Installing new window shades.

[gemini5362]

I have two questions if someone can help me.

1. If anyone has had the motorized MCD shades mounted as an aftermarket upgrade. How did they run the wires to them. Did they run the wires through the Styrofoam of the wall or inside the coach.

2. Has anyone used cellular shades. I noticed them in Lowes. The shades are double cell and are supposed to have some insulation qualities. I am just wondering how well the shade themselves held up to driving down the road and to a camping environment.

[al2ride]

Originally Posted by gemini5362

I have two questions if someone can help me.

1. If anyone has had the motorized MCD shades mounted as an aftermarket upgrade. How did they run the wires to them. Did they run the wires through the Styrofoam of the wall or inside the coach.

2. Has anyone used cellular shades. I noticed them in Lowes. The shades are double cell and are supposed to have some insulation qualities. I am just wondering how well the shade themselves held up to driving down the road and to a camping environment.

2. Our coach has cellular shades on every window except in the cockpit. I don't see why they wouldn't work in the cockpit. The electric ones would be nice through. Not sure on your setup, but on ours it would be easy to add them as we already have an electric front shade and power is there.

[MoHoGo]

Depending on where you are in the buying process and if you are looking for new shades I would suggest you contact a local Budget Blinds dealer. They offer the cellular pleated shades and can be ordered motorized with power by battery and RF remotes. No wiring issues at all. Here are a couple of links:

Budget Blinds Designing Spaces TV Episode - Eco-friendly Window Treatments - YouTube

This is the company that partners with Budget Blinds to provide the Battery motor and wireless controls.

Motorize your Shades and Automate your Home - Somfy -

[al2ride]

Originally Posted by campbell36

Depending on where you are in the buying process and if you are looking for new shades I would suggest you contact a local Budget Blinds dealer. They offer the cellular pleated shades and can be ordered motorized with power by battery and RF remotes. No wiring issues at all. Here are a couple of links:

This is the company that partners with Budget Blinds to provide the Battery motor and wireless controls.

Motorize your Shades and Automate your Home - Somfy -

Oh no, you didn't have to post this!!! Now I have to have it. My side shades are junk and rattle a lot. A battery operated with remote control shade would be perfect.

[al2ride]

What about these:

Motorized Cellular Shades | Blinds.com

[gemini5362]

Originally Posted by al2ride

What about these:

Motorized Cellular Shades | Blinds.com

Actually we looked at this website. If we go this route it will probably be the company we order from. The new shades in the living room area for our coach is 1/2 the price that bali shades from Lowes are. I am just hoping to hear from people that have made the transition how well they like them. I also wanted to hear how MCD runs the wiring to the shades when they install them The battery option is available but I don't want to get into the changing batteries all the time issue. The blinds run off of 12volts so should be able to power them off of the coach just got to figure a way to run the wiring.

[BillJinOR]

I have small separate motorized visor shades for the driver and passenger.. As do most class A I've been in. Repurpose those switches and wiring since they are removed with the mcd shade. Of course if you don't have motorized visors ...

[gemini5362]

Originally Posted by BillJinOR

I have small separate motorized visor shades for the driver and passenger.. As do most class A I've been in. Repurpose those switches and wiring since they are removed with the mcd shade. Of course if you don't have motorized visors ...

Thank you for the advice. The switches are not the problem. The motorized shades I am looking at have remote controls. The issue is how to run the wires to the shade motor from the coach 12 volts. The walls of the coach are filled with Styrofoam insulation so you cannot just fish wires through the walls. MCD does a lot of retrofit installations and I was hoping someone that had been there and had it done could tell me where they ran the wires.

[MoHoGo]

is always the question. Luckily, it is low voltage and you can get along with 18 awg wire. But don't discount the battery option as the battery life can be pretty good and are replaceable. The other thought is that you can start with the battery and slowly run 12V as you do other work or have the time. Somfy.com also has small solar panels that will keep the batteries charged.

Just to be transparent, I do work for Somfy. Somfy makes the motors and wireless controls for a wide range of window coverings, but not the window coverings. These are available from our customers such as blinds.com and budget blinds. You can also check with MCD to see if they offer this product.

http://www.somfysystems.com/download...tion_guide.pdf


This accessory offers a maintenance-free and green alternative to powering motorized window coverings featuring WireFree™ motors. WireFree™ motor is required for use of the Solar Pack. Compatible with existing and new installations and various window types.

Jim

Originally Posted by gemini5362

Thank you for the advice. The switches are not the problem. The motorized shades I am looking at have remote controls. The issue is how to run the wires to the shade motor from the coach 12 volts. The walls of the coach are filled with Styrofoam insulation so you cannot just fish wires through the walls. MCD does a lot of retrofit installations and I was hoping someone that had been there and had it done could tell me where they ran the wires.

[gemini5362]

Originally Posted by campbell36

is always the question. Luckily, it is low voltage and you can get along with 18 awg wire. But don't discount the battery option as the battery life can be pretty good and are replaceable. The other thought is that you can start with the battery and slowly run 12V as you do other work or have the time. Somfy.com also has small solar panels that will keep the batteries charged.

Just to be transparent, I do work for Somfy. Somfy makes the motors and wireless controls for a wide range of window coverings, but not the window coverings. These are available from our customers such as blinds.com and budget blinds. You can also check with MCD to see if they offer this product.

http://www.somfysystems.com/download...tion_guide.pdf


This accessory offers a maintenance-free and green alternative to powering motorized window coverings featuring WireFree™ motors. WireFree™ motor is required for use of the Solar Pack. Compatible with existing and new installations and various window types.

Jim

Thank you for your post. We are waiting for color samples from blinds.com. I saw the somfy website and noticed they provided motors for buget blinds and was kind of worried about who did the motors for blinds.com. Budget blinds does not offer websales and we do not live in an area that they have a representative so I believe blinds.com is going to be the best deal for me.

The solar option looks really neat but I do not think I am going to go that route. I went back and looked at the problem again on where to run the wiring and I realized that all of the valances were touching the bottom of overhead cabinets. The cabinets have switches for reading lights in them so I am probably going to be able to just run power from the switches. run that in the bottom of the cabinet and just drill a hole at the back of them directly into the valence. I still am curious about how MCD does it.

[MoHoGo]

Originally Posted by gemini5362

Thank you for your post. We are waiting for color samples from blinds.com. I saw the somfy website and noticed they provided motors for buget blinds and was kind of worried about who did the motors for blinds.com. I believe Blinds.com also have Somfy motors, ask. Budget blinds does not offer websales and we do not live in an area that they have a representative so I believe blinds.com is going to be the best deal for me.

The solar option looks really neat but I do not think I am going to go that route. I went back and looked at the problem again on where to run the wiring and I realized that all of the valances were touching the bottom of overhead cabinets. The cabinets have switches the Somfy RF wireless remotes are the way to go, they are available in both single and multiple channel so you can just wire from the power side of the switches to the motor. for reading lights in them so I am probably going to be able to just run power from the switches. run that in the bottom of the cabinet and just drill a hole at the back of them directly into the valence. I still am curious about how MCD does it. Go to the MCD site, they have a lot of info in their installation section

Good luck, btw Somfy has another site www.somfypro.com that will cover the installation from a programming standpoint, but if you order all of the blinds at the same time they should be preprogrammed to a multiple channel remote. Somfy also has an excellent CS center that if necessary can walk you through the programming.

Jim