Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

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Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

April 28, 2013, 10:45:31 am

In case anyone is looking to purchase a new windshield cover Shade Pro in El Cajon, Ca. (San Diego) has all patterns and different colors for your Foretravel. I just purchased a new black cover (Brett worn out the other!) for my U240. The owner of the business is Mike Scheller. Their phone # is 619 328-1620. Grand Villa covers are $259 including shipping. I don't know price for other models. I've been buying from Shade Pro since 1999 and never had an issue of any kind...Bob

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #1 – April 28, 2013, 02:30:48 pm

We had a cover on the Grand Villa and would not be without one. The huge difference when the sun was shining, with or without the cover was amazing.

The second thing we discovered was legal front window aftermarket window tinting. That makes more than you can imagine differences when driving in to the sun.

Hope the new owners of my Grand Villa that drove away yesterday love their new coach and do what you have done. Your full body paint and new decals bring new life to these classics.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #2 – April 28, 2013, 09:01:24 pm

Dave,

Do you know how much tint is legal for the front window? I was pulled over by a Ks. Highway Patrol one time because they thought that the side windows were to dark. I believe that Ks allows 35% side tint, which is what mine measured out to be. He was having a slow day I guess;-()

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #3 – April 28, 2013, 10:16:00 pm

Welcome to TintLaws.com And I don't think you are allowed anything on the front window except some states allow so many inches across the top. Kansas says down to the "AS-1" line. And yes, 35%.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #4 – April 28, 2013, 11:13:57 pm

We paid $800 for the total coach install. Dolly and I removed the old tint that was scratched and wavey. They did limo tint on all windows behind the driver seat area, legal in TX. We did legal tint on the driver and passenger side small windows. Then they used the new almost invisible tint on the windshield, with a dark header band that I had figured out after driving some months with a piece of tape on the center joint moving it up and down till we were happy.

We were just inspected this month. Inspector did not notice the windshield tint from the outside. He did only when he was inside and removing the old sticker out of the space we allowed for inspection and registration stickers.

Winco tint at this link: Houston Car Tint, Auto Tinting, Car Window Tinting Houston, Car Window Tint,

We will do it again, if it can be installed on the new coach's double pane windows. If not the Winco product, then we might use the tints that can be used on double pane installs.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #5 – April 29, 2013, 06:54:28 am

PatC,

Thanks for the link. Didn't know there was a place. Karma to you.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #6 – April 29, 2013, 08:38:34 am

Quote from: ohsonew – April 29, 2013, 06:54:28 am

PatC,

Thanks for the link. Didn't know there was a place. Karma to you.

Not so much a "place", but brand of tint. I had the job done in Euless TX, in the middle of the metromess here we call DFW.

Calling around will likely find a pro tint company that might have the product. On their display they have test tints and heat lamps and you can see and feel the results of the products they install. They are close to the MB, Porche, Audi dealers and do hundreds of cars a month. They report the new car owner, is back in the first weeks after buying the new car to have their other cars windshields done, without fail.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #7 – April 29, 2013, 11:12:00 pm

These look awesome!! I want one. Question....do these take the place of curtains for the inside or no?
I really don't like our curtains and it would be nice to have a cleaner look inside without them in there. But, if that's not the purpose I can live with the curtains. I have always wanted one of these shades.

How do they adhere to the outside, a screw in 1/4 turn snap style or tape on velcro? I would hope a snap of some sort.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #8 – April 30, 2013, 12:26:41 am

I think that these shades will block the sun from damaging the dash pad. I think that we will still need the inside curtains to keep all the light out and privacy.

Recenly I had my side windows redone at FOT, took out the side curtains. keet the day/night accordian shades and its looks great. Dave F at FOT said he did not have a solution to remove my inside curtains so I visited MCD shades in McKinney, TX for a solution. I spent an hour or so and the designer could not figure anything out. I plan on returning in a week or 2 with my coach to see if the installers can figure it out. It will be difficult to do with the GV curved windshields but hopefully something can be done......I also want to remove the inside curtains for a cleaner look.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #9 – April 30, 2013, 03:00:31 am

Quote

I visited MCD shades in McKinney, TX for a solution. I spent an hour or so and the designer could not figure anything out. I plan on returning in a week or 2 with my coach to see if the installers can figure it out.

