Curtains for a tin top

[edsteckel]

Good afternoon!

I am looking for a good curtain track and hardware that will work on all the windows in my Vanagon. It is a 1988. I will probably get curtains from Sewfine, or comparable.

Anyone have any recommendations from experience? Thanks in advance

Ed

[DuncanS]

Sorry you have been ignored.

There are many ways to skin this cat. One of the simplest is to get wire clips/clamps:

And screw them into the tin with sheet metal screws. Use some kind of spacer so the clamp is a ½" away so it doesn't pinch the fabric. Then rod from the local hardware store or wood dowels which go through the top hem of the curtain. I wouldn't buy curtains as they couldn't be easier to make. If you don't want to sew, buy iron hem tape and fold the edges over and iron them. Cheap simple and quick---AND you get the fabric you want.

[Red Ryder]

I understand the idea of using a DIY curtain rod set up, which is fine if you want them in place all the time. The factory used removable curtain panels with snaps in later tin top versions like the Carat. We have found this more versatile.
_________________
“Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland

“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red

[RGS Paul]

There are several good threads here describing how to make snap in curtains for the 7-passenger. For example:

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=661256

We have the stock snap in curtains and love them, much cleaner day to day than permanently mounted curtains and it keeps the cabin from feeling cluttered. I hate the Westfalia curtains in my parents van, they always seem in the way and make the windows seem small. It's a Westfalia, so they make sense there, but they still seem to close the van in.

Paul
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'87 Syncro 7-Pass. Adventure Touring Vehicle
"Simplicate, then add lightness." Colin Chapman

[DuncanS]

I agree about not having them all the time. This would work for that.

Just lift them out when you don't want them. Or bent rods jammed into rail plugs. You could pull them out and be left with just a hole with a plastic rim painted to the color you want.

[djkeev]

One of My PO's screwed house style flat curtain rod to the window pillars.
The ends are smushed and they just look cheesy.

I'm thinking to do like the Westy lift gate curtain, two strips of aluminum thin bar stock, one top, one bottom.

No fancy curtain hanger clips or easily failed elastic at the bottom.

I've now got all Winter to come up with something before heading West.

Interested to see what you do.

Dave
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Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[DuncanS]

Ahhhh.....The joys of the PO's mods. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the next owner of mine discovers what he bought.

[kguarnotta]

I have a '65 - ez camper. Back then - they used long springs, that the curtains slide on. It works ok - they don't slide as well as I'd like - then again maybe the original curtains had a liner to help them slide. I made the curtains for mine. Really simple - I don't think finding long skinny springs would be too hard.

Actually I just found this stuff called curtain wire-
https://tinyurl.com/4fb7nk5h
Which looks pretty good...

My '78 westy had the rails on the sides, and then a snap-in for the front area. This set up was pretty good, I just had to store the front curtain.

My '86 Syncro has the snap in curtains. I don't really like this. I have to take up space storing these in the syncro all the time. ALso - when I go to put them up, it is a lot of fiddling trying to figure out which curtain goes in which location. I keep thinking I'm going to mark them - but never get around to i.
I'm also missing one or two of them. I'd like to install some permanent, light blocking ones. I like the idea of them in place all the time.

I almost forgot - I got a set of Westy Curtains - and thought I could install them into my '86, but it's not really set up like I thought. So I'm trying to decide which way to go...

I have a modified weekender, which a previous owner installed a pop-top.
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-Kevin
Lincoln, MA

'86 Triple Knob Syncro w/EJ22
'78 Westy
'69 Single Cab
'65 Kombi - EZ-Camper

[oldskewlsk8ter]

Years ago I bought a kit to add curtains to a tintop. It is basically aluminum bar stock bent to fit the windows. I made my own curtains from some Walmart blackout curtains and everything was fine…until I ran across the curtains offered by https://www.heritagepartscentre.com/us/ They are pricey, but after installing them, I am glad I splurged. They consist of an upper and lower track that mounts inside the window opening. The curtains have plastic guides sewn into the top and bottom and they slide inside the tracks. It makes the van feel roomier too.
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1986 Hightop w/EJ25 DOHC & 4EAT auto
1965 Kombi project

[Mikesarge]

MAGNETS!

I used black canvas and sewed a bunch of magnets into the corners and along the top and bottom edges. They stay up just great after adding a couple more recently, and when I take them down there aren’t any snaps, clips, holes, or anything. Plus, I can stick them over just part of the window, or anywhere else that is magnetic.
_________________
1986 Syncro westfauxlia EJ22
1980 911 SC 3.1

[DuncanS]

Curtains--First thing I did when I bought a boat was take out the curtains. Port holes are typically not very large and how much can someone see looking in a window the size of a shoebox? Well, the T3s have much bigger windows and they are rolling greenhouses. But, I never have felt the need. Over the years I have spent probably a couple of hundred nights in the cars and maybe once was worried about privacy. Even when we go to a campground, the nearest neighbor is 75' away through the trees. If it were more crowded with less privacy, I wouldn't want to go there with or without curtains. For us, the whole reason for cruising, whether on the water or land, is to be able to enjoy seeing new areas. Yes, it's nice to meet others, but when we want to.

Living in a rural area may have advantages for all this. Don't know what urban living and camping would be like.

[danfromsyr]

I installed the carat style with snaps in my tintop,
I keep them in a pillowcase under the rear bench so they don't get all buggerd up.
also installed a pas side swivel, westy table mounts and a rear hatch screen..
very very nice arrangement
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[kguarnotta]

the thing with curtains - I don't use them so much for privacy, but so I can sleep in in the morning....
_________________
-Kevin
Lincoln, MA

'86 Triple Knob Syncro w/EJ22
'78 Westy
'69 Single Cab
'65 Kombi - EZ-Camper

[vanagonjr]

[floodwood]

In my tintop I use velcro glued to the van / sewed to the curtains for the bottoms and run a string along the perimeter of the inside that the top of the curtains run on, looping it around various knobs, etc. Im open to other solutions myself as well

[Timwhy]

I used aluminum flat bar with nylon spacers for the curtain rails for the back windows other than the slider.
That I used snaps on as well as the front windows, each having their own curtain so the doors could open exposing what up front.

_________________
'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_author=Timwhy&show_results=summary

http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMWHY2?feature=mhee

[danfromsyr]

"curtain Wire" like the westy used on the bottoms is available in long lengths.
it is not 'elastic' it is a long wound spring.. that the eye hooks screw into.

if they do sag/stretch a little from use/abuse/time it's all of 15seconds to shorten it up a smidge with a wire cutters.
White and Brown are the typical colors.. I'd think you can vinyl spray a brown one black with fairly good success.
https://www.amazon.com/GogoForward-WHITE-WINDOW-CURTAIN-CABLE/dp/B01N1MY89M

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[thebaz67]

I saw this on youtube and I thought it looked quite well done...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW56PShEu00

[DuncanS]

Very nice, but too permanent for me. I'd want to take them entirely off and put them up in just a couple of minutes. Don't want curtains up all the time for the 5% of camping use. Daily driver.

Perfect for many.

[djkeev]

My OP’s curtains are in a plastic bag. To be honest I’ve never so
Much as glanced at them!

A Winter project….. new curtain rods……. New curtains….

Hopefully going to Oregon come Spring.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert