Last week in north Texas was HOT! Several days were near ninety degrees and the inside of the motorhome was warmer than that – this boy ain’t used to that kinda heat! It was obvious to me that I need a windshield sun shade – more than just the curtains on the inside.
So, I started my research. I found a couple of good options. The Magneshade brand seems to have an excellent reputation on the RV forum that I frequent but the price is wee bit on the high side for me. Something around $600 – just for the windshield. The mirrors and side windows would add about $300 to that. I have no doubt that the product is worth that but I hate giving my money to others.
What to do??
Yup, I ordered a bunch of material and am going to make my own. I kept my sewing machine and have plenty of time for projects these days so will kill some time and save some money. Well…. maybe – we’ll see if I succeed or not.
I ordered 7 yards of black Phifertex material, V69 polyester thread, and some webbing (for the edges). PhiferTex is marketed as having a 95% shade factor and is woven from PVC-coated polyester – highly durable, mildew resistant, stain resistant, fade resistant and easy to clean. Time will tell! 🙂
An interesting tidbit turned up during my research. Several tests have shown that RV interior temps are reduced when a black fabric is used versus white. There are some competing theories to explain this but I want cool so black is what I ordered.
My Dutch Star has the turnlock fasteners already installed on the exterior but I really like the Magneshade method of using magnets to hold the shade in place. The eliminates having to get a ladder out to install and remove the shade each time. That is appealing! So, I ordered a couple dozen of the super strong 3/4″ x 1/8″ Neodymium Disc magnets from Amazon. (see note below).
Note from JD: These magnets proved to have insufficient holding power. I ended up using some stronger magnets noted in this follow-up.
One of the challenges of the full timing lifestyle is having things delivered. I opted to have the above items delivered to one of the places that I know I will visit in the coming few weeks so they should be there waiting when I arrive.
Will $165 worth of material yield a windshield cover, side window covers, and rear view mirror covers of which I am not ashamed? And save me about $700?? Stay tuned and we’ll know in a few weeks.
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