Cheshire Blue Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 When leaving your Van do you leave it with Blinds up or Blinds down. Obviously blinds down stops prying eyes and sun damage but Bailey say that this isn't recommended as it breaks the springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lord Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I leave the blinds up but have a set of old curtains that I fit into the windows to keep the sun off. Bill Growing old is compulsory, growing up is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerL Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I leave blinds and curtains open - in accordance with crime prevention advice - easier for low life to see in and realise there's nothing to steal - we've never had a problem with upholstery or furniture fading, nor did we on our previous caravan that was trated the same for 18 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eckytow Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was strongly advised by the dealer to leave blinds up to save damaging/straining the springs. I keep my blinds up when storing the caravan and close the curtains. Kia Sorento + "wee" Sprite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elm6 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I leave blinds and curtains open - in accordance with crime prevention advice - easier for low life to see in and realise there's nothing to steal - we've never had a problem with upholstery or furniture fading, nor did we on our previous caravan that was trated the same for 18 years. I'm in total agreement with this we also had a caravan for 15 yrs from new and did not have problem with upholstery or furniture fading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoobyWRX Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Blinds down, we have the concertina type blinds with no springs Ford Kuga Powershift AWD. Bailey Senator Indiana Series 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechSteve Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was strongly advised by the dealer to leave blinds up to save damaging/straining the springs. I keep my blinds up when storing the caravan and close the curtains. Correct as any wear cant be treated as a warranty claim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BryanS Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I was strongly advised by the dealer to leave blinds up to save damaging/straining the springs. Then the springs are not fit for purpose, or the dealer is just repeating something his granny told him Springs used within their elastic limit don't lose their power. My car's road springs don't suffer through bearing the car's weight. And I don't have to leave my garage door open because its coil spring might get soggy with it closed. FWIW our Ranger was stored with blinds closed and after 9 years they work just as well as ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west-is-best Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Down. Scarlet 'till I die. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommytruck Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Down. Hi. Ditto, with never any probs. Cheers. T. HI. ITSME. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_B Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I leave the blinds up, I use cardboard up at the windows, I've painted the cardboard silver so it looks the part. The rear window is on the shaded side so I leave this clear so burglars can have a look before they break in Paul B . .......Mondeo Estate & Elddis Avanté 505 (Tobago) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.b Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I leave blinds and curtains open - in accordance with crime prevention advice - easier for low life to see in and realise there's nothing to steal - we've never had a problem with upholstery or furniture fading, nor did we on our previous caravan that was trated the same for 18 years. ditto same reason. Volvo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheshire Blue Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thanks, I guess we all do different things, but I guess Bailey should look at better springs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geriatric Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I always leave the blinds down despite Bailey advice not too. I guess if the springs were to weaken over time I can always re-tension them to ensure full opening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbynut Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I have found that if you leave the blinds down during winter storage then the interior of the van has more moisture than if you leave them up. .presume the sun must get in and warm things up ? Cheers Hobbynut It wasn't me. .The big lads did it and ran away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceH Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 What about on the Ferry crossings Do you close the curtains / blinds then? Volvo S60 D5 (now sold 😥) new Vauxall soonHappy to meet, Sorry to part, Happy to meet again48 Year Member of The Caravan Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachman Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Then the springs are not fit for purpose, or the dealer is just repeating something his granny told him Springs used within their elastic limit don't lose their power. My car's road springs don't suffer through bearing the car's weight. And I don't have to leave my garage door open because its coil spring might get soggy with it closed. FWIW our Ranger was stored with blinds closed and after 9 years they work just as well as ever Have Coachman 2001 and always leave blinds down, until what happened few weeks ago, kitchen blind refused to go up to the top. Had to take out the whole assy' to rectify, am leaving blinds up if not using caravan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elm6 Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 There is an other problem with the blinds down that has not been mentioned here but has been highlighted on the forum and that is the seperation of the sealed window panels, from a posting in that thread Hobby advise against leaving the blinds down for this very reason in their Manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tephi Posted April 19, 2009 Share Posted April 19, 2009 Quoted from ‘Sprite Owner’s, Service & Warranty Handbook’ “Keep curtains or blinds closed, to minimise fading of furniture. If the blinds and /or flyscreens remain down for a prolonged period of time, re-tensioning of the springs will be necessary before re-use” I leave my blinds down when the ‘van is unoccupied – but I don’t switch the lights on at home because it burns out the filaments! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derekw Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I don't think the spring strength is the issue here. I had a problem with the big front window blind on my Ranger 2005 first year out. Had a suspicion my early teens daughter had yanked it down too vigorously. It wouldn't stay up & consulting the manual I tried adjusting the tension with no success. When the van went to the dealer for service before the 2006 season I asked them to sort it out. On collecting the caravan the blind had come closed again within a couple of miles. I took it off myself eventually & discovered the ratchet mechanism just wouldn't hold when the spring tension was set strong enough to cope with the weight of the very large blind. I got a new blind from the dealer (admittedly FOC) & tried again to reset that & it still wouldn't really work satisfactoraly. In the end I set the tension up off the caravan & glued the ratchet in with an epoxy. End of problem. I'd say the mechanism used is the same on all the blinds & it's just not strong enough to cope with the size of the front window. For my money I'd say they should have either used 2 blinds or re-designed the mechanism for the bigger ones. Or indeed just make it a fixed tension mechanism as I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twin Axel Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 My van was back with the dealer last week, he commented that i had left the blinds down and this would damage the tensions eventually and then they would need re tensioning. But that the side windows were fine to have the blinds down as they were concertina type. Why cant we have concertina blinds on all the windows?. Then there are no ratchets no tensions, no delaers saying you can and you cant, and life would be easy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts