# Thermal winter screens



## NeilandDebs (Aug 28, 2008)

Good morning All,

Just after some opinions! We will be wintering in the van in Blighty for the first time. Thought I would get a thermal screen from Silver Screens. (got one of their we can see out but you can't see in screens and it is great) Anyway this will cost about £250. The 'Boss' is having trouble paying that. So to help her out can anyone out there give any opinion as to their effectiveness at keeping the cold at bay.

Many thanks

Neil


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## stevethebeekeeper (Jan 23, 2011)

essential in my opinion


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

would not do winter without an external silver screen. the internal ones always give you condensation and have to keep putting those blooming sticky cups back on the screen.

cabby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

External screens work.

Internal ones don't.

Cabby is right. Pay the money and you will not be shrinking away from the freezing cold cab area - or mopping the wet out of the scuttle in the morning.

Dave


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## angelaa (Feb 14, 2011)

I agree with Cabby, wouldnt be without it. When really cold, we put the internal ones up as well. We went away in February with some friends, we were as warm as toast, they didnt have the screens, and they said how cold it was. :lol:


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## Jamsieboy (Jan 14, 2011)

External screens every time.
Good in the hot too. Helps reduce solar heat gain.
Great in the cooler weather
No condensation
Got my from Taylormade
Cheers


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

+1 for external screens in winter - combined with an internal screen, then you remain toasty inside


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Hi
If you are longterming/fulltiming in your van and the screens will be on everyday throughout winter then I think they are very, very poor.

Have a searh for some of my postings on Silver Screens. If you can't find any of my postings let me know and I will post again.

Paul.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Taylormade are using a better material - according to information on here.

Silverscreens are reported to be less durable, and susceptible to being wet for long periods. Not so good for an outside cover!! 8O 

I have no first hand knowledge of this, but before parting with a lot of cash I would do some serious research.

Dave 


P.S. Just saw Paul's post above. That's what I was talking about.


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## Spiritofherald (May 18, 2012)

£250 will pay for a lot of gas to kep the van warm!


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## Bob45 (Jan 22, 2007)

We bought ours from Vancomfort and they are brilliant. Highly recommended. Not cheap but work. Cuts down the condensation and cold. 
I had to glue on an aluminium strip above the window but the instructions and glue (Sikaflex ) worked really well.
Try to get one which allows you to fold down the front screen to allow light into the m/h during the day otherwise you are the dark all day.
Best of luck persuading the boss!

Bob


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

I'd go with internal and external screens, although I've yet to buy some external ones. I made some temporary ones from bubble wrap this winter and they did a reasonable job.

One other thing if you are over wintering.

At night turn all your cab heating vents to re-circulation, you'd be surprised what a difference it makes


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

Wouldn't be without external screens in winter. Don't use them all day like some do as like a bit of light to come into the van during the day!

Internal screens definitely cause loads of condensation when used on their own.

Denise


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

We use Taylormade external screen on the windscreen, wouldn't be without it, keeps the heat in or out, depending where you are.

You could also use bubblewrap under the external screen, for even better insulation.

Also, think about how well the van itself is insulated. Even something as simple as stuffing your bedding and towels in plastic bags into top lockers can help to stop heat escaping. Remember heat rises! Similarly, cutting a piece of polystyrene to fit the hekis will help, you can just suspend them above the blind.

One great enemy with winter heating is condensation. Try a couple of washing up bowls with coarse salt somewhere you won't trip over them, eg in front footwells. The salt will absorb most of the excess moisture. When the salt looks soggy, chuck it away and replace.

Use hot water bottles, especially under your feet when sitting.

Good luck!


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

The "Genuine" Silverscreen with the fold down panel is brilliant.
I keep it on our MH when parked up over winter and I have proved it does help to keep the internal temp up.
On tour it is very useful if on a site where you need privacy so you can put it on and fold down the front to let light in but no-one can see in during daytime. I would recommend this product


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

BrianJP said:


> The "Genuine" Silverscreen with the fold down panel is brilliant.
> I keep it on our MH when parked up over winter and I have proved it does help to keep the internal temp up.
> On tour it is very useful if on a site where you need privacy so you can put it on and fold down the front to let light in but no-one can see in during daytime. I would recommend this product


We have also kept it on over winter which is why I said it was very poor quality. Silver Screens admit freely themselves that the quality is nowhere near as good as it used to be since they changed the material from a solvent based to a water based material. They(Silver Screens) themselves tell you the product is NOT recommended to be left on for long periods and likened it to winter coat, saying you would wear it then take it off and dry it out indoors. They could not tell me when they changed the material.

It is very good to keep the sun off and condensation down, but leaves a lot to be desired for long term rough weather use.

So 2 people who have left them on all winter, one says brilliant, the other says very poor. I suppose it can depend on which country you were in at the time(we were in Teesdale, County Durham) and whether it was a wet/dry winter etc. The inside seems to go mushy after days of prolonged rain.

It also depends on whether you have a newer set with the water based material or an older set with the solvent based stuff.

We finished up having to take them off after a very wet couple of weeks and put them in the MH garage to dry out or else they would have totally fell to pieces.

Its your money.

Paul.


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

Well, I bought mine end of 2010. Man at Silverscreens never said there could be a problem leaving on for long periods.
I live ,when in UK in North Yorkshire where they have been on my MH for 2 winters with everything thrown at them including deep snow and show no signs of deterioration.
I also live for long periods in Southern Spain where I put screen on to keep off heat and light and again also no signs of deterioration.
So I am very happy with the screen .Perhaps mine is different from yours or I am just lucky.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

A vote here for external screens

winter and summer

Aldra


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## NeilandDebs (Aug 28, 2008)

Thank you all for your replies. The Boss suitable convinced!

Now just to decide which one to get. Leaning towards Taylormade at 
the moment.

Neil


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

BrianJP said:


> Well, I bought mine end of 2010. Man at Silverscreens never said there could be a problem leaving on for long periods.
> I live ,when in UK in North Yorkshire where they have been on my MH for 2 winters with everything thrown at them including deep snow and show no signs of deterioration.
> I also live for long periods in Southern Spain where I put screen on to keep off heat and light and again also no signs of deterioration.
> So I am very happy with the screen .Perhaps mine is different from yours or I am just lucky.


No probs Brian, thats the contention with reviews, one says great, one says rubbish :lol: Instead of us debating opinions lets just deal with FACTS.
1. Silver Screens changed from a solvent based to a water based material which THEY FREELY tell you is no where near as good weatherwise.
2. They tell you NOT to leave them on for long periods as they must be taken inside to dry out.
3. When I contacted them again the daughter spoke to her father and said there was something I could wrap them in to make the screens more weatherproof(I have forgot what she said but posted on here at the time).

Its a bit rich by the way buying some EXTERNAL SCREENS only to be then informed you need to buy something else to make them more weatherproof.

I have been looking at car reviews recently and its exactly the same, one reviewer says great, the other rubbish.

Paul.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Further to Paul's post above, at the Malvern Show Mrs Taylor confirmed that they do not use the water based stuff. She said she knows only one company which does!!! :roll: 

Taylor's has the spirits based covering, and although I don't think the Taylormades fit quite as well as the Siverscreens it would appear that they are more durable and serviceable in practice.

Dave


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## Hatikvah (Nov 22, 2007)

To add to these posts, I would like to say that we had a taylormade on our last van, a lot of tugging and pulling was required to get it on right , we even had half inch of velcro showing each side of front drop down flap to achieve a little more width, however most importantly ours was mildew all over it after two years, it wouldnt come off, bearing this in mind we have now got a silverscreen for the new van, time will tell, I think the same as everything to do with a motorhome there is that much out there, that is why this site is valuable, we can pass our views round.


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## geordie01 (Apr 20, 2006)

We use Fiamma coverglas external screens in the winter and they have been fine down to -14 so far, keeps condensation off the windscreen overnight.In the summer we use the internal silver screens to reflect the sun back out and it does the job as well.Other than that we use the curtains drawn across the cab and are happy with them.


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

Forgot to say that our Taylormade external screen does allow you to fold the top down to let light in. We haven't found any problem with it in either wet cold weather or very hot weather.


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

coppo said:


> BrianJP said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I bought mine end of 2010. Man at Silverscreens never said there could be a problem leaving on for long periods.
> ...


But I was dealing with facts.
The fact is that despite what Silverscreens say ( and they did tell me there could be a problem leaving on for long periods in Hot countries) I have left mine on for several months at a time in Hard UK winters and for long periods in Southern Spain where the light will destroy almost anything manmade in time. So far apart from a bit of dirt it is as good as new. Perhaps I will be proved wrong and the next time I use the screen and it will fall to pieces.


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## divil (Jul 3, 2011)

My external silverscreen is on my motorhome all the time when I'm not using it...in the winter I also add the internal one's whilst parked outside the house.
Went to Somerset last Feb when it was snowing and used both sets and was really toasty...we just left the blown air heating on all the time...think it got down to -10c. I don't rate the internal one's on there own....buckets of condensation in the morning behind them!

Paul


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

Or just buy radiator insulation at a fraction of the cost and double or triple it up and will do the exact same thing.

a few quid for a few metres (the quilted type)

Oh and its the exact same stuff


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