Curtains 2

[Wanderlost]

So, we're in the process of exploring our new rig. Cleaning, minor fix up repairs etc. My wife took down the curtains to wash. knowing they were in marginal shape she was prepared for the worst. Well, washing indeed was too much. We explored replacements & took the poor old curtains to the window covering shop for ideas. Rather than the expense of all new curtains, we (Julie) figured she could sew up new ones herself. Strange but the curtain backing (lining) was fine. It was the curtains themselves that were sun damaged. Weird to me. Went to the fabric store, bought the material & she laid out the old curtains as patterns. Here she shows her cleverness. Since the backing was still good she just ripped out the curtain seams on three of the sides (not the top) then she cut the curtains along the top seam leaving the material wrapped around the plastic slides. Then she sewed the new curtains to the backing and wrapped the the header and cut slits for the slides. She's pretty handy with the sewing machine & I think she'll have them completed this weekend. They'll look great! The material was about $40 I think. Way cheaper than the +$500 estimate from the curtain shop. I asked her if she wanted to be the B190 curtain expert but I don't think she heard me

[cresthalls]

Hello - I read this post to my wife (Julie also) and she asked if I wrote it because we are doing the same. I noticed that some of the 97 190 curtains roll up from the bottom from exterior photos. Do you or anyone have an interior photos that shows the curtains? Don't know if the 96 is the same as 97.
Dale

[Alaskan]

Dale....I'll take you some pictures tomorrow or the following day

I believe all the curtains in the pre 1997 are somewhat different as the top shell is entirely different....smaller in both length & width...and the front overhang is about a foot shorter

[Alaskan]

Dale...I think that rolling curtains may have just been something an owner had done as neither my 97 or 99 have roll-up curtains

Aluminum curtain-track, a common RV product, across the top with plastic sliders sewn onto the curtain itself

On the front window, in the 97 and after, Airstream just put the aluminum track across the top, which is a pain as the curtain hangs straight down onto the bunk...in previous years they put the aluminum track across the bottom also so the curtain remained at the same angle as the window

I installed a small diameter rubber cord (marine supply, bungy cord material in bulk) across the bottom to correct that...there is a place to do that in the existing curtain..then I attached the ends of that rubber cord on the wood with some brackets, also marine supply items

Velcro might be sewn on to accomplish that also..

If you need anything else, like original measurements, just let me know..

[cresthalls]

Thank you for posting the photos.
Dale

[Alaskan]

Glad to help...

[DonN]

My 1999 has insulate curtains which roll-up and are held up by two, three, or four loops with velcro fastenings. The curtains are fairly bulky and heavy, so they sag between the loops when rolled-up. At my suggestion, my wife has sewed small-diameter wooden dowels into the bottom of the curtain. Now when rolled up the curtain does not sag. The downside is that you can not slide the curtain sideways to partially see out. But the bulky curtains did not slide out of the way very neatly anyway so I prefer them either neatly rolled up or completely down. Evidently from other discussion of curtains many 190s were equipped with folding curtains. Were roll-up curtains a cold weather option on some 190s? ( The windshield is still covered by folding curtains which do not seal against the glass, so if the insulated curtains were to reduce heat loss or gain, the front cab is not protected.) [/quote]