Mylar covers over bunk ends

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Chris Cowles - 02 Jul 2005 20:48 GMT

I have some mylar 'space blankets' I purchased to cover the bunk ends of my
'00 Coleman Mesa, as a barrier to radiant heat. I chose to use space
blankets because they're bound on the edges and the fabric appears to be
reinforced. Their size requires that I use 2 per bunk end. If this works out
right, I'll probably sew 2 together along the long seam.

Can anyone suggest methods of securing them to both the roof end and the
outer end? I don't want to have to worry about them flying away in a wind,
nor do I want it to be a hassle during setup. I'm thinking velcro would work
on the inside of the roof end. That would hold it in place until the tension
of the bunk end tent would hold it in place. But how do I secure the window
end, without potentially damaging the tent with clamps or hooks or
something?

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Newt - 02 Jul 2005 22:06 GMT

> I have some mylar 'space blankets' I purchased to cover the bunk ends of my
> '00 Coleman Mesa, as a barrier to radiant heat. I chose to use space
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> end, without potentially damaging the tent with clamps or hooks or
> something?

Take a look here.... http://www.popupgizmos.com/

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Chris Cowles - 04 Jul 2005 21:27 GMT

Thanks for the reference. I can figure out the outboard end from the photos,
but are the inboard ends simply held in place by being pinched the canvas
and the roof?

Signature

Chris Cowles
Gainesville, FL
'00 Coleman Mesa/'99 Chevy Astro

> Take a look here.... http://www.popupgizmos.com/

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Newt - 04 Jul 2005 23:06 GMT

> Thanks for the reference. I can figure out the outboard end from the photos,
> but are the inboard ends simply held in place by being pinched the canvas
> and the roof?

They use clips to hold the shade to the roof.
http://users3.ev1.net/~popup/clampview2.gif

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Kegger - 05 Jul 2005 00:33 GMT

To anyone thinking of buying these things... try your local camping hiking
store for a emergency blanket. They are very thin light weight and I have
had two of them on my camper for the past 5 years. I've only replaced them
once in that time. Considering the cost of about $4 each and the cost of
clamps $.50 each I can afford to pick them up more often.
They work like a charm the new ones I have are gold in color and I place
them on the top edge of the wing just under the top and clamp them using 1"
black spring clips I then drape it over the wings and fold over holding them
in place with additional clamps as needed.
None have torn even in higher then normal winds and they reflect the heat
away from the top and average about 15 degrees cooler inside the wing with
it in place.
the clamps you can get through www.harborfreight.com in bags of 10 or 20 if
I remember right.

>> Thanks for the reference. I can figure out the outboard end from the
>> photos, but are the inboard ends simply held in place by being pinched
>> the canvas and the roof?
> They use clips to hold the shade to the roof.
> http://users3.ev1.net/~popup/clampview2.gif

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Dale & Betty - 02 Jul 2005 22:17 GMT

We used the quilted space blankets, but put them on the outside,
holding the sides and end in place with one inch paperclamps from
the stationery store, the roof end was held in place by the edge
of the roof. The clamps never touched the canvas and we replaced
them when they got rusty. On the King end of our Cheyenne we did
piece together parts of two blankets to get full coverage. Ours
were a dull green on the back side which we faced out/up in cold
weather to help gather sun-heat and reflect indoor heat in cooler
weather. BTW, we never had a problem with them coming loose in
the wind.
Using them on the inside I would think that the end-bow would
hold that end in place.

Signature

[Dale] & Betty
97 Coleman Cheyenne
97 Toyota T100

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Chris Cowles - 04 Jul 2005 21:29 GMT

I'm planning to use them outside. Otherwise the heat is already inside.
Another respondent posted a link to someone to assembles them for sale. They
sewed a gusset on one end and threaded a bungee cord through it.

How do your 1" paper clamps not touch the canvas? Do you fold the space
blanket over the seam, and just clamp onto the blanket itself? On the king
end, how do you join the two sides in the middle? More clamps?

> We used the quilted space blankets, but put them on the outside,
> holding the sides and end in place with one inch paperclamps from
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Using them on the inside I would think that the end-bow would
> hold that end in place.

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Dale & Betty - 06 Jul 2005 18:07 GMT

Chris,
You've got it on the first part with the paper clamps. The
two pieces are cut to size and sewn together such that the silver
side looks good and the colored side is ragged. If one planned
ahead they could do a "rolled" seam and both sides would look
'finished'.

Signature

[Dale] & Betty
97 Coleman Cheyenne [FS]
97 Toyota T100, replaced by a 01 GMC Sierra to pull a 2002
Fleetwood Caravan

> How do your 1" paper clamps not touch the canvas? Do you fold the space
> blanket over the seam, and just clamp onto the blanket itself? On the king
> end, how do you join the two sides in the middle? More clamps?

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greers - 05 Jul 2005 15:30 GMT

We use clothes pins along the side edges and bunk ends. Works just
fine. The hard top sort of blocks most wind coming from the opposite
direction If a strong wind sometimes gets underneath it, who cares,
just reattach it. No need for a gold plated solution in my opinion.

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