Sliding Door Curtain

I have seen two versions of sliding door curtains on bay window 
campers.  One of them uses plastic buttons that are sewn into the 
curtain.  These buttons then slide in a track that is riveted to the 
bus.  This is what I have in my '71 Campmobile.

The only other type I have seen was on a '73 poptop camper.  In it the
curtain hung from a more traditional flat rod that was riveted in 
there.  I guess that curtain was meant to be permanent.

I didn't like either of these.  The former was too much trouble when 
fitting a new curtain (which brought this whole problem up) and the 
later didn't seem sturdy enough for me.  Also, when the curtain was 
deployed, it was in your way getting in and out of the sliding door.

The most logical solution for me was to attach the curtain to the 
sliding door.  To do this I went to a salvage yard camper and got a 
flat rod from the left (non-sliding door) side.  You can use a pair of
side cutters to halve this and make it easier to transport.  One half 
will be the top runner and the other the bottom.

Back home, lay one half across the top and mark where it will be cut. 
I drilled the holes at the back end of the door about as far back as I
could get them and still get the drill in there.  (This is only a bit 
of a problem on the campers that have a cabinet on the sliding door 
side.)  This should leave enough room for the rod to clearance the 
side of the bus when the door opens.  Mine had plenty.  Measure twice,
cut and drill once.  Be sure to treat the hole so rust can't start 
there.

The bottom rod ended up being a little longer because of the contour 
or the front end of the door.  Be aware of this.  Don't assume they 
will be the same length.

You can easily put a bend in the rod like the factory.  I used a rag 
and a pair of pliers.  The rag kept the rod from getting dented or 
scratched.  Do this before you do the final drilling on the bus since 
it will change the length of the rod slightly.

This might be obvious but I think it is worth mentioning.  You will 
want the hole in the rod to be larger than the hole you drill in the 
door.  The hole in the door should be small so the screw can grab.  
Start small and make it slightly larger is you need to.  I removed one
of the screws from the rod on the other side and got some just like it
at the hardware store.  Stainless steel even.

The curtain itself is two pieces with a loop top and bottom so the rod
can run through it.  The use of two pieces allows it to be more easily
pushed out of the way for driving.  Use some of the leftover material 
to make ties to hold them back.  Velcro or a couple of snaps could be 
used to hold them tightly together while camping.

Enjoy!
-- 
James A. Brill Jr.         \\  //
jbrill@unlinfo.unl.edu   \\ \\// //     
University of Nebraska    \\//\\//     
free-lance homo sapien     \/  \/