Looking for custom window shades for your bus?

plyonsMC9 · February 05, 2025, 03:41:18 PM

Hello bus folks!

Looking for window shade supplier for a bus conversion - I have MCD, but - wondering if something better exists. Shadesmithca is gone.

Thank you!!, Phil

luvrbus · February 05, 2025, 04:35:09 PM

I saw a new Liberty Prevost that had Hunter,Douglas power shades, I dont blame you for wanting something better than MCD the new owners are tough to deal with,at one time those were good shades

lvmci · February 05, 2025, 05:48:47 PM

Got these at Home Depot. The inside coated with insulation. Gary Bennett built the frame for the blinds...

Glennman · February 05, 2025, 09:28:12 PM

Your second screen shot shows Blinds.com. Home Depot is selling those now? They look really good!

windtrader · February 05, 2025, 09:33:44 PM

Lots of options at affordable prices if looking at residential market. They work fine in a bus and being so generic the cost is much better than a "built for bus" option.

HD is a good brand; check the mini blinds, they may be even thinner than normal pleats. Mine are standard 1" pleat but have two levels of shading.

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · February 06, 2025, 04:54:18 AM

This is what I have in my bus installed by ShadeSmithCA. However, as Phil said, unfortunately the SoCal dealer retired. I love the fact that I can just flip switches and all shades open each morning and I can do the same to close them each day without having to lean over furniture.

I wanted to wire it such that I could throw one switch to open all shades each morning and the same switch to close them all at night, however, I have yet to get the ambition to wire them all into one switch yet.

I can also adjust all four shades in the cockpit with four switches by the drivers seat as the sun moves in relation to the bus.

https://www.busconversionmagazine.com/articles/shades-in-an-rv-or-converted-vehicle/

luvrbus · February 06, 2025, 07:35:49 AM

My Country Coach had a panel where you could open and close every blind with one switch or open 1 at a time including the windshield ,I had day/night shades and there was a setting for it too all it did was stop the blind before touched the window casing for the day setting. I notice all the converted bus use the stringless now. All the power control shades are nice but with all the relays and the tiny motor costing you 200 bucks when it goes bad it comes at a price.I saw a late model Newell that had vertical blinds that I thought was neat you couldn't see the blinds closed ,I didn't ask who made those but you tell by the fabric they were not cheap .Back in the 90's and up till the mid 2000' s the go to place for conversion was 3 day Blinds and the Shade Shop in Houston Tx,I heard they don't do RV's anymore,but The Shade Shop did make a us a retraceable screen for our front door on the Country Coach

windtrader · February 06, 2025, 10:03:01 PM

forget all that fancy electric stuff. Just more stuff to short and break. Plenty enough other stuff to keep a busnut more than busy.

I'd take cruise control over electric shades any day or another bank of lithium batteries.

luvrbus · February 07, 2025, 04:29:59 AM

Quote from: windtrader on February 06, 2025, 10:03:01 PM
forget all that fancy electric stuff. Just more stuff to short and break. Plenty enough other stuff to keep a busnut more than busy.

I'd take cruise control over electric shades any day or another bank of lithium batteries.

Go for the batteries the cruise control on a manual 2 stroke engine was not much with the limiting speed governor and a 740 they were ok for flat level roads same as a broom stick.

Some people like sitting in a chair with a remote and controlling everything in a coach it wasn't my cup of tea I don't mind a light switch in every room to turn the lights off and on

Jim Blackwood · February 07, 2025, 06:27:35 AM

I dunno... Wifey ordered powered shades for the bay window in the house, they come with a battery and a remote, the remote can control all 3 at once. The battery needs plugged into the wall once in awhile. Sure is nice to hit one button and have all the shades go down or up. The battery means they will work even without any power turned on.

Jim

luvrbus · February 07, 2025, 06:37:33 AM

Quote from: Jim Blackwood on February 07, 2025, 06:27:35 AM
I dunno... Wifey ordered powered shades for the bay window in the house, they come with a battery and a remote, the remote can control all 3 at once. The battery needs plugged into the wall once in awhile. Sure is nice to hit one button and have all the shades go down or up. The battery means they will work even without any power turned on.

Jim

Some of those shades you can control with Bluetooth from your cell phone, it is crazy I saw a fridge you could look inside from your cell phone to see if you need to stop at a store and buy something for dinner or a 6 pack tonight. In todays world you can be 2000 miles from home and see who is ringing the door bell on your cell phone ,I have friend that that has it on his Prevost

Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM · February 07, 2025, 07:19:43 AM

Quote from: windtrader on February 06, 2025, 10:03:01 PM
forget all that fancy electric stuff. Just more stuff to short and break. Plenty enough other stuff to keep a busnut more than busy.

I'd take cruise control over electric shades any day or another bank of lithium batteries.

When you travel alone, as I do most of the time, you can't beat electric shades in the cockpit to keep the sun out of your eyes. Also, once set up, they are basically maintenance-free.

The same can be said about a back up camera, or in my case, 4-way cameras all the way around the bus. Yes, you can back into spots alone without mirrors, as I did many times driving a truck, but it sure is nice when backing into a camp spot when you have no spotters.

Just sayin'.

luvrbus · February 07, 2025, 08:02:09 AM

I liked the electric sun shades on the windshield and side windows push a button to block the sun was good driving at 60mph

plyonsMC9 · February 07, 2025, 09:17:14 AM

Thanks for the feedback folks! So far it looks like the only brand specifically for an RV is Hunter Douglas. Or go w something for home use, and apply that to the coach as noted by Windtrader.

One that looked interesting I ran across was this company.

https://rvblinds.com/features/motorized

They had a number of products and some good reviews. Has anyone had experience with this company? I notice that all ordering had to be handled online.

Happy Friday!
Phil

luvrbus · February 07, 2025, 09:49:25 AM

Quote from: plyonsMC9 on February 07, 2025, 09:17:14 AM
Thanks for the feedback folks! So far it looks like the only brand specifically for an RV is Hunter Douglas. Or go w something for home use, and apply that to the coach as noted by Windtrader.

One that looked interesting I ran across was this company.

https://rvblinds.com/features/motorized

They had a number of products and some good reviews. Has anyone had experience with this company? I notice that all ordering had to be handled online.

Happy Friday!
Phil

That outfit is Mesa AZ off Warner RD it has been there for 20 years you can or could drive there and they would measure your blinds for you I bought one for the TREK there I screwed up trying to re string I was in and out in less than 2 hours ,I wanted a power blind but they had just started making those and I wasn't sure about it being rechargeable so I went with the cordless