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"Illegal aliens have
always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian."
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Best RV Window Awnings Review Having only single pane windows really stinks in a small travel trailer. It's one thing if you just go away on the weekends a few times a year, but living in ours fulltime, we try and keep it as cool as possible in the summer heat. Having the roof covered in solar panels means we usually cant park in the shade, unless we're parked in a campground where we have shore power. So we went in search of anything we could find to keep the sun from baking the inside of the camper. The easiest solution would be to get some dual pane insulated windows made for the camper, problem is this would cost a few thousand dollars to have them custom made. Next idea was getting some sun shades like you see in car windshields to block the sun. The problem with these shades, not considering the fact that they look awful and make your RV resemble a Meth lab., is they allow the sun to hit the window. Once the sun hits the window, the window heats up allowing heat to build inside the camper itself. You have to block the sun from actually getting to the window, like an awning would. So we looked for awnings to cover the windows. This would keep the sun off the windows, and hopefully keep the inside of the camper a few degrees cooler by not allowing the sun to heat up the window in the first place. I priced the awnings out, and for our big picture window on the back of our coach, it was going to be around $300 for the awning with instillation. This is our main concern because this big window is where our living room is and where we spend most of our time when we're inside the camper. If we could keep this window from baking the inside of the camper, then we'd be happy. During the warmer months of the year, it's almost impossible to sit in the back of the camper because of how hot it gets. Being as we were headed for Baja for a few months and the sun is known to be brutal down there, we wanted something before we left. $300 isn't that bad considering it will allow us to be comfortable for much of the year in our house. Only problem is when I spoke to the salesman at Best RV Inc. in San Diego California, he informed me, that since we have a ladder on the back of the travel trailer, the awning mechanism would be too wide to fit back there.
I was a little skeptical about having a big window cover over our back windows because it would block our view. That was till he said, "Let me go get the fabric and show you how it'll look." He brought out some color samples, and held a piece up over the back window. He then told me to go inside and look out from inside the camper. When Cindy and I realized that the fabric allows you to see right through it, we knew this was what we wanted. The window covers make more sense anyways. We tend to move so much, that we wouldn't be able to have the awnings out while we're driving down the road, and the sun would still heat up the inside which would mean once we stopped, an awning isn't going to do much help for a camper that's already roasting hot on the inside. The awnings are better for when you're stationary and sitting still for longer periods of time. Something we rarely do. The window covers block 99% of the suns Ultra Violet Rays, the ones that do most of the damage and heat up the interior like an easy bake oven. These window covers can be left on while we drive which will keep the camper cool all day long. The best part was, both covers, installed was only $189! That's a huge savings over a window awning that wouldn't have done what I needed it to do in the first place. So I said "Sew me up two covers please!" Best RV Incorporated
Normally, Best RV would send someone out to your location, where they would take the measurements, have the custom piece made, and install it right where your RV calls home. But you're not in the California area, they can take your order over the phone, and mail you your product, where you can install it yourself or have a reputable dealer do the instillation for you. When I called Best RV, I originally was asking for the window awnings to be custom made. The guy said, "When would you like these done? We're a little busy right now and could probably get them made for you within the next 3-4 weeks."
Our
problem was we were leaving in 4 days to head to Mexico for two months.
I explained this to the salesman, and he asked "Where are you right
He told me that if I could be in his parking lot on Monday morning, he would get me set up before we leave for Mexico. He even told me it would probably be easier to camp right in his parking lot, which would save us some money in California. How's that for service!?! Monday morning rolled around and I was talking to Paul in the parking lot as he pulled into work. Paul was the guy who I said earlier explained that the window covers were probably a better bet then a window awning. After we decided we wanted the covers instead of the awnings, Paul took the measurements for our windows, and told me it would take his guys a few hours to sew up the covers, and we could be on our way to Mexico. Two hours later, Phillip, another employee of Best RV came out with two new blue window covers for our camper. Paul had told me that the darker colors were easier to keep clean, and that once the white or beige, my first two choices, got dirty, it was hard to get them back to their original color. Phillip spent about a half hour measuring and screwing in some stainless steel mounting tabs on the sides of the camper, and we were ready to mount the covers.
By this time in the day, the sun was starting to heat up the inside of the camper where Cindy was working on the computer. She said that once we hung the window cover up, it was like a night and day difference in temperature. Before the window cover was on the window, if you held your hand anywhere near the window, you could just feel the heat penetrating through the single pane glass. With the cover on, you can put your hand right on the glass and it still feels cool. The trick to the cover is, if it doesn't allow the sun to heat the window up, it wont allow the inside of the camper to get hot. Another benefit of the window covers is, during the daytime, they don't allow anyone to see inside the camper, but when we're looking out, you can see right through them.
Paul had his guys make a few extra holes in the covers so we can still open our windows from the bottom and leave the window covers on. This allows a nice cool breeze to circulate through the camper while still blocking any Ultra Violet light from heating up the inside. Conclusion We've now had these awnings on for almost two months and we're loving them. They do as they're advertised, and keep the interior of the camper way cooler than it is without them on. They're inexpensive and work when we're driving or parked. They act as a privacy screen during the day time, yet still allow us to see outside through them. Something the window awnings wouldn't have allowed us to do.
We've left the window cover on the big back window since we got into Baja, and have yet to notice any problems with over 1500 miles of driving with it on. When we pull over for an afternoon lunch break, the inside of the camper is nice and cool like it should be. No more having to start up the generator or turning on the inverter to run the A/C while we eat lunch because the camper is as hot as a little toaster. My only complaint is we didn't have them make a cover for every window on the camper, and we waited so long to get them! Thanks Best RV, you make a great product!
For more info on Best
RV's products
Best RV Awning Service
Photo Gear We Use - Solar Tips, Fact's and Trick's we've learned while on the road Camper Check List - A list of things we do before leaving camp. Again, this isn't gospel, but its a good start for those who might not already have a list made up.
Need Unlimited photo storage- FREE Trial of Smugmug
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We
were in San Diego getting ready to leave for the next two months of
travel South of the Border, and I really wanted something before we
left. The salesman suggested that he could make window covers
instead, and it would achieve the same result as the awning.
now?"
I told him we were on our way to San Diego from Arizona.
Both
Paul and Phillip made sure to warn me not to try and put the covers on
when it's cold outside. Apparently the fabric has a bit of stretch
to it, and if you were to stretch it when it's cold, it loses its
elasticity and becomes saggy.
We
have to remember that at night, people on the outside will be able to
see in if we have our lights on, so we'll still need to use the window
shades at night for privacy.