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Old 08-20-2018, 12:08 PM   #1
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Curtain Tracks instead of rods, no holes in shell!

After experimenting with a few different ways to have curtains in my Scamp without holes through the shell for rod holders, I have settled on using curtain tracks and ditching the curtain rods. I have used two type of tracks however there are many ways to utilize these or similar curtain tracks. I am very happy with the hardware, even with the added cost which is more than using cheesy rods and rod holders. The curtains themselves are OK but would have been better if I knew then what I know now.

Track Option 1

For the rear side windows (where I have overhead cabinets), I used RECMAR 4108 Bendable I Beam Curtain Track with rollers. Hooks on the curtains attach to the rollers. This track can be bent by hand and I formed it so that it follows the curve of the cabinet and shell. It is mounted to the underside of the cabinet with matching clips which were riveted to the cabinet. The track is mounted just far enough from the wall so that the curtain clears the top of the window frame. I extended the track at the rear to almost the edge of the upper cabinet so that the entire curtain can be moved to the back corner curve in the camper, leaving the view through the window completed unobstructed. I also added a curve toward the wall at the front so that the curtain’s front vertical edge is closer to the wall and maximizes privacy.

This type of track and carrier work too smoothly – they will not keep the curtains in place and I have to attach the hooks on both ends of the curtains to the end-stops on the tracks to get the curtain to stay over the window. That means I have to loosen one or both end-stops and slide them to different positions for the curtain to be fully open vs. closed. It’s not much of a problem but do note that these tracks and carriers are used more often for things like full length privacy curtains in hospitals. Also be aware of a possible fire hazard from the reading lights, if they use incandescent bulbs and are pointed to the wall. It might be too close to the curtains when they are bunched up in the corner.

Track Option 2

For the rear window I used RECMAR 3296 Aluminum Curtain Track and snap carriers that ride inside the track. It is mounted with Gorilla Mounting Tape on the Hehr window frames which protrude about an inch inside the camper. I expect that VHB tape would also work but frankly I have used both the Gorilla tape and VHB tapes in my camper and had better luck with the former. This curtain track has now been installed for two months, including a 3,389 mile trip throughout more than the entire month of July and it is still rock-solid. Because of the curve in the body of the camper, the track cannot extend very far past the edge of the rear window (but can if used on the side windows). Therefore the curtains will still block the edges of the windows. I cut a taper in the track to get as much length as possible while still mounting the track on the window frame and not making it weaker. I also have the option to push both curtains to the left, leaving the window unobstructed on the right side where it can be opened. Compatible end-stops finish up the installation for both options.

These internal slide carriers with snap connectors do hold the curtains in place. There is just enough resistance to do that, while still allowing one to easily slide the small curtains. I tried using four sets of magnets to hold the bottom to the wall better. Four magnets are mounted to the window frame (again with Gorilla mounting tape). I just put the other four on top of the curtains over the mounted ones but they could have been sown into pockets on the curtains. That worked OK but another option is to mount a second track on the bottom of the window frame, mirroring the top track with snap tape on the curtain at the bottom. I might give that a try someday but note that one would have to measure it very carefully.

Curtains

The curtains were made from Sunbrella Marine Grade fabric with Roc-lon® liner. They are a vast improvement over the very cheap curtains that come with a Scamp but I have concluded that I could have done a better job making them up, primarily by making them wider and perhaps using lighter material in place of the Sunbrella. For attaching the curtains I used tapes that are sewn into the curtains. For the side curtains, Shirring Tape is sewn onto the curtains and then hooks attach to loops in the tape and to the sliding carriers. For the rear window curtain I used “snap tape” which has snaps that mate to the slide carriers.

Summary

In my opinion using curtain tracks is the way to go and a much better option that trying to mount curtain rods in a Scamp or similar camper. Having fewer rivets trough the shell is an added benefit. There are many options in materials and different ways to plan and implement their use. It is worth spending a good amount of time planning, if for no other reason than if ordering from the same source that I used, then the shipping charge for the tracks is expensive and its best to get everything you need at one time. Actually construction of the curtains should be simple enough, but not for me! There is actually a lot to learn about curtains and drape and maybe I will hire the job out if I decide to replace what I have now.
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:10 PM   #2
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Rear window track photos

End taper cut:


Gorilla Mounting tape applied to track bottom:


Mounting tape trimmed flush with track edge:


Track mounted, end-stop visible:


Slide in track, close-up:
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:13 PM   #3
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Side window curtain photos:

Track, clip and end-stop detail:


Front end of track with curtain pulled down to show view:


Curtain stowed in curve / corner:


Closed at night with track shown:


Closed curtain in daytime:
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:41 PM   #4
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Looks good. I like that you can slide the curtains off the ends and keep the window openings clear. No more curtain rods bouncing off as you go down the highway.
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Old 08-20-2018, 01:21 PM   #5
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Nice idea, airstream uses a similar setup and uses button snaps on the ends to keep the curtains from sliding around. I used the same curtain rack in my bathroom at home to mount a curved shower curtain, it works quite well for that purpose also.
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Old 08-20-2018, 02:44 PM   #6
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From looking at your picture below it appears that there's a screw into the shell. Could you explain how it attached.
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Old 08-20-2018, 03:36 PM   #7
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I think that is just an "end stop" .Not drilled into shell."Mounting tape" attached to window frame.
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Old 08-20-2018, 03:51 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by GirlGone View Post
I think that is just an "end stop" .Not drilled into shell."Mounting tape" attached to window frame.
Correct (good observation!).... just an end-stop in the track. No holes here at all.

