Scarnocamper Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Hello everyone! My in-laws recently gave us a fairly pristine 1983 Toyota Dolphin. It only has 19K miles and runs awesome. By chance does anyone have any suggestions on replacing the currents? Is there some place to get pre-fitted ones? We are new to this forum and have learned a lot by reading all these great posts. We appreciate any feedback. The enthusiasm shared by other owners is exciting and we cant wait to get camping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLittlePuppy Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Welcome! Type in 'motorhome curtains' in your search engine. Camping World has Custom Wall Mount Curtains in 6 colors. Privacy Curtains are available also. These are the curtains that close off the upper sleeping area. Custom Mini-Blinds are listed also if your are interested in them. http://www.campingworld.com/category/drapery-curtains/228. Try www.rvdesigner.com and click 'Interior Decorating' to see the curtain selection. Click 'Where to buy' then click your state to see the dealers that offer curtains for motorhomes. If you are able to sew, you can buy curtains and alter them to fit or if you know someone that sews, ask them to help you. Hope this gives you some direction and you can soon have replacement curtains for your 'new' gift from your in-laws. What a nice gift to receive! Dianne '84 Dolphin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Blinds or Curtains? We just bought 3 from Home Depo. Custom sized blinds made by Bali. A ton of colors to choose from. They are the cell type and block light rally well. About $100 each. On our door step in a week! Another choice are mini blinds. Metal ones are noisy when going down the road, plastic a bit quieter. I do not know of any one who custom sews actual curtains. Have to do that yourself or find a local seamstress. We have three other windows in the cab over that need curtains, so we will be on the buisness end of the sewing machine in just a couple of days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarnocamper Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 Welcome!Type in 'motorhome curtains' in your search engine. Camping World has Custom Wall Mount Curtains in 6 colors. Privacy Curtains are available also. These are the curtains that close off the upper sleeping area. Custom Mini-Blinds are listed also if your are interested in them. http://www.campingworld.com/category/drapery-curtains/228. Try www.rvdesigner.com and click 'Interior Decorating' to see the curtain selection. Click 'Where to buy' then click your state to see the dealers that offer curtains for motorhomes. If you are able to sew, you can buy curtains and alter them to fit or if you know someone that sews, ask them to help you. Hope this gives you some direction and you can soon have replacement curtains for your 'new' gift from your in-laws. What a nice gift to receive! Dianne '84 Dolphin Thanks Dianne. Camping world is a little costly. I still need to search the Interior Decorating link further and will definitely add it as a favorite. I think our best bet will be a local seamstress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLittlePuppy Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 We needed to update the curtains in our '84 Dolphin when got it last year. I kept looking at the thrift stores and one day came across some very nice fully lined curtains in perfect condition. I can sew a little and was able to cut them down to fit the windows and they look great. You might check in your area if you have these types of stores as you may find some that could work and then have someone sew them to fit your windows. Yes, the Camping World curtains are costly, so hope you find some that will work or have some made that will make your Toy look nice! Dianne ... the not-so-great seamtress, but I give it my best effort! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted April 24, 2009 Share Posted April 24, 2009 Yes, the Camping World curtains are costly, I did a test for a 4 foot by 2 foot lined, with matching tie backs and track are $91.79 each. A 2 foot by 1 foot is the same price. So its at least $100 per window. I don't know who does the curtains for CW but I'll bet its automated, plug in the numbers and a finished curtain pops out the other end. If that's the case I would expect all the seams etc to be exactly the same on each curtain, no whoops this one came out a little crooked or smaller. I am going to sew our 3 cab over and tie backs. And I bet I will have a couple of whoops. We had a bit of a time finding the material we thought matched our upholstery and new bali blinds and we could only get a limited amount, not much room for major whoops. It would be interesting to know how much a local would make the same curtain for. If you think about it there is considerable labor involved. Don't forget the time finding the fabric you want, new rods if you have special ones now. Where they meet in the middle there could be some Velcro to keep it together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarnocamper Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 We priced curtains at Camping World and it would be in excess of $800 for all of the windows (not including privacy curtains). The old curtains are starting to look a lot better to me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comfun1 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Buy a sewing machine for $100, material for $50, learn to sew and make your own. It's not hard to make curtains. When you are done you will have the curtains and the machine for your next project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 We priced curtains at Camping World and it would be in excess of $800 for all of the windows (not including privacy curtains). The old curtains are starting to look a lot better to me now. Yeouch! If you need any special curtain hardware try this www.go-rv.com look in the index under curtains. I agree with comfun1, buy a sewing machine. I am going to sew one up tonight or tomorrow night, hopefully, and I will let you know if the sewing machine has bounced off the wall or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarnocamper Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 (edited) . Edited April 27, 2009 by Scarnocamper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarnocamper Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 Nice, in