Page 31 - Transporter Talk Issue 195

INSPECT A GADGET
Camper Curtains by Paul McManus
When we bought Beryl, our ‘73 Westfalia Continental, she came with a set of foil window blinds. If you’re familiar with these, you’ll know they have their pros and cons—and you’ve probably considered alternatives. While the foil blinds are great at blocking light and insulating the windows, they take up valuable space when not in use, and the suction cups are far from reliable.
So, I decided to design and manufacture my own, focusing on key features that mattered to me:
• Quickandeasyinstallation/removal
• Compactstorage
• Integratedpocketsforadded
functionality in camp mode
• Nodrillingrequired
• Colourcoordination
• UVresistancetopreventfading
Since we don’t camp in extreme weather, insulation wasn’t a priority.
Most of the blinds are secured with rare earth magnets—strong, permanent magnets made from rare earth metals. For the boot lid and rear side windows, I used a combination of Velcro and magnets. These blinds stay in place while driving, neatly rolled up and secured with straps and press studs. The rear window blinds also feature a side pocket, perfect for holding small essentials like phones, books, or earbuds. The Velcro adds extra stability, helping the magnets support the additional weight.
I chose a UV-resistant fabric in a shade closely matching our bus—Beryl Green— hemmed with colour-coordinated bias binding, which also holds the magnets in place. The result? A set of blinds that take just five minutes to fit or remove, save 80% more space compared to the original foil ones, and leave no messy suction cup marks behind.
No more dampening suckers—just a clean, practical solution that we’re absolutely thrilled with!
Transporter Talk Issue 195 | 31