RV Blinds and Shades Installation Instructions
Want to replace your RV blinds and shades with new, improved window coverings? Here’re easy step-by-step instructions for installing RV blinds and shades on your own in just a few minutes.
This guide covers pre-installation do’s, tools you’ll need, and installation instructions for outside mount and inside mount blinds.
Installing RV window treatments is a super-easy and hassle-free process. And it takes just a few minutes removing old motorhome blinds and installing new ones, literally!
Read this quick step-by-step DIY installation guide for RV blinds and shades for a perfect fit, ensuring better light control and privacy. With some extra care, you can give your installation a professional touch.
Pre-installation Do’s
- Gather tools you’ll need during installation.
- Accurately measure your RV window frame size with a steel measuring tape.
- Account for inside mounts and outside mounts while taking measurements.
- Measure the depth of the window frame for an inside mount RV blind or shade.
- Order correct-size new window blinds for your travel trailer.
- Double check the number of screws, mounting brackets, and other hardware components.
Tools You’ll Need
- A steel measuring tape
- Pen/pencil to write with
- A piece of paper to record values
- Screwdriver
- Drill (hand or electric)
- A level tool
Choose Outside or Inside Mount RV Window Treatments
You can install your RV window blinds – RV mini blinds, RV roller shades, RV solar shades, RV motorized blinds, etc. – inside or outside the RV window frame.
Outside mount blinds go around the window frame, providing better coverage for more privacy, better light control, and making your RV window look bigger. Inside mount blinds fit inside the RV window, offering a clean, sleek, finished look. If you opt for an inside mount, make sure the window is deep enough to accommodate the mounting hardware and other components.
Installation Instructions for Outside Mount RV Blinds and Shades
Step 1: Align Mounting Brackets
- Using a level tool, align mounting brackets at each end of the headrail or opposite corner above the RV window casing.
- Use a pen or pencil to mark the position of each mounting bracket above the window frame.
- Mark the position of a support bracket (if needed) in the center.
Step 2: Drill Pilot and Full-sized Holes
- Mark the location of holes for mounting brackets with the help of a pen.
- Use a hand or electric drill to make pilot holes.
- If the pilot holes are in the exact locations, drill full-sized holes.
Step 3: Fix Brackets with Screws
- Use screws and a screwdriver to fix the mounting brackets into place.
- Make sure all the mounting brackets (end box and support brackets) are firm in their place.
Step 4: Slide Headrails into the Brackets
- Install your outside mount RV blinds or shades by snapping the headrail into the pre-installed brackets.
- Close the end box brackets to secure the headrail in place.
Step 5: Test Operation of Your Outside Mount RV Window Treatments
- Raise, lower, rotate, or adjust the slats of your RV window shades to test if each part is working perfectly.
- Pull down the lift cord (if there is one) to unlock it and slowly release it to let the RV shades or blinds get lowered to the desired level.
- Raise your newly-installed window treatments by pushing the bottom rail up.
- Lock the cord mechanism when the slats or fabric vanes are adjusted at the desired position.
- In the case of top down bottom up RV blinds, use your hands to push or pull them from the top and bottom.
Step 6: Install Valance, If Needed
If needed, install valance to conceal the installation hardware. A valance will also add to the decorative appeal of your RV window blinds and shades.
- Fix a valance clip at each of the opposite ends of the headrail.
- Evenly attach the remaining clips to the front of your RV blind’s headrail.
- Properly snap together the two parts of a valance clip.
Installation Instructions for Inside Mount RV Blinds and Shades
Installation procedures for outside mount and inside mount RV blinds and shades are almost similar. However, here’re some additional tasks that you need to perform while fixing a window treatment to the inside of your travel trailer’s window frame.
- Check if your RV window frame meets the depth requirements of a particular type of blind or shade for an inside mount.
- Use the smallest of the three measurements (top, middle, and bottom) for the width of the window.
- If you are going to install top down bottom up shades, test their operation both at the top and bottom.
FAQs
How do you hang blinds in an RV?
- Mount brackets above the RV window frame (or inside the recess for an inside mount)
- Install the headrail.
- Attach the blind.
- Add hold-down brackets below the window frame, if needed.
- Test operation, and make amends, if needed.
Can you put regular blinds in an RV?
Don’t settle for regular blinds, as the standard sized blinds and shades won’t fit the specialty windows found in an RV. Choose sleek and 100% customized blinds to exactly fit your RV windows for perfect look and function.
How to attach blinds to brackets?
Once all brackets are securely attached to the RV window casing, you’re ready to attach blinds to the brackets.
How do I get my RV blinds to stay up?
To get your RV blinds to stay up, adjust the tension on the lift cords by tightening the screws on the brackets that hold the cords, ensuring equal tension on both sides symmetrically. Loosen screws, increasing tension, and then re-tighten the screws.
