Community Forums

asheville · 06-12-2010, 06:00 PM

Where or how do you get your widow blinds restrung. It seems cheaper to buy new ones? But thats not cheap. What do folks do or am I the only one to have this problem?

Theberrys · 06-12-2010, 06:24 PM

You can buy kits here
RV Products

Dick

RCtime · 06-12-2010, 06:50 PM

http://http://www.winnebagoind.com/r...t%20Blinds.pdf
this will show ya how.

I was at a TT/N campground and a guy there did mine for $60.00 bucks a blind. In and out and restrung. I did one once before and just getting them in and out of the valance was worth the 60 bucks.

Its not easy for for the old and failing eyes.

Best $120.00 buck I ever spent getting 2 blinds restrung.
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dont know whats wrong with the link-

Google Winnebago Ind. The WIT club and go to where it gives you info on care of your motorhome.
It will tell you how to restring the blinds.

bellsharbor · 06-12-2010, 07:26 PM

We had 3 day/night blinds restrung on our 2002 Journey over the last couple of years--different locations but around $35 per blind. Check yellow pages for people who make blinds in your area. Good luck--

jimjr · 06-12-2010, 08:25 PM

The best way to restring them is to replace them with MCD shades. Best money you'll ever spend.

Jackhal1949 · 06-13-2010, 08:10 AM

I restrung one of my large living room blinds myself and it wasn't all that hard, just a bit time consuming. If you go to www.FixMyBlinds.com , They have all the different types strings and diagrams/instructions to string your own blinds and it is quite cheap to do. The important thing to remember is to use really long strings. I think the hardest part was removing the blind as it has 2 screws one on each end and there is a clip in the center which was hard to get the blind out of the clip. Once I got it down I put it on the kitchen table and color coded the four different strings so I wouldn't get them confused. Good rainy day project with an adult beverage or two! LOL! Good Luck!

Clay L · 06-13-2010, 08:14 AM

I agree with the MCD replacement -we just did that - but when I used to restring mine I got the cord at a Joanns fabric store and I drew the diagram below to help when I did the restringing. I found it easiest to take the blind completely apart to do the job.

Navy Flier · 06-13-2010, 10:22 AM

If you are a DIY type of person you can restring your blinds. If not, either get someone else to do it, buy new ones or switch to MCD. They are somewhat difficult to remove depending on which window they are on and how flexible you are. Restringing the blinds is very simple once you have them layed out on a table. You can use the diagram above plus recording what you are doing. Reinstalling them is a two person job. I also recommend using a battery-operated drill to reinstall the two screws. My philosophy is that I can take it apart. If I cannot fix it or put it back together I can get a box and take it to someone who can. So far, I have not had to use that box.

Suncircles · 06-13-2010, 02:04 PM

To extend the life of the restrung blinds, don't forget to purchase and install properly new nylon grommets in the holes in the metal rods of the blind. Grommets do come with some of the OTC kits. Also don't forget to debur the grommets holes to prevent any possibility that the burs will wear on and cut the new strings. I have restrung three of my blinds so far and suspect that manufacturing burs played a roll in the early failure of the strings. Others have described how to debur the holes with drill bits and/or a small file in earlier threads. For us it took both of us to restring our blinds and our marriage survived.

mikwallace · 06-13-2010, 04:19 PM

I restrung mine for less than $3 each. Bought the string at Hobby Lobby and made a threading needle from 14ga wire to pull the string through the blinds. It's a simple operation. After stringing and cleaning, I used spray starch to add a little crispness to the pleets. The best way to maintain the blinds is to be sure they stay retracted so the pleets won't flatten out. Once the pleets get flat they don't want to retract easily.
Good luck!!

Jim A · 06-13-2010, 05:05 PM

My first suggestion is also MCD shades, although I did have a spring break on one of mine. So they aren't perfect. But I still think they are well worth the money. Better vision out in the daytime with good solar protection and less heat in the coach.

If you don't go the expensive route, I agree with the link in the #2 post. I bought a few kits from him and they come with relatively easy to follow instructions. It was probably more of a pain to remove them than to restring them! And they never failed again. Mine needed new plastic inserts, not just restringing. The inserts falling out caused my failures.

inspectorudy · 06-14-2010, 10:08 PM

Speaking of pleats have any of you discovered a way to pull the two large pleated curtains on the front windshield back and keep the pleats correctly stacked? I can do it but I have to put my fingers on the ivory colored pleats and that will lead to dirty curtains . If I pull them back with the rod they bunch up and are hard to undo. If I pull them back at the other end it takes forever and I end up touching them alot. Any help?

Chuck 1935 · 06-14-2010, 11:09 PM

www.dirtyblindman.com
If you are handy it's not that hard. Most broken cords are due to missing plasic grommetts through the metal pieces. They come withe the kits from the The Dirty Blind Man.

Izzyblueye · 06-16-2010, 05:52 AM

I am little stupid on blinds. What exactly is a MCD blind? I hate these sorry day/night shades. Can an MCD be easily installed in the place of the OEM? Do they provide complete privacy at night?