Easy question..shades open or closed?
 

Shades open or closed for winter storage? Old style pleated.

Feel like I did the wrong thing last winter, we had two of the tension bobber things break this spring.

Now I don’t remember if I did open or closed though!

Not sure that it matters - though I stand to be corrected as I too would like to store them in the 'kindest' position. I think the tension is used to provide friction in the cord system so that the shades will stay where you place them.

We used to close ours to minimize any fading that might occur. But that was when we stored outside, and we get a lot of pretty intense sunlight here.

Whenever we store or park for a time we close all shades and put up sun shades in all front windows. Reduces fading inside the coach, and eliminates looky-loos. Nothing to see here, move on.

For tension shades, leaving them long term in least tension will preserve spring life. Shades down (drapes closed) will reduce fading of interior surfaces (sunny days with snow on the ground have brilliant reflective light...just ask skiiers) and perhaps keep trailer slightly warmer.

Of course, you are 100% right about tension shades. For this reason, we left the tension shades in our Airstream trailer in the raised position during storage or parking. In our van, we have the electric shades, so we don't see any downside to leaving them closed. If someone with more experience with the power shades in Interstate vans has a different view on that issue, I welcome their input. :)

I drop the nightshades and put reflective covers on the cab windows for storage. The less someone can see into the coach, the safer it is.

Certainly storing them in the less-tension position is better. But is 'up' less tension? The String is fixed at the top and bottom and I think in raising and lowering the day or night portion of the shade you are just changing where the blind sits on the unchanged length of string (unchanged length = unchanged tension). Least that's how I have them figured.