Exterior windscreen covers

[BeanBus17]

Hi, we are looking for some advice on exterior windscreen covers - we would quite like Black insulated ones - how do the Vanshades ones compare to the Comfortz ones?

 

[Verity]

No experience of those brands, but we have a fairly inexpensive one from Just Kampers which is fab. Silver, insulated, comes in 3 parts with Velcro down the sides, tie downs to door handles. Cosy and greatly reduces condensation during winter camping.

 

[WelshGas]

No experience of those brands, but we have a fairly inexpensive one from Just Kampers which is fab. Silver, insulated, comes in 3 parts with Velcro down the sides, tie downs to door handles. Cosy and greatly reduces condensation during winter camping.

The problem with those is, the Condensation is still present, just not on the windscreen. So it will be on the inside of the body panels behind the trim or at the back of the kitchen cupboards.
To AVOID any condensation you need adequate ventilation, even in the depths of winter which is where the Parking Heater comes into its own.

 

[Verity]

The problem with those is, the Condensation is still present, just not on the windscreen. So it will be on the inside of the body panels behind the trim or at the back of the kitchen cupboards.
To AVOID any condensation you need adequate ventilation, even in the depths of winter which is where the Parking Heater comes into its own.

That may be the case, though I've not been aware of damp in cupboards etc. We do use the heater but don't have windows open at night in the deep midwinter. The van is open a lot during the day though. The benefit to me of the exterior cover is that it's easy to put on compared to faffing with the blinds with the front seats turned round and I don't have to do my back in wiping off the wet windscreen inside with a towel before moving off in the morning! I was just trying to be helpful since someone asked and I had used one.

 

[WelshGas]

That may be the case, though I've not been aware of damp in cupboards etc. We do use the heater but don't have windows open at night in the deep midwinter. The van is open a lot during the day though. The benefit to me of the exterior cover is that it's easy to put on compared to faffing with the blinds with the front seats turned round and I don't have to do my back in wiping off the wet windscreen inside with a towel before moving off in the morning! I was just trying to be helpful since someone asked and I had used one.

Just a warning to the OP. We ALL breath out water vapour, a substantial amount, and it has to go somewhere. If it's not condensing on the windscreen and not going out via some ventilation opening then it's condensing somewhere - that's just pure physics. You may not have found it, but it's there.

 

[Bigted]

Just a warning to the OP. We ALL breath out water vapour, a substantial amount, and it has to go somewhere. If it's not condensing on the windscreen and not going out via some ventilation opening then it's condensing somewhere - that's just pure physics. You may not have found it, but it's there.

With 5 of us sleeping in the van we get a fair amount of condensation in winter even with good ventilation and heater going. Just the physics of the amount on breath! It's often freezes on the rear bumper once it's dribbled out of the tailgate!

 

[jepotherepo]

Just a warning to the OP. We ALL breath out water vapour, a substantial amount, and it has to go somewhere. If it's not condensing on the windscreen and not going out via some ventilation opening then it's condensing somewhere - that's just pure physics. You may not have found it, but it's there.

Well the physics of it is all to do with the temperature you keep the van at and the relative humidity. We breath out (at rest) somewhere between 7-20ml/hr of water just through respiration depending on air temperature, relative humidity and minute ventilation. If you ventilate the van with cold moist air you may get more condensation forming. Keep the van warm then the RH will remain lower. Obviously at any warm air/ cold surface interface the air at that point may reach saturation point = condensation. By insulating the front window youre not necessarily going to get extra condensation elsewhere but its possible. It might just keep the van warmer.

 

[WelshGas]

Well the physics of it is all to do with the temperature you keep the van at and the relative humidity. We breath out (at rest) somewhere between 7-20ml/hr of water just through respiration depending on air temperature, relative humidity and minute ventilation. If you ventilate the van with cold moist air you may get more condensation forming. Keep the van warm then the RH will remain lower. Obviously at any warm air/ cold surface interface the air at that point may reach saturation point = condensation. By insulating the front window youre not necessarily going to get extra condensation elsewhere but its possible. It might just keep the van warmer.