And BTW, the track is so tight against the rat-fur that the stop is almost unneeded.

And the side tracks have only a total of eight very small holes for the brackets, but they are in the cabinet, not the shell.
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Old 08-20-2018, 10:09 PM   #9
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Thanks for posting instructions, materials and photos for a curved curtain track. I've been trying to figure this out for some time. (Search my postings under "Gilda curtains".

Could you, please, include a "far shot" and/or a description of your back layout. Do you have one long cabinet over the back window which extends from one side wall to the other or one cabinet over each side window? What did you do for the front window? I believe yours has two side cabinets (one on each side) and none across the back.

It appears that you have treated each window separately with its own curtain track. I would like to have one track which would extend from the edge of the side window across the back window and continue, seamlessly, across the other side window, thereby creating one continuous track which could hold three (or more) separate curtain panels (one for each window).

I have a 13' Scamp, year 2011, which has one cabinet across the back and no cabinets on the sides. See attached photos.

As to sewing curtains... it might be a good idea for you to hire a professional. I notice that your fabric is much too heavy with the two layers. Perhaps using a "black out" curtain, which is two layers bonded to one another, would work better.
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Old 08-21-2018, 05:06 AM   #10
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Nice job. I seem to recall someone commenting on the large number of through the hull holes just for the curtains. Looks like a better way to me. As I recall scamp is using hehr windows with clamping rings. Did you consider attaching the curtain tracks to them?
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Old 08-21-2018, 05:47 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raz View Post
...As I recall scamp is using hehr windows with clamping rings. Did you consider attaching the curtain tracks to them?
That is what I did for the larger rear window. I should have used the words clamping ring instead of frame in my post however...


Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2 View Post
....
Track Option 2

For the rear window I used ...It is mounted with Gorilla Mounting Tape on the Hehr window frame* which protrude about an inch inside the camper. ...
* AKA clamping ring
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Old 08-21-2018, 05:53 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by gordon2 View Post
That is what I did for the larger rear window. I should have used the words clamping ring instead of frame in my post however...




* AKA clamping ring
I was thinking rather than tape using screws.
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Old 08-21-2018, 06:25 AM   #13
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I installed the same tracks with snaps in sis-in-law's T1300 last spring. Works great. I attached them under the shelves with small brackets I made out with aluminium angle and pop rivets.
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Old 08-21-2018, 07:41 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilda View Post
. I believe yours has two side cabinets (one on each side) and none across the back.

It appears that you have treated each window separately with its own curtain track. I would like to have one track which would extend from the edge of the side window across the back window and continue, seamlessly, across the other side window, thereby creating one continuous track ....
Correct, I have two side cabinets but nothing over the rear window. I considered using a continuous track (as you want to do) but there was no place to support it in the middle (back) except the rear window clamping ring which is not level with the underside of the side cabinets. So I did treat it with three separate tracks.

The I-Beam track which I used can have curves bent by hand and it will keep that shape. According to the instructions, it should be supported every 12-18 inches by wall or ceiling brackets. So it can span short distances with no support (18 inches max). But for what you want to do there is another I-Beam track at curtain-tracks.com that might work. The 6100 Flexible track apparently bends, and then is held in the resulting curve by the mounting brackets. So it looks like with properly spaced mounting brackets it would naturally follow the curve that you need. In fact, now that I look at it, that might have been a better option for my side cabinets then the aluminum track that I used.

But the 6100 Flex track needs more brackets - every 10 inches or so. Perhaps you could come up with some sort of supplemental mounting surface that would allow you to mount brackets every ten inches, something spanning the distance between the rear cabinet and kitchen cabinets that you then could attach the track brackets to.

You could always "glass-in" wood blocks, attaching them to the shell. But cutting away rat-fur, etc. makes that a big project. Or you could attach brackets to the shell directly but then you have more holes in the fiberglass body.

Any of the bendable I-Beam tracks should work if you can figure out how to mount them securely at proper spacing - thats the key problem. With I-Beams there is still the issue of holding the curtains in place also.

There is another option using the 5400 Wall mount bendable track which accepts snap carries in a vertical configuration. This is a wall mount track so a supplemental mounting surface would be needed. If I were building a Scamp from scratch, this might be what I would use. I would glass in curved pieces of wood and attach the brackets to the wood with screws. But retrofitting this track does not look practical.

There is a good amount of info on the website, some of which I did not even see after multiple visits, so dig around and you might get some inspiration.


