Pleated folding blinds

tbell

Member
Hello everyone. Just signed up as a new member. We have a 2 year old Prowler 5th wheel. We are getting different opinions on how to travel regarding should the blinds be in the up or in the down position when going down the road. Can anyone help settle this? Thanks
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Hello everyone. Just signed up as a new member. We have a 2 year old Prowler 5th wheel. We are getting different opinions on how to travel regarding should the blinds be in the up or in the down position when going down the road. Can anyone help settle this? Thanks

I've heard both as well . . . so I'm wondering the same thing.

I like to keep them down when traveling as I don't like the idea of people looking in to see all the neat stuff inside.

Plus, I also like to keep the sun from fading stuff inside.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Hello Tbell and welcome to this great forum.
Your question has been discussed in the past. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it.
We travel with our blinds down, unless we forget one or two then we travel with some up.
The reason we travel with them down is to keep the sunlight out and hopefully some added heat.
It's up to you how you want to travel with them.
Be sure to check out some Heartland Owners Rallies. Some not to far from Big Bend. Just click on "Events" at the top of any page here.

Peace
Dave
 

tbell

Member
Thanks for the reply. Some folks here in the RV park say there is more stress on the blind strings when in the down position. But from what I've read on the forum is not to expect the strings to last more than a couple of years w/o needing to be restrung. Does that sound right?
 

sengli

Well-known member
Our rig is going on three year plus old, and the strings are in fine so far. We usually leave our blinds about half way up during travel. Guess I really didnt give it much thought, thats just where we leave them.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
With the folding blinds we always traveled with them down, but with the new MCD roller blinds we travel with them up as we have heard of problems with them snapping up and then malfunctioning.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
I've read on the forum is not to expect the strings to last more than a couple of years w/o needing to be restrung. Does that sound right?
There is most likely no defined life of the strings. I have restrung two of ours in five years.

Peace
Dave
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
When I had them, the sun did most of the damage on mine, then they freyed. I also replaced the string with 80 pound fish line when I had to repair them.
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
We had the pleated (single, semitransparent) shades in our ElkRidge. In nearly 6 years, always traveled with them down, never had a string break. However, on a couple of windows, the secure points of the string at the bottom, the screw stripped out, causing a loosening of the tension. A little gorilla glue fixed that.

E
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
With the older Day/Night shade, I had two strings break and two complete blind sets pull off the wall while being operated. That and the large rear blind was a PITA to operate. Solution: replaced every one of them (except over the desk and the bedroom) with Levolor vertical blinds. We place a rubber hair band around the vanes in the open position when towing.
 

Rottiesmom

New York Chapter Leader - retired
Before we replaced our pleated blinds with the MCD shades we would always travel with down now with the new shades we travel with them up but I have know people who have traveled with the pleated shades up too
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
We travel with ours down. Only because we want to. The strings wear because of the sun and use. Not because of any wear from having them up or down while traveling. The strings break. Just fix them and continue having fun!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Top