I'm thinking about installing an MCD windshield shade as our old accordion deal gave up the ghost. I haven't been able to find any installation instructions that address the wiring. How is it wired? I was thinking about installing the switch(es) near the shift pad or maybe on the wiring race behind the driver seat as others have done. Just looking for the basic wiring layout so I can figure it out. Thanks.
jor
If you are installing both day and night shade then you need 2 SPDT momentary contact switches. Press and hold one way for up, the other way for down. Release and the shade stops. You only need a + 12v source and a ground as well as an ignition powered 12v line. The shade motors will only go down part way if the ignition is on. The shades stop on their own when all the way up.
Consider no bottom flap and wedges at each side rather than a split bottom flap. Measure for width at the bottom where the bottom of the shade will fir between the windshield gasket. It curves in on both sides so it should be just a bit narrower.
You can put the switches any where that works for you. We put ours above the front valence on the far left side. It was a convenient location to wire and easy to get at when we are parked. I am considering moving (or adding a second set of switches) to the vertical chase where the thermostat is located. We don't often lower the shade for driving but sometimes early in the day or late. Having the switches in an easy to access location while parked is more important to us. 99% of the shade movement is done when we are parked and having it in an inconvenient location would be, well, inconvenient.
MCD Windshield shades self install (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=23763.msg185725#msg185725)
Jor
Our switches are mounted below the retarder using the blank switch plates (34' like yours). Easy to grab power behind the instruments. This allows easy use while driving. I can measure our wedges if you like. Roger turned us on to the no flap design and we love it.
Randy
Thanks Roger and Randy. That's what I needed to know. So I need a switched and an unswitched 12v source. I think I'll run wires (2 hots) from the circuit breaker panel (in front of the pax seat) and a ground over and up that pillar race deal. The wedges sounds like just the ticket.
I'm thinking that the measurements for all these old buses are identical (our 320 looked just like this 270 anyhow). Roger, didn't you end up with 98 1/2" x 48? Was yours the same, Randy? If I can get your measurements I'll double check mine before ordering.
Randy, I'll take you up on your offer of your wedge measurements and just sent you a PM. Thanks to you both.
I'm thinking we'll just get the night shade but I'm still considering. We already have one of those exterior snap-on deals which works great but of course is a pain to put up and take down.
Anyone else have any more information, I'm readyl
jor
Jor,
I have a Magna Shade front windshield cover held in place with magnets on the inside of the windshield and magnets in pockets on the shade. I put it up with included pole, no ladder, no snaps, no holes in my front cap.
Plus, one can insert four 1/2 inch PVC pipe covered with foam pipe insulation between the cover and the windshield. This moves the hot cover away from the windshield glass giving an air barier to the transfer of heat to the glass.
Mine is on all the time I am parked. Left home one day and had to stop before I got to the road to remove it as it is hard to notice it is on from inside. Senior brains at work again forgetting to remove it first.
That's a great idea. My snap on is pretty tight but I might give that a try if I stay with it.
jor
We use both shades almost every day. The day shade for sun block and privacy. The kind of shade Rudy uses is a good alternative. It probably does a better job of keeping heat out. The space between the windshield and the shade gets warm. But there ar lots of time when we have both up for a clear unobstucted view.
My actual shades measure 97-1/2". The shade frame is wider than that. From what you measure up at the top, rubber to rubber leave a half inch or so at each end. You have plenty of coverage from the vertical teimparts on both ends. As long as it doesn't cost more get the shade loger than you need it. An extra 6 inches or so won't hurt and if you ever have to fix the bottom edge (the dog or cat did it) you have a bit of extra material.
When you place an order they should call back and confirm all the numbers.
I used 7 clips on mine as I recall. You can start at one end (drivers side is the hardest, start there) and get the first two clipped in and then work across one at a time. A helper is a good thing here.
6 clips actually, The shade was ordered at 98 1/2". That is the frame size. Actual width of the shade fabric is just over 97 1/2"
Thanks, Roger. Can anyone else share their measurement with me. I think the front caps on these babies are all the same from mid 90s up into the 2000s. I would think the MCD measurement would be the same for all of us. Thanks.
jor
FYI, many years ago before we ever heard about MCD, we replaced our OEM front shades with a single wide roller shade with a bedroom light-blocking fabric. We mostly push the rolled-down fabric toward windshield, so we have full use of dash when shade is down. We hang side tapered fabrics about 6" wide on each side to give us needed privacy when shade is down. We had vinyl side pieces made from an upholster shop with black facing out and shade-matching white facing in.
Our roller shade has no spring and uses a 'clutch' plastic bead chain on driver side, so shade can be partly lowered or raised by driver.
We now have manual MCD day-night on every side window, including bedroom which also has drapes.
I only mention our windshield roller shade which continues to work fine, as an alternative to those who may not want MCD front shades.