PS. My curtain for the front window is also called a rock shield .
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Old 08-21-2018, 08:02 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raz View Post
I was thinking rather than tape using screws.
If you are suggesting using screws instead of tape to mount the curtain track to the clamping ring on the Hehr windows... I thought about that. But I like to keep my mods are reversible as possible, and not alter things unnecessarily. I have never disassembled one of these windows and I am not familiar of all the design details, so I was not sure where it would be OK to use screws. One look at the (generic) profile of the window and clamp ring and I decided to not make more holes if I didn't have to:


And so far, at least, there is no need for screws. The tape has held very securely through some very hot travel. If it starts to fail then I will consider screws - no more than there would be needed for the 48" window.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl V View Post
I installed the same tracks with snaps in sis-in-law's T1300 last spring. Works great. I attached them under the shelves with small brackets I made out with aluminium angle and pop rivets.


But we need photos!
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Old 08-21-2018, 09:23 AM   #16
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And so far, at least, there is no need for screws. The tape has held very securely through some very hot travel. If it starts to fail then I will consider screws - no more than there would be needed for the 48" window.
It looks really good. I especially like the extension. My trailer came with shades that are screwed into the clamping ring so the option is there if needed.
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Old 08-21-2018, 10:20 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gordon2 View Post
Correct, I have two side cabinets but nothing over the rear window. I considered using a continuous track (as you want to do) but there was no place to support it in the middle (back) except the rear window clamping ring which is not level with the underside of the side cabinets. So I did treat it with three separate tracks.

The I-Beam track which I used can have curves bent by hand and it will keep that shape. According to the instructions, it should be supported every 12-18 inches by wall or ceiling brackets. So it can span short distances with no support (18 inches max). But for what you want to do there is another I-Beam track at curtain-tracks.com that might work. The 6100 Flexible track apparently bends, and then is held in the resulting curve by the mounting brackets. So it looks like with properly spaced mounting brackets it would naturally follow the curve that you need. In fact, now that I look at it, that might have been a better option for my side cabinets then the aluminum track that I used.

But the 6100 Flex track needs more brackets - every 10 inches or so. Perhaps you could come up with some sort of supplemental mounting surface that would allow you to mount brackets every ten inches, something spanning the distance between the rear cabinet and kitchen cabinets that you then could attach the track brackets to.

You could always "glass-in" wood blocks, attaching them to the shell. But cutting away rat-fur, etc. makes that a big project. Or you could attach brackets to the shell directly but then you have more holes in the fiberglass body.

Any of the bendable I-Beam tracks should work if you can figure out how to mount them securely at proper spacing - thats the key problem. With I-Beams there is still the issue of holding the curtains in place also.

There is another option using the 5400 Wall mount bendable track which accepts snap carries in a vertical configuration. This is a wall mount track so a supplemental mounting surface would be needed. If I were building a Scamp from scratch, this might be what I would use. I would glass in curved pieces of wood and attach the brackets to the wood with screws. But retrofitting this track does not look practical.

There is a good amount of info on the website, some of which I did not even see after multiple visits, so dig around and you might get some inspiration.


PS. My curtain for the front window is also called a rock shield .
Thank you for your thorough reply. Yes, mounting the tracks is the problem as well as the windows being installed at differing heights, arghhhh. I like your answer for the front "curtain" being a "rock shield". You may have noticed my handle is "Gleeful Glamper" and as such my window coverings need to be beautiful as well as practical.


I have posted photos of my "makeshift" wrap around curtains using the Scamp-installed rods with a plastic tube to fill in the curves. I took the end finials off the rods, where needed, to expose an open tube which receives the plastic tube. I support the tube with a "cubicle clip" which can be purchased at STAPLES.com and pins into the rat fur nicely. I took the original Scamp curtains and re-sewed them to have narrow hems on top and bottom. I secured the bottom curtain with a homemade 1/4" bungee cord (avaliable from hardware stores by the foot) and a tiny bungee hook attached to each end. The bungee hook is attached to a cafe curtain rod holder with upholstery screws instead of traditional screws. I don't bother anchoring the bottom of the corner curtain panels.


I actually enjoy creating trailer curtain and other camping hacks.
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Old 08-21-2018, 10:32 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Raz View Post
It looks really good. I especially like the extension. My trailer came with shades that are screwed into the clamping ring so the option is there if needed.
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Those bottom corner brackets are interesting. I assume same at the top? I wonder if that is a commercially manufactured item or a custom DIY job. Great way to mount either shades or a curtain track.
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Old 08-21-2018, 01:07 PM   #19
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Those bottom corner brackets are interesting. I assume same at the top? I wonder if that is a commercially manufactured item or a custom DIY job. Great way to mount either shades or a curtain track.
Those are commercially made. Trilliums have upper shelves . The shades are attached under the shelves above the windows and ride up and down on strings. The plates hold the strings. Like most RV stuff I didn't think they would hold up but so far so good. But when they do fail I now know how I will replace them.
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Old 08-21-2018, 01:24 PM   #20
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I had same problem curtains on the floor,

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Originally Posted by stevebaz View Post
Looks good. I like that you can slide the curtains off the ends and keep the window openings clear. No more curtain rods bouncing off as you go down the highway.
I put small electric ties around the curtain rods and brackets. No problem since.
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