Community Forums

CWJK55 · 10-01-2017, 05:25 PM

It was a beautiful day in northern Illinois Saturday. We were driving to central Indiana that day on our way to to the National Storytelling Festival in eastern Tennessee. I decided to drive with the windows open to get some fresh air into the motorhome.
After for hours of driving we need some new day night shades in the motorhome. In their defense they were 14 years old but they took quite a beating on the drive.
Anyway I'm looking at them and can't see how they are attached. There is a valance around them that I think needs to be removed before I can get at the shade itself. Aside from a screw at the bottom of the valance I can't see any other points of attachment.
Has anyone done this replacement who could offer some clues?

Rocky Larson · 10-01-2017, 05:46 PM

Long, strong, thin fingers come in handy. There should be a latch near each end, several inches in. My guess is you should be able to either see one or feel it but not at the same time. The interior coach side of the latch should snap up and towards you allowing inward movement to detach the blind. Four hands doing both ends at the same time sometimes, not always, helps.
If you are actually going to replace then removing all the fabric first might help. Once you get one done the technique is a "SNAP".
YMMV as design of some latches make direction of movement opposite of described. Valance removal is not a requirement.

MyFirstRV · 10-01-2017, 05:49 PM

I just went thru this last week. We lost one of the strings in our shade and I had to remove it to make the repair. Ours had two clips holding them on. They are located at the top of the blind and can be released by gently prying the clip away from the top rail of the blind. You do not need to remove the surround to remove the shade. Hope this helps.

tizzyfit · 10-01-2017, 05:57 PM

Thanks Rocky and My first RV! I'm sick of looking at my and had no clue how to get these day/night shades out. Next question, what did you replace yours with?????

Spk64 · 10-01-2017, 06:03 PM

Depending on how valances are made they may need removed to take out the lower screw holding the strings. I had to do that as the strings were tied tightly to the Knobs and valances covered access to the screws.

ThomB · 10-02-2017, 06:59 AM

I have repaired a couple day/night shades in our coach. On the one that is directly over my head in the bedroom we flat out replaced it with a roller shade I ordered to fit online. The replacement I mounted directly to the valance for ease of use and mounting. (if you can say "ease" while working upside down and over your head) I placed my order through blinds.com where I was able to order them at a custom size (width and height).

CWJK55 · 10-03-2017, 06:01 AM

It may be because of the age of our motorhome, 2004, but I can't find any brackets holding the day/night shades.
Has anyone seen any other mounting on older shades?

falconman · 10-03-2017, 01:38 PM

Sometimes they just drive screws up thru the blinds header into the valance. You have to look very closely. A couple of our smaller ones were installed that way.

Waiter21 · 10-03-2017, 03:22 PM

When we bought our New-to-us Southwind, one of the shades looked like it was involved in a fight between two ally cats and also tore up the valance fabric. I was surprised the shade it popped back into position and looks just fine.

I replaced the valance fabric and repaired the shades. If yours are the same as mine. The shades are mounted to the valance. I removed the valance, then the shades. I did a short article:

Replacing Day / Night shade valance fabric covering – 1999 Southwind 35S

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