We like to spend a portion of our RV time “dry camping” at some of our favorite parks. Nestled among the trees, or perhaps the desert flora, the spectacular views that are offered add to the experience. The large picture windows found on most of today’s coaches not only provide superior visibility while driving, but also help create an open feeling as the views from outside enhance the living space. However, as the need for privacy may arise, and the front window treatments are closed, the view is lost, and with it, the open feeling. What is needed is the ability to have privacy and enjoy the view at the same time. Sound like having your cake and eating it too? It is.

RV Sunshade Company offers a complete line of one-off custom made sunshades for your coach, which will not only accomplish privacy, but invite the outdoors in, creating an atmosphere that is part of the reason we took to the road in the first place. In addition to privacy and panoramic view, (with shades installed you can see clearly out while those outside cannot see in) the shades also block 90-95% of the sun’s ultraviolet light, protecting the coach’s interior. At night, the conventional window treatments still need to be drawn, as the interior lighting in the coach makes the shades work just the opposite of the way they do during daylight hours. Additionally, there is a thermal benefit, as the shades help resist heat, reducing the coach’s interior temperature on those bright sunny days.

The RV Sunshade Company is completely mobile, and with over thirteen years in the business, Kenny White winters in Palm Desert, California and services Snow Birds while Gordon Brown, Kenny’s partner, provides similar services on the east coast in Naples, Florida. During the summer months, both travel the RV circuit following the rallies.

Making the Shade

Making our appointment well in advance, we arranged to meet Kenny at one of the more popular RV resorts in the Palm Springs area. We started by selecting a material color. RV Sunshade Company offers 12 selections to complement most coaches’ exterior design. The acrylic vinyl mesh used looks similar to the windscreen installed around tennis courts. In addition to vehicle and residential sunscreens the material is now widely used for tire and wheel covers. Since the darker colors absorb more light, while providing the greatest visibility and privacy, we selected a deep chocolate brown with a black piping that matched our coach’s exterior trim. Each coach’s sunshades are custom made for that coach. No patterns or templates are used, which ensures a perfect fit with no sags or wrinkles. Kenny lays-out the locations for the stainless steel snaps and the fabrication begins. Within a couple of hours our custom sunshades were complete and looked as beautiful as they fit. We opted to have Kenny make a pair of wiper blade and arm covers that matched our sunshades, which will help protect the rubber and aluminum anodizing from the elements.

Installation and Care

When installing the front windshield’s shade, start at the center top snap. Snap the lower bottom corners and finish with the top snaps. This is the same way the shade was made and ensures a wrinkle free fit each time. The shades should be carefully cleaned and loosely rolled (not folded) for storage. The material that the sunshade is made of has a “memory” and folding puts crease marks into the shade. The rolled up shades can be stored in a 6" PVC perforated pipe. The holes will aid in the prevention of mildew. One end should be glued in place while the other can be pressed on and pulled off to slide the sunshades in for safekeeping. Finding a suitable place to mount the tube in one of the coach’s storage compartments is what most RVers do best.

Made in the Shade

With the shades installed, my co-pilot asked, “when is he going to install the shades?” When I pointed out that they were in fact installed, she commented, this is probably one of the best upgrades we have made to the coach so far.” A testament to just how well they work. Living in our coach now has added a new dimension. The views and sights are now enjoyed inside our coach while our privacy is maintained and our interior is protected from harmful UV light. The shades work so well that upon leaving the resort I needed to add a new item to our pre-travel checklist... remove and store sunshades.

Source:

RV Sunshade Company
Gordon Brown and Kenny White
Toll-Free (877) 422-5679
www.rvsunshades.com

Scott Dalgleish is a freelance journalist who has enjoyed the Western outdoors and RV lifestyle for over 40 years. He is a contributor to Motorhome magazine and for the past six years, Scott has been working closely with Dodge and Cummins in areas of new product development and customer relations. Scott and his wife are the owners of a new Monaco Coach Corporation product.