theory... however, we have 3 babies under two (22 month old twins and an 8 month month old new baby)... and that doesn't leave much time to take on a sewing hobby. I would rather live with the old curtains... I would rather live with no curtains... than spend my very few precious free minutes sewing. But, if I had the time, that would be something to consider, especially since I already own a sewing machine. However, I don't actually know how to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulfstream Greg Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 You certainly have your arms full! Got to be a great way to stay busy! Another possibility is vinyl mini blinds. Lowes and Home Depot can cut them to width but its up to the customer to shorten them though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justinc25 Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 You certainly have your arms full! Got to be a great way to stay busy! Another possibility is vinyl mini blinds. Lowes and Home Depot can cut them to width but its up to the customer to shorten them though. This is actually what I did in my '86 Dolphin. $40 for 10 mini blinds. Then you just need to shorten. Not too bad to do, you can acomplish this with a steak knife, a pair of scissors, and a lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evereste Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I'm lucky, my wife sews, even I can hand sew and have repaired the canvas on my VW camper... Sewing is definitely something that is very useful, I think Moms used to pass the knowledge down but maybe that's not so prevalent in the 2.1 nuclear family. I would learn, my wife tells me curtains and cushions are a doddle and you could muster it in a few minutes. She's going to show me tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shandamac Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 I'm lucky, my wife sews, even I can hand sew and have repaired the canvas on my VW camper... Sewing is definitely something that is very useful, I think Moms used to pass the knowledge down but maybe that's not so prevalent in the 2.1 nuclear family. I would learn, my wife tells me curtains and cushions are a doddle and you could muster it in a few minutes. She's going to show me tonight. This is wonderful!!!! I believe all utilitarian arts should be studied and mastered by both sexes. It's a shame that somewhere back there, someone decided to divide it all out. "Hon, I'll plow the field if you mend my boxers." or was it, "Babe, I'll darn yer socks if you split the wood."? However it happened, I think it's a beautiful thing that you and Mrs Everste would "doddle" up a few casings together. Warm fuzzy hugs to both of you. shanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Kay Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Hi, I just finished re-doing all the curtains in my new 1989 V6 18' Sunrader I purchased in April. I also looked at Camping World and not only were they very expensive as others have noted, but I did not like the colors that they had, even if I wanted to spend a lot. I am lucky as my daughter in law sews and said she was willing to make them for me. I can sew but she is faster and I knew they would come out professional looking if she did them and they did. My Sunrader model has the big back window in the back over the Dinette area. I did not want additional expense changing out the way the curtains are put up and putting different tracks or method to hand the curtains. Mine has a glide and tape method on a track and I had to purchase the tape (A114) and the glides (A104) for the new curtains as the tape on the old ones was brittle and could not be saved. You can see on www.rvdweb.com under window hardware covering the items I have mentioned. Just in glide tape and guides alone I spent $88.00. I got them at Benchmark RV Center in Sun Valley, Ca., but Camping World also carries them . I also decided that I wanted a white black out material that keeps everything cooler and blocks out the UV rays and would also protect the material I was getting for the curtains as I would like them to last. The black out material was $5.99 per yard and the suede material was a lot higher even though I got it on sale. All depends what you want to spend on the material, but I am so glad I spent the extra money and added the black out material because in the long run my curtains will last a much longer time and summers will be cooler. I can't believe how much cooler the inside is with these new curtains up. I did the curtains around the over-head cab, the door, the 2 back side windows and the large back window, the privacy curtain to close off the over-head bed area and then a curtain to close off the cab from the inside of the RV. All of the curtains with the exception of the privacy curtin and the one to close off the cab from the inside of the RV had the black out material added to the back. Also bought some snaps at the fabric store to attach the ties that keep the curtains open. For what I did you will need 8 yards of material for the curtains and 6 yards of black out material. I got my material at Joann's Fabric store that is located here in California. Sign up with them to send you the store mailer that they send out because it will have a coupon on the back so when you go into get the material you can save a little with the discount they give for it. Also found some great material for the cushions for the dinette area in the back and re-did them as well. The next sewing project is to re-cover the front cab seats with the same material we found for the dinette area, I am hoping to have enough of it left over that I can also do the door side panels. To recover the dinette area and do the front cab seats I got 8 yards. I am not sure how to attach pictures to this reply so in the future when I finish all my little projects and head out on its first trip I will take some pictures and post them also showing the curtains and cushions etc. Hope this helps if you haven't already started them Good Luck Linda Kay Sunrader89@yahoo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shandamac Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Linda Kay, So looking forward to seeing pictures. When you're ready to post them, feel free to start a New Topic so we can keep track of your project specifically? Can't wait to see what you've done. shanda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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