# Silver Screens - Do they Work?



## seaviews2 (May 1, 2005)

Hi 

We are new to motorhoming (6 weeks in - we like it!) . As it's getting colder now, we are thinking about buying good silver screens from the original suppliers June and Mike in Cleckheaton. Do they work well in terms of keeping the motorhome warmer .... condensation problems reduced.. ? 

Fairly expensive at about £150 to £160.. Worth the spend? Mike at Silver Screens seems so helpful, by the way.

Thanks 

Pat and Wendy


----------



## Jani (Oct 14, 2006)

Hi

From what I have read they are a must as a means to keeping away the condensation ~ we've only had our Hymer just over 2 weeks but will certainly be buying a silver screen.

have fun !

Jani


----------



## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

We would say yes! the internal screens work well but we have just boughrt ones from Taylor made (ordered Mon, came yesterday, look good, 1st trip tonight for a long weekend!)

Search for a topic by me made 2 weeks ago for info.

Much cheaper than silverscreen - and they seem very well made and perfect for the job.

Why taylormade over silverscreen?

Partly price, and partly the fact all the silverscreen paperwork/brochure does is slag off the competition in a really big way. This turns me off straight away and I'd have assumed if the competition was that bad then the forums would always say "avoid XXX only buy silverscreen". but they don't. So - I went taylor made and only time will tell!


----------



## neilbes (Oct 16, 2006)

try here http://www.agentfiamma.co.uk/erol.html#550X0 got some the other week do the job no probs


----------



## Guest (Nov 8, 2006)

We bought a set of Fiamma internal screens in summer and they seem to work OK, both to keep out the sun in summer and to keep out the cold at other times.

At the NEC show we saw the Fiamma external screens (white rather than silver) and, as we intend using our van during the cold months, reasoned that they would be useful for keeping frost off the windscreen so bought a set of those as well. Only used them once - and never in frosty weather yet - but they seem OK.

They are also a lot cheaper than some other makes.

Graham


----------



## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

We've used Silver Screens of sorts for the last 20 years (the first we made ourselves) they will not prevent condensation only reduce it.

They do help to keep the cab areas warm especially on the A class with the large windscreens.

Don


----------



## Minerva (May 22, 2006)

I too am a Taylor Made user and I would say that the external ones are better at keeping condensation down but you do have to veture outside to remove them (1min) Brrrrrrrrrr!

Bill


----------



## StuartB (Jun 21, 2005)

Hi

I recently bought an external cover from Silverscreens to fit my Hymer B655. In my opinion they are very effective and well worth the money.

Stuart


----------



## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

seaviews2 said:


> Hi
> Fairly expensive at about £150 to £160.. Worth the spend? Mike at Silver Screens seems so helpful, by the way.
> Thanks
> Pat and Wendy


Do they work? Got to be YES!  
Are they worth the cost?, hmmmmm VERY debateable!. 8) 
I definately wouldn't be without mine through the winter, makes a hell of a difference to the inside temp as well as cutting condensation.
If funds are tight, you can easily make your own by making a sandwich of tin foil, polythene and loft insulation. 
Thats basically what mine is, it just "happened" to be preformed into aircraft insulation bags which were cut and stuck to size.
Total cost, 50p, for a scrap note to get them past security!


----------



## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Go for EXTERNAL 'silver screens' . . . 100% effective & better than internal ones [IMO]


----------



## woodcut (Sep 30, 2006)

*Silver screen*

Hi. Yes i have bought outer and inner screens for my van from Outdoor Bits, I have put the outer screen on the van which is on the drive and i can certainly feel the difference well worth the money. (£76) Ford transit chassis. Very happy with it, delivered in three days.


----------



## Invicta (Feb 9, 2006)

I wouldn't be without them. Prefer the external ones-better insulation in my opinion. 

I have had both, 'Silver Screens' and 'Taylormade'. Must say that I feel the TM ones are better made, velco sealing points on the corners of the windscreen, though it was some time ago now that I had S/S.

When I got my new RV in January this year, I phoned S/S to be told they don't make them for American RVs. I then phoned TM to be told they did (Ford Econoline) and they arrived the next day-cost £80 !


----------



## 100512 (Aug 13, 2006)

A definite yes they work well to keep condensation down significantly and keep the van warm. They also do a really good job in keeping sunlight out in hot weather, this saved us last summer in Wales from being too hot inside.

Mice are a 5 or 7 layer internal affair with some insulation and other materials inside them and work very well. I dont know who made them though.

It is said that the external ones work well or better but I dont know first hand.

For me they are an essential item to have.


