Long Curtain Rod Sag in Scamp

[CampyTime]

Hello Friends,

I've got the rear slider window with long curtain rod in my scamp 13 which is sagging quite a bit in the middle of the rod.

I was thinking of taking the rod to a few stores with me to see if there's one available with a heavier gauge metal that will hold up better with travel. But I wondered if extra weight might be undue strain on curtain rod holders which are anchored with 1/8" rivets?

The side window rods are fine, so I expect it's just the long length here causing sag.

I appreciate your thoughts.

Wendy

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[Donna D.]

Use a wooden dowel of the same diameter as the curtain rod.

[CampyTime]

Ah! Good idea Donna. Its on my list.

Cheers!

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[Darral T.]

CT...here's a VERY simple fix to that "drooping" rod...another Scamp flub from the factory. This has worked well for me for the past 6 yrs with NO sign of drooping. AND it lets you keep the original rod which will look better and match the other rods.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/503516...57626163238627

Originally Posted by CampyTime

Ah! Good idea Donna. Its on my list.

Cheers!

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[LyleB]

One of the previous owners of my scamp fashioned a wire center support that is attached to the center screw of the window frame. Seems to work quite well, no sag, does not get in the way of the curtains.

Edit: Correction to the above. The wire support is attached to the center acorn nut attaching the upper cabinet (across full back of trailer). The window screw is below the curtain rod.

Darral's solution is more elegant, but probably a little more involved to install.

[KamperDan]

I bought new rods for all windows. For the larger back window I purchased a longer rod that didn't need to be extended to fit. This left the rod doubled up and no sag. Working good so far.

[Postman]

Very clever, Darral!!!

[CampyTime]

All great ideas. Darrall I went to your Flickr link but can't blow up the pic. I'm sorry but I can't really tell what you did there with that curtain hook.

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[Darral T.]

Here you go CT and THANKS "Postman"

CT, it's basically one of the ole shower curtain hooks bent as shown in the center of the curtain rod. I did reshape the "diamond"-looking hook into a more rounded hook to fit the curtain rod. The "eyelet" ends simply serve as the holders to fit the window's existing screws.

Hopefully the attached pic will let you see it better. EDIT: I just added another pic I found that's not on my Flickr site that lets you see the area behind the rod hook. Hope this helps!

Originally Posted by CampyTime

All great ideas. Darrall I went to your Flickr link but can't blow up the pic. I'm sorry but I can't really tell what you did there with that curtain hook.

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[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Darral T.

Here you go CT and THANKS "Postman"

CT, it's basically one of the ole shower curtain hooks bent as shown in the center of the curtain rod. I did reshape the "diamond"-looking hook into a more rounded hook to fit the curtain rod. The "eyelet" ends simply serve as the holders to fit the window's existing screws.

Hopefully the attached pic will let you see it better. EDIT: I just added another pic I found that's not on my Flickr site that lets you see the area behind the rod hook. Hope this helps!

That is a very, very elegant solution! I love how you took existing hardware and *engineered* it to serve another purpose.

[Triker]

I've put a wood dowel inside the curtain rod to strengthen it.

[CampyTime]

I tried wood dowel inside rod and did not help. Thank you very much though. I will try wire or curtain rod bracket idea Darral suggested.

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[Gilda]

Originally Posted by KamperDan

I bought new rods for all windows. For the larger back window I purchased a longer rod that didn't need to be extended to fit. This left the rod doubled up and no sag. Working good so far.

I recently did the same as "Kamper Dan" suggested. The back window in the 13' Scamp is 48". The cafe rod I purchased at Walmart extends from 48"-84". Since I don't need to expand it the rod is essentially doubled in strength.

[EllPea in CA]

Before I started experimenting with copper pipe for rods, I considered wooden dowels. My complaint about this is that the wood is not slippery (without some kind of treatment) and would make the curtains difficult to move back and forth. After some mulling at the hardware store (one of my favorite places), I discovered aluminum tubing of different sizes that would actually slide over the dowel.

My hesitation about this was that the rod would be straight, while the back and front of the trailer is curved. I wanted the rod to follow the curve of the trailer.

Eventually I went another way (with copper tubing which I could manipulate), but the aluminum tubin might be a solution for someone who decided to try the dowels. Plastic aquarium tubing would do the same thing, and would also bend around corners....

[Donna D.]

If you have overhead cabinets, I think Robert Johan's solution (Ikea) is stellar. Direct link to pictures: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post350910

[EllPea in CA]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

If you have overhead cabinets, I think Robert Johan's solution (Ikea) is stellar. Direct link to pictures: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post350910

Donna, thanks for posting this. Unfortunately for other tasks I should be attending to, it was *necessary* for me to sit down and read through the entire thread again! Awesome work. And I DO like the IKEA rods, especially that the curtains ride on a track instead of slide on a rod.

[Gilda]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

If you have overhead cabinets, I think Robert Johan's solution (Ikea) is stellar. Direct link to pictures: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post350910

I, too, like Robert Johan's solution to the curved rod issue. I think I would try it if I weren't so leery of putting holes in the fiberglass. I have a cabinet in back where it could anchor and even though I do not have side shelves/cabinets I think an end anchor on the closet and kitchen walls would be sturdy enough.

This photo shows my recent makeshift wrap-around curtain hack. I simply placed plastic tubing into the hollow curtain rods (after removing the finials). The hack gives the look of wrap-around but does not allow easy movement of the curtains in the way a track rod does.

[Paul O.]

There are also those 3/8" diameter white fiberglass rods that are sold as garden stakes. I use one on the rear window and two on the "upstairs" windows. The other, shorter ones are clear plastic rods (tubes) that I salvaged from some domestic project. They are not as stiff as the fiberglass, but they make do. Their ends are plugged with short 1/4 - 20 pan head bolts that are glued in place so the rods do not slide through the rod supports. No more metal rods that bend at the slightest touch.