Re: [VAC] blinds or drapes ?

["terry c. tyler" <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Tony Sadaway,

Answer #1 is to your question. Answers 2, 3 & 4 are FYI.

1 - In one of our Airstreams, the blinds are attached at the 
bottom of the windows. That keeps them from dangling or
banging around while traveling. There are little plastic clips
that fit over the bottom bar which match up with their 
plastic partners attached to the wall.  The windows are 
ordinary clear glass. Privacy at night is good straight on, 
but so-so from the side unless the drapes are full and attached 
at the bottom. Disadvantage is blinds are dirt collectors 
which easily gets on the drapes. Cleaning blinds is a chore 
all by itself. Do it often or the drapes will do the outside 
edges for you (and show it).  Plus and minus. Take your pick.

2 - In one of our Airstreams, the drapes are handmade and
secured on a bar attached above the windows. For all 
practical purposes their thickness is equivalent to shear.
This trailer was purchased last October. The owners said
they didn't worry about privacy at night because they
always went to bed about dusk. They preferred getting up
early at dawn. Curtains were not a priority for them.

3 - In one of our Airstreams, the drapes are skimpy and free
hanging except for a factory installed attempt to secure 
them along the bottom with an elasticized tape that is 
supposed to stay in place. The windows are ordinary clear
glass. When inside this trailer during the day, it feels like
living inside a fish bowl. Night time privacy is good straight
on but non-existant from the side. At last year's Airstream
convention in Ohio, I bought pull curtains at the flea market
which match identically with one pull curtain that came as 
standard equipment. They are sufficiently wide to provide
profoundly more privacy at night when the lights are on inside. 

4 - In one of our Airstreams, the drapes are full and attached 
at the bottom of the windows. There are pull curtains which 
when combined with the full drapes provide total privacy at
night when the lights are on inside the trailer. This trailer has
tinted and reflectorized thermopane windows which give 
privacy during the day. The thermopane feature makes a big 
difference in hot and cold weather. This trailer gives us the 
impression of being the most homelike and the one that 
interior designers were listened to when the original
blueprints were created. This trailer has vista vue windows
along the ceiling line which allow daylight inside when the
curtains are drawn (such as when parked elbow to elbow 
at a rally or convention). This is especially pleasing when
we eat breakfast in our pajamas (3' away from our neighbor's
door or window).