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I watch lots of van build videos and one I recall the lady using Reflectix, it incelates and gives great privicy. I almost got a Dodge Caravan but went with a ford econoline E150, wish I got the Dodge now just for the gas milage. If you know someone who good at sewing they could sew cloth on one side of the the Reflectix. Another idea is cardboard. Good luck and hope to see you out there somewhere.
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Thanks, I’m loving the Caravan, I stay in it as I’m building & can’t wait till I get everything done, I’m so glad I picked this one, it was in the top 3 minivan choices in every review I looked at, mainly I liked the room and storage & all 3 of my mechanics said parts were easy to get & easy to repair.
Hi! I am still working on my van and I am about to be living in my Dodge Sprinter with my dog hopefully in just another month or two. I have been reading about the many ways to make the covers for the windows. One of the ways that I am choosing to do it is using the reflectix on the outside and putting thinsulate on the inside. (I’m using some leftover from the insulation from my van.) Then sewing black fabric from blackout curtains to finish it on the other side along with some magnetic strips to be able to hold it in place. I was lucky enough to find a regular thin windshield cover with the foil on the outside at a thrift store that is the size I need and I’m going to start there and sew thinsulate on that and then the fabric on the outer side, but at least that gives me dimensions to start with for my windshield. There are a lot of YouTube videos and tutorials out there that show you how to make these. You might even be able to find the exact dimensions from someone who’s already made them. I decided to do them myself when I found out that the ones that people have made and are for sale on websites are $100 and up to $400 per set! I wish us both good luck with this!
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Hi! We will be taking our first van camping trip in the very near future, and I’ve been feverishly sewing insulated window covers to serve multiple purposes. We live in WI and will camp in all seasons, so we wanted window covers that would provide a bit more insulation than those about which we’ve read. While most are form-fit to the glass in the vans, I chose to leave air space between the glass and the window covers. I used a decorative wildlife-themed tapestry-like fabric for the inside and black Performatex (supposedly chemical-free) for the outside. Havelock wool is between the two fabrics. I like the way they’re turning out, although time consumption is huge. The absolute worst part of the entire process is sewing the seam/bias tape on the covers! (For the windshield cover, I used Warm Windows insulation since I’ve had a huge piece in my stash for decades.
I actually like the Havelock Wool better.) While Rare Earth Magnets were our first inclination for means of attachment, we decided to go with Velcro, instead. In the future, I might add the Reflectix option for the outside (ability to roll down over the black), per summer heat. We’ll make that decision later, after we see how our present window covers will fare. Whatever you decide, best wishes, and most importantly…ENJOY!!!
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I’ve been vanlife’n for two months now. For my Honda Odyssey I went to the dollar store and purchased large sheets of black foam poster board and trimmed to fit the windows.
I used a butter knife to tuck each board into the cars plastic window trim to secure each.
Super easy and effective in keeping light out. Extremely cost effective at $1.25 each. I bought 6 in total, then covered the inside in cheap contact paper to brighten the inside of my van.
They stay up 24/7.