solid oak 'frames' or boxes...four sides and a 1-2 inch lip on the front. this accented the day/nights nicely. looked like a factory job...
mine were varnished wood but upholstery/padded cloth could be used too.

have you seen the shade/curtain headers on new classics? that is the basic look with sides and bottom added for a full frame...

after measuring windows the blinds were custom sized and the boxes were made just large enough to enclose the shades...

the shades were mounted to the top of the frame box instead of the trailer walls. like hanging shades in a home window frame. frames had angle brackets...at each corner....8 per frame. completely hidden and screwed into the inner skin...solid attachment but very simple install.

i had the day/night shades made exactly the opposite of how they are usually done...

the full blocking section was the bottom panel and the day/sheer panel above it.

that way daylight was added from the top...to see out at eye level first then gradually more light. as the solid panel was lowered/compressed..

the normal arrangement is dumb. if a little light is wanted it is at waist level, instead of high up....i like to see out even if i'm not fully dressed!

does that make sense?

also the full blocking material was color matched to the interior on the inner surface but coated SILVER/metalic on the outside. absolute sun block and the silver looked cool from outside...

levoulor brand? as i recall but any of the makers can do this...

home this helps..

cheers
2air'

[Alumaholic]

What a great response, 2air,

You have answered all the questions that siphoned up into my consciousness and interrupted my slumbers last night.

Just a couple questions...
Does the curb side,where I have two operable windows side by side, entail one "cornice box" with two "frames" or will there be a cornice box for each window?

How doe the cornice box not interfere with window operation?

Did you remove the "valence" from which the top track of the factory curtains hang?

Great concept about reversing the day-night operation of the blinds and so much more useful! I will do same.

[2airishuman]

hi ken,

yes the curtains and cornices were removed. wanted a cleaner modern look and no fluffy stuff.

smooth finished wood window boxes and horizontially pleated shades with all edges covered or 'framed' in by the box. very euro look back then.

that is why the shade material had to be fullly opaque/blocking when raised into position.
baffle or double baffle with solor outer surface and slate blue inside but any color would work. really dark when completely raised.

3/4s up was neat because the sheer still provide light at the upper segment to see out and somewhat like a vista view.

shade sections were cut just a fraction inside the window handle arms. actually the lower shade rail and middle shade rail
just bumped the window arms going up or down.....i was ok with that.

window box 'sides' were curved to match the a/s radius where they contacted the walls...
so once mounted they were pretty flush to the walls.
front edge of side sections was flat so the 1-2 in oak lips fit tight like molding..
boxes were about 3 inches deep as i recall, with a 1-2 inch framing edge on the front.

the sidebyside windows were treated with a double long box that had a T shaped vertical center section.
so it looked like a double frame. this looked great too, but saved the time and space of making two seperate boxes...

all window hardware was 'inside' the frames. so the frames were made just large enough to enclose side handles and lower locks...

the window handle arms were the most hidden. access was best with shades fully up or full down so the shade rails were out of the way.

the boxes were deep enough thay one could get a finger&thumb under the side arms and lift them which extended the window.
at each notch the arms had room to engage. no problems really.

the bottom section of each window box had to be just lower than the locks.
with the bottom shade rail raised a few inches the locks had room to release and rotate.
once the window was open sheer or dark shade could still be pulled down completely and enjoyed.

i'd suggest making a mock up from cardboard. try one and adjust size, depth, wall curve and front lip to suit you.

really these could also be made from aluminum, distressed metal, any wood, high tech laminate or fancy plywoods.
or lightweight plywood and covered with leather, vinyl, cloth, padded cloth.... and so on.

one of the nice things about 'fully boxed window shades' is that the shades are fully enclosed on all sides.
can't fly around during travel or hang away from the curved trailer walls.
and very little light leaks around the edges and the window handles are hidden inside the boxes...

a picture would have made this shorter....i'm looking for one.

cheers
2air'

[Alumaholic]

Your description was a picture unto itself...
After all, a thousand words are worth a picture.

Thanks again! You have saved me a zillion hours of noodleing.

[Dano57]

My wife discovered the day night shades at camping world, are there any better sources? She too wants me to build boxes to surround the sides and top, did your's also frame in the bottom? I have considered making the boxes where the front would open on a hinge to access the window arms, any thoughts on that?

I sure hope you can find some pictures.

Dan

[Alumaholic]

Greetings Dano,
I suggest you PM 2air with your questions just in case he isn't watching this thread. Please Cc me. I'd like to know how he answers your question and if he found any pictures.

Ken

[2airishuman]

hi dano and ken...

i did find some pics but no interior shots, and 16 year old photos of my unit from outside won't help much...

since i'm leaving for several weeks now, i won't be digging for photos again for awhile.

they are window boxes.
yes top, sides and bottoms were included like a 'full framed window'.
just large enough to enclose the latches and lever arms, but with enough of a front lip to hide them and the shade edges...

this pic from camping world shows a cloth covered top section....
now imagaine sides and a bottom. without cloth made from oak.
with 45degree corner joints like picture frames.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/p...=5490&src=SRQB

here is another shot from cw. again cloth covered and with curtain sides.
mine were fully boxed. about 3 inches deep and with a 1-2 inch lip/face section.

http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...1869d&src=SRQB

the most useful thing about this pic is the sun/shaded image...imagine that is reversed. light at the top...

good luck guys. make some cardboard mockups soon.

as for manufacturers of shades...cworld doesn't make em.
they have a vendor for shades...

any of the major brands can make the shades custom to your size needs and color and blocking power, and solar reflection, and so on...

i'd suggest going to a window treatment store, or home depot or lowes.

they will likely also have lots of photos of shade accessories and valences and so on....proabably even some full framed examples...

don't forget custom shades aren't cheap...and could be as much as 200$ per window!

good luck folks...and perhaps others with ideas can jump into this thread too....

cheers
2air'

[2airishuman]

ok another picture....

here is a photo 'spartan' posted in the thursday thread....from his 70s excella...

http://www.airforums.com/forum...0&d=1160683468


see the curtains? now imagine that crown section all all 4 sides.

it would 'frame the curtains or in your cases pleated shades.

and enclose the outlets on the left side with access holes in the framing, but behind the shades...

looks like he's also shopping upholstery and color samples in that photo...

cool.

and the bolt of material sitting on top of the sofa 2the left...

gives an idea what the bottom 'framing does as a window effect...see it?

cheers and out...
2air'

[drjudy]

1985 27’ sovereign mid bath. Have copper mini blinds now finally Levolor makes a rose gold “Copperite” 915 which closely matches the old anodized aluminum extrusions, so planning to re-order all in that color. I like aluminum mini blinds because they can be vacuumed. Planning to make full-surround cornice boxes. Found this on a YouTube channel to pattern the walls: Powertec curve template (available in 37” or 96”). I will edit and post pictures when I make some. All the above was right what I was thinking.