We think MCD front is ok, but when we were at the MCD factory for our side shades, they would only cut the front fabric for a hang straight down position which had to fit around the driver gauge hump, and the shade blocked the entire dash. They told me something like 'we know what is best for Foretravels and we already have a pattern for Foretravels. Because they were sure we would not like our idea, trying to protect us, said they will NOT make a new pattern even if we paid for it'. That was a few years ago, and they may be more flexible these days.
We love our MCD side shades and when we are closed-up with inside lights on, from the outside it looks like it is dark inside and no one is home.
We use the standard design MCD front shade. It's split to fit over the dash hump. If we tilt the dash heater vents all the way forward, the heat isn't blocked and the vents keep the shade toward the windshield and allows plenty of dash area for the dog.
I had one kinda like that for awhile but it was the old style spring loaded pull and stop. I could never get it to lock consistently and it was pretty ugly. Threw it. I think I'll go with the MCD. I got all my wiring figured out with the switched/unswitched along with the extra wires that I'll use from the dash to the topside cabinet area. Still thinking about where I'll mount the switch but probably overhead. Thanks to all.
jor
We had our MCD's measured and installed at MCD. Day and night shades on all windows but motorized up front. Day shades significantly cut heat and ALL ability to see in from the outside. I use day shade while driving at a level that reduces glare/sun...night shade too if needed. Night shades make the coach dark enough to sleep during the day and add to heat rejection.
Here are pic and measurements for our wedges. Credits to Roger for the idea. They work perfectly. As you can see wedge fro driver side is larger in depth to clear instrument hump.
Enlarge pic for dimensions or let me know if you need them posted separately.
Rest of pics. Overall width of ours is 97 3/4...94" on tape plus 3 3/4" on tape itself.
By the way, and this may be assumed, there's a metal rod in the base of both front shades that runs the entire width at the base.
Randy, thanks for the great photos. I'll have fun making them. I am an awful woodworker but I always enjoy doing my wood butchery.
jor
Ours are made from 1/4 plastic sheet. Edges wrapped with 2" "fuzzy" side Velcro with high heat adhesive. Light and somewhat flexible but rigid in place.
What is the no flap design?
Thanks, John M
John, with a hump in the dash lots of shades have an extra flap below the normal bottom edge of the shade and sun screen. They put a couple cuts from the bottom of the flap up towards the normal bottom in front of the hump so the flap "fits" around the hump.
The flap hangs down below the normal stop point of the bottom of the shade, sometimes 8".
With no flap the shade will come down and slide towards the front of the hump. On the pass side the shade hangs vertically along the trim. On the drivers side the bottom edge of the slide is about 4" in front of the vertical trim. A wedge shaped filler piece fills in the open space. A similar one on the pass side pushes the shade out and in front of the defroster vents. we have the wedges but rarely use them. The gap is not very much.
See 2014 MCD Windshield Shades (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=21577.msg161029#msg161029)
The shade in these pictures hangs down well below the valance. That is mostly the flap
When MCD installed our front shade, they attached L-shaped plastic guides to the windshield with double faced tape. They act as shade guides to eliminate any need for wedges.
Brett, could you post a photo of your guides when you get a chance. Thanks.
jor
Does the Magna come in a light color? Incredible magnets on them.
Roger,
Thanks for the detail explanation. Looking forward to do this modification on my coach. Tired of the accordion shade.
John M.
It sounds as if your shade has the flap at the bottom. Is that correct? Could you post pictures? Thanks!
David,
Yes, my shade has a flap at the bottom(see photo).
Here's the other one.
Thanks Brett for the datailed pictures. Definitely considering the MCD front shade and appreciate seeing the different possibilities!
3 inch flap.
Night shade down, passenger's side.
Night shade down, driver's side.
Night shade down on hump.
Driver's side wedge in place.
If I was doing it again I would use no flap. Most of the time we don't bother with either wedge. Sometimes just the driver's side. It is 3/8" plywood wrapped with vinyl fabric. No attachments to anything it just is a snug enough for it to stay in place. Easy to store.
We made cardboard mockups to get the fit right and then cut the 3/8" plywood a bit smaller to allow for the covering.
Both wedges in place gets the defrost vents inside the shade. No pass side wedge and they are on the window side, good for a quick defrost of the windshield in the morning before raising the shade with the Aqua Hot front blower enabled.
Lots of ways to do this. This works for us.
Roger, Who installed this? Did you have to modify the tv cabinet? Mine sticks into the area so mine came with 3 separate blinds to function over the windshield and I think a cabinet adjustment would make it work for 1 pc across.
Susan and I did the install as well as the TV. There are speakers on the flat part behind the vertical valence. I made some wooden blocks to drop the mounting position about an inch to clear the speakers. The old TV box was removed by the PO. As well as a small cabinet to the left. Plenty of room in there now for a 40" 4K smart Samsung.
MCD Windshield shades self install (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=23763.msg185725#msg185725)
TV Upgrade (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=25226.msg199130#msg199130)
Cut Down TV Box (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=36109.msg341374#msg341374)