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Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:54 pm

along the same lines, something I was working on

http://shufti.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/vanagon-insulated-window-blanket-prototype/

magnets, yes.

alistair

Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:55 pm

Wow, those are sweet!

Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:36 pm

*Smacks forehead* Magnets... of course. I made a set these a number of years ago when the van got parked in the driveway for the engine swap. However I cut them to window size and used velcro tabs, which all eventually fell off. They do work well when in place... van was always cool inside.

Wed Sep 02, 2015 10:19 am

Syncronicity wrote: Quote: Tom, where are your magnets on the van?
We didn't mount any magnets to the van. We just taped them to the Reflectix and they stick to the van body around the windows.

Do you have any pictures on the individual sections? How the edges look, how the magnets look attached?

Thanks!

Wed Sep 02, 2015 9:04 pm

Borrowed from Gallery (not mine - it's Winston :wink: ):

"Keeps out the sun and keeps in the heat, rare earth magnets holding it in place on Winston, a 1.9 WBX Westy."

Looks like aluminum foil insulation tape to hold the magnets...easy on, easy off...

8)

Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:51 am

dhaavers wrote: Borrowed from Gallery (not mine - it's Winston :wink: ):

"Keeps out the sun and keeps in the heat, rare earth magnets holding it in place on Winston, a 1.9 WBX Westy."

Looks like aluminum foil insulation tape to hold the magnets...easy on, easy doff...

8)

Thanks! Might try and pick some up this weekend and see if I can't get something sorted. Ordered 30 rare earth magnets off amazon earlier this week already too!

Thu Sep 03, 2015 5:51 am

dhaavers wrote: Borrowed from Gallery (not mine - it's Winston :wink: ):

"Keeps out the sun and keeps in the heat, rare earth magnets holding it in place on Winston, a 1.9 WBX Westy."

Looks like aluminum foil insulation tape to hold the magnets...easy on, easy doff...

8)

Thanks! Might try and pick some up this weekend and see if I can't get something sorted. Ordered 30 rare earth magnets off amazon earlier this week already too!

Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:22 am

I cut the reflectix with scissors, then taped the magnets on with the aluminum hvac tape. Been a few years now. A few magnets have come off, but it's easy enough to tape them back on.

Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:34 am

We made a set for the front windows (as I hated the stock front curtain hanging everywhere). Sunscreen in the front window, and reflectix on the driver and passenger windows - lots of privacy and none of the curtain clutter...

Found that the reflectix separated a bit after being cut (with scissors) which meant we were going to tape up the seams anyway, so I just set the magnets inside the refectix, held with a little adhesive then taped the seam with some non-printed HVAC tape.

Has been great so far!! \:D/

The 2 flat window sections store perfectly in the upper bunk space with the top closed. Just a few inches in, so they can be pulled out without popping the top if needed (to help keep cool when parked and whatnot)

Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:02 pm

Here are a few pics of the shades from the inside and how the magnets are taped on. I used the 1/2"x1/4"x1/4" Apex magnets. I put 2 on each side edge and 2 to 3 on top and bottom, depending on length. 60 to 70 magnets, depending on how tight you want them to the window. https://www.apexmagnets.com/1-2-x-1-4-x-1-4-bars-blocks
Tape the magnets on very good, with some good tape or they will rip through the tape when removing. I tried a few types of tape and this tape is by far the best. I ran a piece straight over the magnets on to the reflectix, then a piece catty-corner on each side of the magnet.

Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:28 pm

I was scrolling down the thread, looking--"Oh, somebody else did the two Bass Pro Shop LED arrays! Assuan Brown, too... "

:shock:

Yes, I was clueless.

The stuff does wear out, the one I keep in the rear window has the foil starting to come off the plastic, but the stuff is cheap enough, you can make more. I use aluminum tape for my borders and to hold the earth magnets in place. Harbor Freight sells those relatively cheap.

Worth the time and effort, for a fact--and if something DOES happen to one, it's not the end of the world. I plan on re-using the earth magnets, too, when the Reflectix is shot.

Best!

Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:25 am

One question here... with the reflectix on the windows, should we not close the curtains over the top or will that not make any difference? We'll be blasting our propex in the snow and just want to make sure I'm not taking away from the job the shiny insulation is supposed to be doing by covering it up.

I went the reflectix route but it wasn't as cheap as I had hoped it would be. I bought two 48" x 10' rolls of reflectix ($42) and a bunch of rare earth magnets from Home Depot. I didn't go with the 24" roll of reflectix because I wanted a snug fit on the front window which I cut to 29" tall, and in the end there wasn't a ton left over. The rare earth magnets that I originally got from Harbor Freight were crap (some had suggested these in prior posts but they aren't strong at all) so I got more expensive ones from home depot but they work really well

http://www.homedepot.com/p/MASTER-MAGNETICS-1-2-in.../202526367

I cut little slots in the sides of the reflectix and inserted the magnets, closing it with clear 3M packaging tape. Whole project probably cost about $80 and took 2 hours.

Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:59 am

So it seems like magnets are people's choices, but I would like to extol the virtues of the suction cups.

First, I noted in the pictures that the magnets leave a lot of sag and don't seem to seal well against light getting in. Which means there is air passing through the gap as well. With suction cups holding tightly onto window glass, I "tension" the covers and the edges pull tight against the rubber window seal. Easy to do, you simply pull the cover tight as you are putting the last end up.

I'm not sure you can pull hard against the magnets in order to ensure all 4 sides are tight in the same way. The suction cups are also attached to the window glass and the height of the rubber seal all the way around (vs the plane of the window glass - 1/4"?) means the reflectix is tightly pressed against the rubber seal for a tight seal. Since the magnets are sitting merely flush (not pressed against) the metal window openings, there is inevitably no sealing pressure. I think this is a key difference and I hope to show someone with the magnet set what a huge difference this makes. If I'm not explaining it fully, let me know.

This tight seal means it is trapping air behind it such that in winter we don't feel the cold air dropping along the walls you can feel inside a very cold vehicle with no window insulation. Sealing off the light also makes for a completely black interior even on a sunny day (or a 4am sunrise when' you'd kinda like to sleep till 8).

The light seal is also crucial if you are stealth camping and don't want to broadcast that the van is occupied to a random person walking down the sidewalk or to a security guard clear at the other end of the parking lot.

So, I will remember to take a few pictures of how tightly mine seal, and also a shot of it at night with interior lights on. I have 4 full sets of these suction window covers for our various vehicles, and the oldest is over 5 years old and still fully functional. The suggestion to put them under the mattress is a very good one. In our other vehicles, I roll them up and put a bungie cord around the roll. That's also how I store them together up in the attic of the garage for the off season.

Doug

Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:31 am

dustywesty wrote: One question here... with the reflectix on the windows, should we not close the curtains over the top or will that not make any difference? We'll be blasting our propex in the snow and just want to make sure I'm not taking away from the job the shiny insulation is supposed to be doing by covering it up.

Nice job! As to the question of curtains over the foil - from a practical point of view it won't make much difference, the foil will reflect infrared the best, i.e. radiated heat such as your body puts out, then gets absorbed by the curtains and then would get '"reflected" back, so staying in the van either way. The Propex is heating air which has less of a tendency to be "reflected" back until it has warmed a surface (or body) enough to start radiating infrared. Curtain won't do much to aid in the process unless they are laying up against the reflectix enough to create a dead airspace between it and the reflectix to aid in thermal resistance. Our curtains hang pretty far from the glass. The curtains might look nicer over the foil.

We are looking to do the same, any tricks to cutting the shapes out? As IdahoDoug stated, having a good seal is important - glass does a good job of conducting heat out without sealed dead air spaces.

Wed Dec 21, 2016 10:22 am

Doug, thanks for all the info, but where were you yesterday when I needed you?? ;) Really though, that has made me second guess my decision with the magnets in favor of the suction cups, but I'm too heavily invested in those damn rare earth magnets. I did get in the car this morning and noticed that there actually wasn't a ton of light coming in, but there are a few spots I noticed that could probably take an additional magnet. Mine are spaced pretty far apart in an effort to save money on magnets but it sounds like it's not worth it to have the gap. Look forward to seeing pics of your setup and how you did the suction cups.

Alaskaberries, thanks for the tip on the impact of closing the curtains... that makes sense. Because we did the magnets, that actually creates at least an inch of space between the window and the reflectix and then the curtain would hang pretty snug up to the reflectix. For cutting, I measured the height and cut that out first and then slowly trimmed and checked fit with scissors which worked pretty well. After you cut one out, you have the template for the other side! Good luck with your project, look forward to seeing it done.