If the Windscreen is thermally insulated and the interior warmer, leading to a lower Relative Humidity, it won't alter the Total Mass of Water held in suspension, and unless that is reduced by adequate ventilation then you will end up with a greater Air Temperature to Body Panel/ Non-Insulated Window difference and hence condensation.
Where are these cold surfaces? Behind the Plastic Trim, Body Panels in kitchen cupboards and wardrobes, other windows and finally possibly the roof space/roof.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Can recommend this screen. It's the original and best quality I've come across.
Get yourself some dubflecta window slots and crack the two front windows down an inch both sides. That will help to reduce condensation.
Personally I would stick with silver. We put ours on sometimes in the day to help reflect heat when it's hot.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Oops

http://www.silverscreens.co.uk/

 

[GrannyJen]

I have comfortz silver and very pleased with them.

 

[Jay586]

Purple vanshades, not used yet but a very pretty colour. Looks solid.

 

[sapto]

I have Brandrup for the front: I realy like it!


Gesendet von iPad mit Tapatalk

 

[CYCLOPATH]

I found the problem with the external one, I have the JK one, is that it gets wet....then you have this great big wet thing to store in the van.
I have started reusing the ones that came with the van, Doesn't take long to fix.
There is some condensation, so I pull them off , trying not to touch the windscreen, then have on window cleaner thing( like window cleaners use) and a cloth to catch all the water.
Thén drive with aircon on.
They also makes the van look less conspicuously a camper van if you are parked up off site

 

[WelshGas]

I found the problem with the external one, I have the JK one, is that it gets wet....then you have this great big wet thing to store in the van.
I have started reusing the ones that came with the van, Doesn't take long to fix.
There is some condensation, so I pull them off , trying not to touch the windscreen, then have on window cleaner thing( like window cleaners use) and a cloth to catch all the water.
Thén drive with aircon on.
They also makes the van look less conspicuously a camper van if you are parked up off site

If you have Window Deflectors fitted, you can drop the front windows by 1 or 2 cms, cannot be seen from outside, and this improves ventilation and decreases the condensation.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I found the problem with the external one, I have the JK one, is that it gets wet....then you have this great big wet thing to store in the van.
I have started reusing the ones that came with the van, Doesn't take long to fix.
There is some condensation, so I pull them off , trying not to touch the windscreen, then have on window cleaner thing( like window cleaners use) and a cloth to catch all the water.
Thén drive with aircon on.
They also makes the van look less conspicuously a camper van if you are parked up off site

Been there.
The JK external screen is pants. That was the first external screen i bought, as it was cheap. It absorbs water like a sponge and didn't really have any insulating properties.
The silver screens (link above) external is far superior. The difference is night and day...!!!

 

[flying banana]

stop going on about physics and just say which ones best. we all know about condensation for crying out loud I get condensation in my well ventilated house

 

[soulstyledevon]

stop going on about physics and just say which ones best. we all know about condensation for crying out loud I get condensation in my well ventilated house

http://www.silverscreens.co.uk/Index.html

 

[Verity]

stop going on about physics and just say which ones best. we all know about condensation for crying out loud I get condensation in my well ventilated house

Ha ha some of these threads get you like that, don't they! My JK one is great. I suspect they're all pretty good!!!

 

[flying banana]

Ha ha some of these threads get you like that, don't they! My JK one is great. I suspect they're all pretty good!!!

yes....can you recommend an external cover for my 4 bedroom house?

 

[Verity]

yes....can you recommend an external cover for my 4 bedroom house?

Isn't there some artist who's always wrapping stuff? I could never see the point but if that's your bag .....

 

[flying banana]

don't think they're artists but your right. you can vinyl wrap anything. I work on the railway and we payed a company to wrap a full train in tour de France stuff. we called it the yellow peril . not the flying banana

 

[Verity]

don't think they're artists but your right. you can vinyl wrap anything. I work on the railway and we payed a company to wrap a full train in tour de France stuff. we called it the yellow peril . not the flying banana

Found the link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christo_and_Jeanne-Claude
Not sure they used thermal silver fabric though. Perhaps they missed a trick.

 

[Jonathan Duke]

We're happy with our Silver Screen, on our Beach.... It stuffs, inside the tailgate storage, alongside the camping chairs, when not in use.... It can even be stuffed in here when wet, if needs be.... Just remember dry/air it later in the day, when time permits.