----------



## Enodreven (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi, 

I personally don't think there is any comparison in the winter, the internal screens/blinds etc appear to me to only be for either keeping the heat of the sun away or the light ? and i think the external ones are for keeping the heat in and thereby reducing the condensation, 

I have been wondering about the concertina blinds that are fitted on some of the new motorhomes that slide very close to the front window and sometimes the cab door windows, I know you can purchase these to retro fit, but I was looking a Hymer recently in Belgium which had them fitted and in the morning there windscreen had a lot more condensation on it than mine having used the external Taylormade screens, 

Hope this helps

Brian


----------



## zoro (May 1, 2005)

Hi all 

I agree with Brian. I have a Hymer with the concertina blinds and yes there is a lot of condisation. I have now bought a external cover from Taylormade for £83.50. I also used to keep the concertina blinds closed to prevent sunlight fading the seat fabric when the van is not in use, but found that if they are closed for long periods they loose their folds and are difficult to close. I now leave the screen cover on all the time when the van is not in use. 

Steve F


----------



## hannah29 (Feb 13, 2006)

definately external screens to keep the condensation away....the new hymer concertina blinds do not work for the cold. we have friends who winter in a ski resort. they bought their new hymer last year with the new concertina blinds and cursed them. the older style work much better in my opinion


----------



## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Silver covers*

Hi

Mine were tried and tested in severe cold temperatures in January this year - external silver screens from Taylormade.

Excellent product.

Rapide561


----------



## Motorhomersimpson (May 9, 2005)

Having used the internal screens in the past and as others have said, having experienced condensation. I decided to try the external screens from outdoorbits>>>External Screens...Outdoorbits<<<

I used them for the first time at Binton and the difference was quite impressive, no condensation and the van was kept warm... 

MHS…Rob


----------



## kijana (May 1, 2005)

How do external screens attach? Suction feet? Velcro pads? Baler twine?I'm thinking of my large RV screen with few projections. 

Also, are the screens only fitted to the windscreen? We have pretty huge area of side & rear windows. I spose it could get a bit dark if silverscreens were fitted to all the glass. . .

Like to include them in the kit, though.

Thanks

Bruce


----------



## refuel (Nov 20, 2005)

We have a year 2000 Hymer B524 with Concertina blinds. As we do a lot of wintering in the Alps we bought our external Silver Screens from Mike at Cleckheaton. I agree the concertina blinds, although convenient, are only any use as sun and privacy screens and do little, if anything, to keep the condensation levels down. But the external Silverscreens are excellent. They fit perfectly. Snow two feet deep at the door, minus 18 outside, snug as a bug inside, no condensation at all. Taylormade may be just as good, or better, but we have no experience of them. Customer service at Cleckheaton was hard to beat though FWIW.


----------



## woodcut (Sep 30, 2006)

*Silver screen attachment*

Hi Bruce. The screen i bought for my M.H. fitted around both doors and across the screen, fitted to the door with strong elastic then you shut the door on it very neat and tidy and tight.

Jeff............


----------



## 96105 (Aug 23, 2005)

vicdicdoc said:


> Go for EXTERNAL 'silver screens' . . . 100% effective & better than internal ones [IMO]


hi I 2Nd THAT 

bought some off stuartB [taylormade]  better than my internal screens IMO 2  WORTH EVERY PENNY 

SARUMAN


----------



## kijana (May 1, 2005)

Thanks for that, Jeff.

Trouble is, my RV doesn't have any doors. Well, it has one door, but that's on the side, about 12 feet from the screen.

Anyone fitted them to an RV? Zaskar, maybe?


Cheers

Bruce


----------



## 100769 (Aug 29, 2006)

We have bought S/S and already they have made a difference. Easy to fit when you work out how far open the doors need to be. They are expensive to buy but you get what you pay for.

We have gone for the paragon with the privacy screen to allow seeing out but not in. S/S have also developed an extra piece that fits over the air vents to further reduce cold air entry to the MH. It fits under the main screen and covers the vents and tucks under the bonnet. Probably only really useful in very cold weather and when you are either storing in winter or staying on site for more than one day.

Going away this weekend, so will be interesting to see how they work.

Keith & Viv


----------



## zaskar (Jun 6, 2005)

Anyone fitted them to an RV? Zaskar, maybe?
Cheers
Bruce[/quote]

Yes mate, I have and I can't recomend it highly enough. VERY effective
I tried Taylormade and all the others I could find but was put off by poor attitude/response and what I consider to be ridiculous prices for what they are. 
In the end, I made may own from the insulation bags that you'd see if you could look behind the side wall trim panels in aircraft. Took a bit of cutting and sticking to make one BIG panel but at 50p for the lot I'm not gonna winge too much  
Now the clocks have gone back, it's dark when I go to work and dark when I come back so it stays on all the time except weekend.


----------



## 92046 (May 1, 2005)

*Silver Screens*

Do Silver Screens work... YES, My outside ones were made by an Italian firm, have used them for 3 years at temps down at -5*C and up to + 35*C, the one screen covers the front and side windows of the Fiat cab, in the norm I use on the outside, but if parking up at a location where I may have to move in the night, I then fit them inside, as for keeping the cold out, and the heat in, YES they work, I would not be without my silver screens,

Good luck Colin R......


----------

