Windshield covers

[buddy110]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Bruce

I feel a huge difference in front cab temperatures with the front cab MagneShades installed versus off.

We are finally getting some really nice and hot days here in Arizona.... been cold and windy much more than normal. When hot, the AC units work much less hard in the front of the coach to keep inside temps reasonable. I'm a big believer in their usefulness.

Now, I have no experience with their wheel covers. Their only purpose is supposedly uV absorption, and I have never seen any real laboratory or scientifically measured data on those babies (and they are expensive!). They look good IMO, but worth the $, not sure. I hate the "looks" of traditional wheel covers.... Yuk!

Gary

I think it's safe to say I expect too much from most things...

[brobox]

Originally Posted by JayManges

I checked out Magnashade. $675 plus tax and $49 shipping for a freaking window cover? PASS!

People are free to eliminate the middleman and make their own. Sunscreen fabric can be ordered from Home Depot and many other sources. That fact remains, they work. The cost of a new MH dash is a heck of a lot more than $700 on an Entegra MH.
I purchased Prompt SunScreens years ago for $250. They have since left the business, but my shades have lasted through 3 MH's and still work great and do not need a ladder to install.

[Craneboy302]

At the show in Tampa fell in love with the one that has the eagle & flag & in the corner is We The People. Paid a lot but love it. The problem is I bought a plain one at the same show in 17. It is in the box never been opened. Now DW wants me get rid of the old one. Told her two was better then one but that didn’t fly!!!
I was going to NC to have it installed but a good friend of ours said he did his own so overnighted it to his place. He did a great job putting it on.
Haven’t used it much but there is always next winter. Thanks bruce

[Mwoodofd]

Just received my Magne Shade today - bought it at the Quartzsite show in January - just need to figure out how to get it to Indio when I fly there in 2 weeks. I looked at the others, and the ones with the snaps, and visiting with the owner of Magne Shad at the show - I was sold and just ordered them, the windshield , both side windows and the door, and the tire covers.

I understand the mesh, the sewing, and workmanship that goes into their manufacturing from my Office Furniture seating experience. Great product and people. There are so many Magne Shade products on all types of Class A's there at our Resort. Looking forward to installing them.

[bigb56]

Originally Posted by JayManges

I checked out Magnashade. $675 plus tax and $49 shipping for a freaking window cover? PASS!

I wasn't ready to spend that much either so I bought a roll of Reflectix and cut it to fit the windshield exactly, on the inside, then I fixed Velcro to the glass and to the Reflectix and it works great when we are camped in the sun. I also made a full set of side window pieces which I cut to fit tight and no Velcro is needed, they stay in place. In order to get the cuts right I made patterns with sheets of paper taped together. They would probably work fine for storage too but I am lucky enough to have indoor storage at home.
I suppose a cover on the outside might be a bit more efficient for solar gain but I'm very satisfied with my cheap home made ones for now.

[hdgoldie]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

This is my opinion based on personal experience, so factor that in.

In ~ 7 years, the only Magneshade that has fallen off in a stiff wind was the front windshield (the biggest one) and that has happened exactly once.

In addition, I had the top driver-side corner fall down just a couple of weeks ago in 30 - 40 mph winds in Tucson. That happened for one reason.... the middle (top to bottom middle magnet) was missing ( need to buy another one as that one was lost after I installed on my second windshield) and it let the middle (top to bottom) shade billow where that magnet was missing. I have had a total of three windshields replaced on my Entegra coaches (1 on Anthem and 2 on this Cornerstone), 2 due to stones, and 1 due to stress or manufacturing imperfections in glass (warranty))

Now, here is my guess. Most people install MagneShades themselves and a whole lot of owners do a bad job of positioning the magnets. I have seen some really terrible installation jobs. The magnets are very hard to work with as the rare earth magnets are VERY VERY strong and with the adhesive disks applied to them, many people don't get the magnets in the right position before the magnetic field grabs them and snaps them to the glass and then you cant adjust position. If the magnet position does not naturally stretch the MagneShade tightly, then they can, and will, blow off but it takes an very stiff wind. My observation is that a lot of people do a terrible job of mounting them. Those people probably need to go to the factory and have the factory apply them. I've learned some tricks and would be happy to consult.

Mine stick like glue and I have them on 4 front windows. The only one that has ever fallen off is the main windshield and that was in a major blow!

Gary

We had issues with our MagnaShades blowing off - enough that when we got our last coach, we went with snap on shades. Might just be where we were camping but, on a waterfront lot, fishing them out got old fast. It got to the point where we simply did not want to use them because it was so much hassle to chase them down after a good storm. After one storm, when we were out west, we found them two rows down…halfway down the road. They were dealer installed and sure seemed tight when we were putting them up. Bear in mind that we bought those with our first Entegra many years ago so they may have improved the product since then. Hoping others do not have the same experience.

[Butte64]

Some of the earlier MagneShades did not have enough side magnets pockets. Mine blew off a few times. So I doubled the inside magnets on the side middle and it has been better since then.

