In this video, I'll be making thermal
blackout window covers for my Nissan NC200, using leftover carpet and foil
insulation, as I convert it into a camper. I started this project by measuring the
van windscreen, the two large side windows, and the two small side windows, to
make sure I had enough materials. These are the only windows in
my van, so I'll be making two sets of identical side window covers
and one large one for the windscreen. With the windows measured, I started
making templates to work from. Sliding pieces of paper into the edge
of the window, I worked my way around and once I had covered all of it, drew
the edge of the window onto the paper. I then trimmed the edges of the paper
to leave an accurate outline of the side windows and the windscreen,
which I could use as my template. Before committing to window covers, I decided
to make a small prototype consisting of two pieces of the foil insulation glued together,
with a layer of carpet glued to one side. From this I could see how it would
look and how thick it would be. Happy with this test, I
continued with the window covers. I temporarily stuck the small side window template to the foil insulation with some masking
tape, so I could cut around the edge. I then did the same for the windscreen. Because the firmer up foil insulation is only 60cm
wide and the Nissan NV200 windscreen is 79cm from top to bottom, I had to compromise and make up
the difference with another piece of insulation. I could then take these two foil insulation
pieces to the van to see how they fit. I marked any areas I wanted to cut
by creating creases in the foil, and then proceeded to trim these off. After lining them up in the van again,
I was finally happy with the fit. I could now cut out the second side window cover, copying it from the first one, in the
knowledge that they were both fit perfectly. My next step was to double up the installation
by gluing a second layer to each piece. This will help improve their insulation
properties as well as strengthening the covers. I stuck the pieces together using Trimfix
high temperature contact adhesive. I left the second layer oversized
and then trimmed them down to match the first layer after I'd applied the
glue, and this left a really nice edge. I ran out of insulation when doubling up the
second side window, so had to create a small patch to fill the cap, however I'll be carpeting
over this side so it would never be seen. With the installation finished, I
decided which edge would face the glass and began carpeting the opposite
side that would face inside the van. Whilst putting a layer of carpet on
the window covers isn't necessary, I thought it would be a nice touch. I had over-ordered when I
carpeted the inside of the van, so it was a great way to
use up some of the excess. Again, I use oversized pieces of
carpet, stuck them down with Trimfix contact adhesive and trimmed the edges to
match the shape of the foil installation. If I got any contact adhesive on the carpet
I used a bit of white spirit to wipe it off. Having done the large side windows in the
windscreen I completed the small side windows, also known as the quarter glass, in the same way. With these completed I took them back to the van
to check the fit and trim them where necessary. I would be using 25mm wide herringbone fabric to
create a neat edge along the window covers and, whilst I considered sewing the edge
on, as I don't have a sewing machine it would have been a lot of work, so
I opted to use contact adhesive again. In order to prevent too much overspray
I used masking tape to create an edge on both sides of each cover and, where
necessary, thickened this with scrap paper. I sprayed contact adhesive onto both the cover
edge and the fabric edge and, once the solvent had evaporated, worked my way around carefully
pressing them together for a neat finish. At the corners I made cuts to get rid of the
excess fabric and it worked out really neat. I could then turn the cover over and
repeat the process to complete the edge. After removing the masking tape, I cleaned
any excess glue off with white spirit. While I finish these edges, please
take a moment to subscribe to my channel to see all the latest videos
from my Nissan NV200 van build series. With the edges complete, I could think
about attaching them to the van windows. I purchased a set of really good suction cups
online and these push through the covers, leaving the cup on the foil side and a small
yet practical handle on the carpet side. They have a collar in the middle of
the handle which covers the hole, leaving tidy look to the covers. I started with the windscreen cover
and used 8 suction cups in total Three at the top, three at the
bottom and two in the centre. I took the cover to the van and
it fitted and stuck really well. Whilst there I realised that the side window
covers were rigid and tight enough to stay in place by themselves, so I haven't added
any suction cups to them at this point. The small quarter glass covers
stay in placed on their own too. As the windscreen cover is really quite
large, I decided to roll it up and use a spare yoga mat strap to hold it
together which works really well. I'm really happy with my attempts
to make thermal window covers. For a homemade DIY, attempt I'm
thrilled with the results and I've no doubt that the covers
will do a great job of keeping the condensation to a minimum at night
and keeping the sun out during the day. If you've made it this far then, please do take a moment to subscribe
to my channel and thanks for watching!
