Community Forums

jerry and toni smith · 10-31-2009, 08:26 AM

The DS bigslide daynight shades are crooked probably because I decided that they were a little crooked and decided to fix them. Now they are a lot crooked. They still work and since they are directly in front of me while sitting in my reading chair the fact that they are crooked is a big issue. Yes, the spines of all my books on the book shelf are perfectly aligned.

To reestablish harmony and order in my world I need to fix this problem. So, if there are others out there who fixed a crooked shade I would appreciate your advice as how fixed, who fixed, where it was fixed etc. All advice will be appreciated and thank you in advance.

Jerry 2006 34 Alpine

Alpine Road Warrior · 10-31-2009, 08:37 AM

I replaced mine with MCD Shades. Harmony is my coach is at it's top's.

TXiceman · 10-31-2009, 08:51 AM

Generally all it takes is to hold the lower corner firmly and tug the high corner down untill it is level.

Ken

Jim A · 10-31-2009, 10:25 AM

Since you said all advice will be appreciated, I would suggest yanking on them until they break, and then replace them with the MCD shades! Like Alpine Road Warrior, I replaced mine with MCD shades and couldn't be happier.

But if you don't like that approach, and the gentle tugging suggested above doesn't work, you might try to release the tension on the cords on the sides. Level the shades and reapply the tension.

Dirtyblindman.com sells repair kits for replacing broken strings. I did that on a few of my shades before I replaced them, and that improved them considerably. His directions are good in how to take them apart and restring them. I believe he also does the repairs if you prefer, but I didn't use those services. He is somewhere in the Palm Springs area, I think.

TXiceman · 10-31-2009, 10:48 AM

We have had a couple of RVs with the standard RV Day-Night Shades and never a problem. I do not understand all of the problems with them.

Ken

Dave Fernandez · 10-31-2009, 11:05 AM

Hello Jerry:

To adjust the pleaded shades on the Alpine you will need to adjust the string which is anchored to the bottom of the valance.

I think the plastic anchor my have broken as they did on mine. You can get replacement plastic anchors at most RV supply centers.

If the anchor is not broken you need to reset the knot/shorten the string until the shades are level.

Either way you will need a very short Phillips screw driver to remove the screw in the center of plastic anchor so you can remove the anchor to loosen the knot on the string and retie it and reattach it to the valance. The string in attached to a spring in the shade and it can be frustrating to retie and reattach the anchor. Overall it is not hard to do. It is harder and more frustrating to restring the shades.

I did eventually replace all four of the shades with MCD manual shades but I have had to replace the springs in two of the new MCD shades this year.

wa8yxm · 10-31-2009, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Generally all it takes is to hold the lower corner firmly and tug the high corner down untill it is level.

Ken

If that.. I will tell you there are 3 adjustments

One: If the lines are tight, simply grab the ends and adjust as TXiceman described.

Two, if the lines are loose (Which means the shade tends to fall down on it's own) tighten the thread bobbin.. You may or may not need to loosen and re-tighten the screws

Ted III · 10-31-2009, 12:17 PM

I have one shade that will only go up 1/2 way. The R. hand string has a loose loop below the lower wheel. Shade is tight and flat when opened 1/2 way. We have no clue what we did to it or how it happened. Pushing it up and destroying it at the moment is not an option although a wonderful idea. Actually with five years of use they have been great up until this issue. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

JohnLori · 10-31-2009, 04:53 PM

what are MCD shades? We replaced the split shade on the PS front slide out with a custom ordered fabric roll-down shade from Lowe's. The fabric almost matches the valance fabric. It looks VERY nice when down, and is completely hidden by the valance when it's up. It rolls up and down with an 'endless chain' on the side closest to the recliner. We like it so much we will probably replace the blind behind the couch to match it.

Jim A · 10-31-2009, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman

We have had a couple of RVs with the standard RV Day-Night Shades and never a problem. I do not understand all of the problems with them.

Ken

As with anything else, it depends on quality and workmanship of the manufacturer. The strings slide through plastic bushings pressed into the header materials. If the bushings wear or come out, the string comes in contact with some sharp edges and starts to snag and fray. On mine a couple of the bushing were pressed into holes that were not drilled correctly, causing them to eventually come out and cut the string.

Also, the end caps were not secure, allowing them to fall off and the material to slide around in the header.

The MCD American Duo shades are basically two roller shades mounted one above the other. One is a screen material for day use, allowing you to view out but still cut some of the outside glare. The other roller shade is a blackout material for night time use.

bigfish · 10-31-2009, 05:38 PM

Replaced the pleated shades nearly 2 years ago with the MCD DUO, one behind sofa and the other side behind dinette. They work better and have been maintenance free to date. Eliminated a constant irritation.

BTF
05 40FDQS

Renipladlo · 11-01-2009, 12:43 AM

MCD Innovations

Link above is the MCD shads everyone is talking about. Additionally he provides an adjustment pdf file which can be saved to the local computer so you know how to adjust the shade.

What I did to fix the shades in the 5th wheel (Coach has same kind) was to purchase new string attachment hold downs (bottom of each side of the shade), reattach the string to that, and balance them by wrapping the string around the hold down until the tension was even, and the shade was balanced. The big shade behind the PS seat is cut incorrectly, and won't operate correctly, and so we try to live with it. We don't want to change the one and have something which is out of place, so we are thinking of having it fixed someplace. The link above for the Dirtyblindman.com is most likely the best place for replacement parts. I have not used him. I want some place to look it over and then tell me what they think is wrong. I can live with it for a long time, especially if we will have to replace it, then I am for replacing all the ones in the living room area. The bedroom ones never do much moving as we leave then down all the time.

jerry and toni smith · 11-06-2009, 05:24 PM

A big thank you to all who responded to my problem with crooked daynight shades including Alpine Road Worrior, Txiceman, John A, Dave Fernandez,wa8yxm, Ted III, JohnLori, big fish an Renipladlo. Based on information from all above I decided to remove the daynight shade tofind the problem. Surprisingly, it comes off as a single unit all attached to the valence. A total of 10 screws, 8 on 4 brackets on the right and left side inside the valence, 2 under the enter of the bottom of the valence and 2 screwed to the upper cabinet inside and behind the shade. With the entire unit out and turned around I could see all. The primary problem was the end caps on the rail between the upper and lower shade. Alittle scotch tape around the insert made them a tighter fit. A strip of scotch tape from the end cap to the back of the rail was added to insure that they could not slip off. With the top and bottom shades aligned on the edges I could level both upper and lower shades by pulling on the low side until all was level. Lastly, I adjusted the tension just enough to insure that both upper and lower portions of the shade stayed inthe desired position without excessive effort to raise or lower. So far it seems to be working fine. Thanks again Jerry

Ray,IN · 11-06-2009, 07:30 PM

Blind and Shade Parts and String Repair Instuctions / Directions
This website contains all the information for re-stringing day/night shades and re-installation/adjustment. I bought the string locally from a shade store, just make sure you use the same size. The plastic guides wear out sometimes causing string to break. They may be removed and rotated so the string rides on a new section.