[JayManges]

Originally Posted by bigb56

I wasn't ready to spend that much either so I bought a roll of Reflectix and cut it to fit the windshield exactly, on the inside, then I fixed Velcro to the glass and to the Reflectix and it works great when we are camped in the sun. I also made a full set of side window pieces which I cut to fit tight and no Velcro is needed, they stay in place. In order to get the cuts right I made patterns with sheets of paper taped together. They would probably work fine for storage too but I am lucky enough to have indoor storage at home.
I suppose a cover on the outside might be a bit more efficient for solar gain but I'm very satisfied with my cheap home made ones for now.

Not all of us have deep pockets. Many of us are on fixed incomes where saving money counts. That's why many of us opt to use ingenuity and ability to turn a wrench or create their own sunscreens as opposed to writing big checks to solve simple problems. Not in my best interest anyway. You do bring up another very good point though. Why mount the sunscreen on the outside? It really doesn't seem easier or more efficient and you certainly don't have to worry about it blowing away and chasing it across the desert.

[buddy110]

Originally Posted by bigb56

I wasn't ready to spend that much either so I bought a roll of Reflectix and cut it to fit the windshield exactly, on the inside, then I fixed Velcro to the glass and to the Reflectix and it works great when we are camped in the sun. I also made a full set of side window pieces which I cut to fit tight and no Velcro is needed, they stay in place. In order to get the cuts right I made patterns with sheets of paper taped together. They would probably work fine for storage too but I am lucky enough to have indoor storage at home.
I suppose a cover on the outside might be a bit more efficient for solar gain but I'm very satisfied with my cheap home made ones for now.

Yes and no. Reflectex works best when there is dead air in-between it and the source of heat. I lined my magna shade with it, Theoretically is should work much better on the outside, but I found it became a conduit to draw heat in because it was in contact with both the windshield and the shade.. Installed inside it would have less contact with the glass surface, thus a dead air space would exist providing better reflection. YMMV.

[bevandtomH]

Want to clarify some points Gary and others raised.

1) there are plenty of install tips on YT. Both from the manufacturer and others I found worth watching. Pretty easy to determine if this is a job you want to do or have it done by others.
2) initial installation of the magnets is pretty straight forward. Magnets can be slid around to get them into their proper position. Once you are happy with the overall position of the shade and magnets, I used an plastic auto trim tool. You can get them anywhere. Use one that is flat, allowing you to pry the windshield magnet from it’s mate. Peel backer and re-apply.
3) the pockets in the screen allow a fair amount of leeway when installing the screen each time.
4) Wind: we’ve been in 50-60 mph winds in Palm Springs. Lost my WeberQ cover but never had an issue with the shades. Many high wind occasions at differing angles, never an issue.
5) Wheel Covers: I use 303 for tire protection whether I use the tire covers or not. Depends on duration, sun angle, etc. if I put them on or not each stop. Since tires age out before wear out, any good cover may work but these look the best, easy to put on, and stay put.
6)Heat. I measured anywhere from 15-20 degree reduction with the shade on using my Gun. It’s a noticeable difference for us.
7) MS also allows some daytime privacy while allowing light in. Cloudy days can feel a little dark but……
8) as noted, if there is one negative, it would be the cost.

But after two years they still look like new. Nice quality.

[RVFunlovers]

I sold the Magna shade’s with the 2017. We had installed them ourselves and had not had an issue with them blowing off. They were just under a year old. We sold them for what we paid for them so all we lost was the work to put them on an out new buyer got good shades that were working great.

I have seen some people put the lower front windshield magnets on the outside similar to the way the side windows are done to help them hold stronger. We never had a reason to go that route.

I am leaning towards getting another Magna shaded. When you are parked facing south or west you get a lot of heat through the front. I never measured the difference but we think they helped. I like being able to put the shades up quick without getting out the ladder. We tend to move around every week or two. If we were mostly seasonal camping or staying for a couple months or more per spot I might go the snap on route.

[Marcosdad]

Another plus for MS is that they'll move from old rig to new. The ones (front and side) we bought for our '13 Aspire fit on our '15, and '18 Cornerstone. Wiper covers...not so much. Now, I think the driver's window would have to be replaced.

[Gary.Jones]

Stu

Yes, the driver window and shade on my 19 was/is a different shade and I needed to buy a new shade for it. Bought new magnets, and 3M stick-on adhesive discs and applied the new magnets to hold the new shade. My memory is that the shade, magnets, and adhesive discs was a couple hundred bucks total.

Gary

[Marcosdad]

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

Stu

Yes, the driver window and shade on my 19 was/is a different shade and I needed to buy a new shade for it. Bought new magnets, and 3M stick-on adhesive discs and applied the new magnets to hold the new shade. My memory is that the shade, magnets, and adhesive discs was a couple hundred bucks total.

Gary

The magnets can be moved from one rig to another. MS sent me the sticky pads and chemical gratis.