Then I think you need to show them this to jog their memory...
MCD shades in Grand Villa

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #10 – April 30, 2013, 09:11:19 am

My outside screen has corner snaps, and then one in the center of the windshield top and bottom. I find that I can roll the shade on and off the coach. Install requires me to use my 2 step ladder to reach the top snaps on the sides. I stand on the bumper for the top center, sometimes I don't bother with the center. To remove, I can pop the snaps loose and roll the shade as I walk around the from the driver's side to the passenger.

As Steve suggested, you might want to keep curtains for night time privacy when you have on the interior lights.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #11 – April 30, 2013, 10:21:54 am

We have the Sun Screen on the inside of the windshield. The outside works great on U225's and U240's where you stand on the bumper but U280's and U300's are very high off of the ground and difficult to attach on the outside. Our coache's previous owner had Velcro sewn into the perimeter of the Sun Shades and used Industrial Strength Velcro attached to the rubber seal around our windshield. Our sun screen has two sections for the front and two sections for the side windows. The Velcro has held up extremely well and it just takes a couple of minutes to put up the shades.

Ours are off white and since its on the inside, it is not highly visible from the outside but during the day provides total privacy. When its darker outside than inside, not so much privacy.

We also have the electric MCD front shades rather than the curtains but in the older, 1993 and older, Grand Villas they used a two roller shade set up. Cost was about $1,200. The upside is that they also act as sun visors while driving and roll up completely out of the way. The down side is that they don't give you privacy like the drapes on the drivers and passengers side windows and they do nothing to insulate the inside of the coach. The drapes we had in the U225 were very heavy and kept the coach warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Although they don't look as good, Peggy and I prefer the drapes based on their superior functionality.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #12 – April 30, 2013, 10:50:48 pm

John/Tina........appreciate you sending me the pics or how MCD installed and made a solution for your GV! I litterally spent an hour with a designer and she came up with nothing! She did tell me to make an appt and they would have an installer try to figure something out. Anyway I will show them these pics and hopefully they will remember your coach.....thanks and Karma!!

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #13 – April 30, 2013, 11:06:17 pm

Quote from: Steve Mudd – April 30, 2013, 10:50:48 pm

John/Tina........appreciate you sending me the pics or how MCD installed and made a solution for your GV! I litterally spent an hour with a designer and she came up with nothing! She did tell me to make an appt and they would have an installer try to figure something out. Anyway I will show them these pics and hopefully they will remember your coach.....thanks and Karma!!

Steve,

Peg Grich of MCD is a member here http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1620

You can point her to the thread John and Tina referenced (Rick and Mary Zika's coach). Theirs is a U240, but no reason the concept shouldn't work in your U300.

Michelle

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #14 – April 30, 2013, 11:37:38 pm

Thanks I will send her a PM

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #15 – May 01, 2013, 09:18:09 am

Quote from: Steve Mudd – April 30, 2013, 10:50:48 pm

John/Tina........appreciate you sending me the pics or how MCD installed and made a solution for your GV! I litterally spent an hour with a designer and she came up with nothing! She did tell me to make an appt and they would have an installer try to figure something out. Anyway I will show them these pics and hopefully they will remember your coach.....thanks and Karma!!

Steve, don't forget that you have a different dash than John and Tina have. Theirs is a 95 and the dash is completely different from ours. I will take a photo our MCD setup later today. Ours was designed and installed by Foretravel.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #16 – May 02, 2013, 12:00:20 am

Thanks, yep I know. Called MCD again today and they did do a GV....sending me the pics and info.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #17 – May 02, 2013, 09:04:48 am

Steve, the MCD shade rollers are installed in the groove where the Foretravel Drapery Rods are. The traverse rods were removed. These shades are electric and controlled by a rocker switch just to the left of the drivers head in the ceiling side bulkhead where my old spot light controls were.

