I have a sleeping platform in my truck and have been camping/stealth sleeping in it for about 2 years. A few months ago i decided to make some CHEAP blinds. I went to walmart and they had the folding shiny silver windshield covers for $3 (maybe 3.99). I had something for the windshield so for the rear of the truck you need 3 f them. I also bought a role of velcro tape. I bought the wide stuff but i think the small stuff would have been fine. Cut the silver stuff to fit the windows. I was able to do the rear doors, rear sliding windows and rear hatch glass with three of the windshield covers. Once they are cut right cut the velcro. This takes some planning. You don't want the velcro patches on the glass going up and down into the window grooves too much. Also i wanted small velcro pieces on my windows, because they are visible all the time. But on the blinds you can use big pieces to make it easier when installing the blinds.
Also i realized these blinds are only going to be up when i am parked and sleeping. They dont need a ton of velcro, just enough to stay put. the rear sliders are easy. One peice of velro in each corner. The rear doors are a little trickier. I didnt want much velcro going up and down through the window seals. So mostly i put vecro n the rear section that does not role down. The other velcro i put on the top front of the glass. So if you dont role the window all the way down it wont even go into the door. Id you cut the material just a little to long, like 1/4" it will kind of push into the grove at the bottom of the glass, just play with it a little.
The side glass has a factory tint that is in the glass. The rear hatch glass has a tint that is ON THE GLASS. i didnt want to stick the velcro on the rear glass and mess up the tint. So i put the velcro pieces on the plastic trim AROUND the window but as close as i can get it. I thin i did the four corners and one at 12 oclock on the 3rd brake light. The cut the silver "blind" as normal to fit the glass but leave "tabs" to cover the velcro. I cut mine to fit the glass by mistake. Then put a strip of duckt tape on it at each area of velcro. To make a little strip or tab. I folded the duckt tape so thee is nothing sticky showing and then just stuck the velro on the duct tape. I only have a few little squares of velcro stuck on the trim and in the cornes of my windows.
When i pull over to sleep i can have all the blinds up in about 2 min. I wrote on the inside of each one where it goes in sharpie so there is no guess work. I used these several nights while driving back from WY and sleeping in buisy rest stops. Wow! the truck is completely dark and privet! It really transformed the feeling of sleeping in the truck. Before the blind even in the dark if i was using my Ipod or phone while trying to sleep i felt like everyone saw the light from my device. Now it just feels like complete privacy and darkness. SO NICE after a long day of driving. I hope my instructions make sense. Basically cut the crap to fit windows and stick up with velcro. You will see that some ways make problems and some work great. I use one of the silver spring loaded sun shades in the wind shield. the two front windows i dont even cover. You might want them covered but i find if i put my head to the rear of the truck you cant even see in r out of the front windows. And i didnt want any velcro on them.
The pictures are a little misleading. It looks light in the truck because of the exposure and the black sleeping platform. But these block a lot of light. The shade laying on the sleeping platform shows how little velcro you need. Also the large ugly duct tape areas on the rear shade are where i desided to "reinforce" it with extra tape. Probably not needed but just how i did it.
Also i realized these blinds are only going to be up when i am parked and sleeping. They dont need a ton of velcro, just enough to stay put. the rear sliders are easy. One peice of velro in each corner. The rear doors are a little trickier. I didnt want much velcro going up and down through the window seals. So mostly i put vecro n the rear section that does not role down. The other velcro i put on the top front of the glass. So if you dont role the window all the way down it wont even go into the door. Id you cut the material just a little to long, like 1/4" it will kind of push into the grove at the bottom of the glass, just play with it a little.
The side glass has a factory tint that is in the glass. The rear hatch glass has a tint that is ON THE GLASS. i didnt want to stick the velcro on the rear glass and mess up the tint. So i put the velcro pieces on the plastic trim AROUND the window but as close as i can get it. I thin i did the four corners and one at 12 oclock on the 3rd brake light. The cut the silver "blind" as normal to fit the glass but leave "tabs" to cover the velcro. I cut mine to fit the glass by mistake. Then put a strip of duckt tape on it at each area of velcro. To make a little strip or tab. I folded the duckt tape so thee is nothing sticky showing and then just stuck the velro on the duct tape. I only have a few little squares of velcro stuck on the trim and in the cornes of my windows.
When i pull over to sleep i can have all the blinds up in about 2 min. I wrote on the inside of each one where it goes in sharpie so there is no guess work. I used these several nights while driving back from WY and sleeping in buisy rest stops. Wow! the truck is completely dark and privet! It really transformed the feeling of sleeping in the truck. Before the blind even in the dark if i was using my Ipod or phone while trying to sleep i felt like everyone saw the light from my device. Now it just feels like complete privacy and darkness. SO NICE after a long day of driving. I hope my instructions make sense. Basically cut the crap to fit windows and stick up with velcro. You will see that some ways make problems and some work great. I use one of the silver spring loaded sun shades in the wind shield. the two front windows i dont even cover. You might want them covered but i find if i put my head to the rear of the truck you cant even see in r out of the front windows. And i didnt want any velcro on them.
The pictures are a little misleading. It looks light in the truck because of the exposure and the black sleeping platform. But these block a lot of light. The shade laying on the sleeping platform shows how little velcro you need. Also the large ugly duct tape areas on the rear shade are where i desided to "reinforce" it with extra tape. Probably not needed but just how i did it.
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