When the ignition key is on the shades will only come down about 12" to prevent blocking the drivers vision through the windshield. They come all of the way down only when the ignition key is off. The shades are no four years old and are demonstrating some glitchyness when raising or lowering the shades. So far no failure but not nearly as smooth as they were and I imagine pretty expensive to fix. According to receipts the cost was about $1200 installed by Foretravel in 2009.

The second photo shows Peggy's decorative answer to cover the opening in the middle of shades with steering wheel cover.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #18 – May 02, 2013, 03:16:04 pm

Perrydice.. my U280 has snaps around the perimeter of the windshield... I don't know if they were installed in building the coach or added on by the first owner... I suppose I would need to measure distance between snaps and give that info to the cover provider... Is that what you did.. Does anyone know if these snaps are put on when FT builds the coach? I want one of the covers... yours looks nice.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #19 – May 02, 2013, 07:38:21 pm

I'm pretty sure the snaps were aftermarket on my 93, U225. I don't have snaps on my 93, U300.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #20 – May 02, 2013, 10:05:06 pm

While in Port Aransas I picked up a card from a vendor making and installing windshield shades from a very nicely equipped truck. He had different colors, supplies, and all the needed equipment to fab, and install. He was in an RV park, working on shades.

His card is in the mess of everything that came out of the dash drawer when I unloaded the coach last week, prior to the new owner delivery day. I will see all our stuff late next week, and can post the info. He might still be in TX, or travel to the Austin area to do your coach. Better yet, take a couple of days to visit him and the beach maybe.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #21 – May 03, 2013, 12:26:34 am

Dave...thanks for the info. If I do the MCD shades I want to figure out a way to have one shade for the entire front window and have the shade to drop down on a slant to follow the lines of the windshield. I may have to have FOT install a piece of wood down both of my "A" pillars as a "guide" for the shades to track down when they decend, if possible. I would also need FOT to make a wood "face" board on top to hide the rollers/mechanics for this shade.

For the side windows, I think the best solution would be to have the shades manually "pull up" from the bottom and latch at the top. The shades could also be cut to the triangular shape of the side windows.

I am not sure if all this can be done but its worth a shot......be a neat install if it works. MCD is located in McKinney, Tx and fortunately its right up the road from my house. Hopefully it will work! Stay tuned!!

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #22 – May 03, 2013, 06:54:44 am

Our '89 GV has two snaps by each side window, and one up front/center below the windshield. The side snaps are just above and below and to the rear of each side window.
I just bought an off-white Sunscreen brand windshield cover from Encore in Nac for $250 +shipping. (A MILLION THANKS TO CAROL SAVOURNIN FOR HER HELP) It was made for the GV, is a mesh, and has snaps along the top. During the daytime you can see out, but not in. Side covers were extra and $50 each. I felt closing the curtains just past the side windows would suffice.
Also, I only bought the front cover as I would probably have had to add MORE snaps on the sides to accomodate the side cover snaps due ti different placement.

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #23 – May 03, 2013, 11:40:34 am

Quote from: Steve Mudd – May 03, 2013, 12:26:34 am

For the side windows, I think the best solution would be to have the shades manually "pull up" from the bottom and latch at the top. The shades could also be cut to the triangular shape of the side windows.

I am not sure if all this can be done but its worth a shot......be a neat install if it works. MCD is located in McKinney, Tx and fortunately its right up the road from my house. Hopefully it will work! Stay tuned!!

On one of our visits to MCD (Yes, there have been several!) we saw their work on a late 80's GrandVilla that had the triangular windows in the front. They can accomplish that, and it was beautiful!

Re: Grand Villa (and other models) Windshield covers

Reply #24 – June 19, 2013, 06:36:03 pm

"I just bought an off-white Sunscreen brand windshield cover from Encore in Nac for $250 +shipping. (A MILLION THANKS TO CAROL SAVOURNIN FOR HER HELP) It was made for the GV, is a mesh, and has snaps along the top. During the daytime you can see out, but not in"

I am looking to get a cover for the windshield that i can attach from outside ... preferably see out but not see in ... I am aware of a company does this on site but they will not be back in TX until the holidays. Please see attached pictures I have twist snaps already on the U225. So i can get a cover from Encore? ... I'll call them tomorrow need to call them.

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