New shades

Party Barge · 11-02-2011, 07:08 PM

I have just purchased some new MCD roller shades for my MH. I will need to remove my day/night shades and install the new one's.

I am pretty good at figuring out how the factory put things together

, but if anyone has taken the valances apart, it would save me some time?

336muffin · 11-02-2011, 07:24 PM

We're doing the MCD shades now, Also recovering all eight valances. We took our valances down, then raised the day/night pleated shades, loosely applied a zip tie at each end and then removed the shades from the valance. This seems to work for us. We have all the shades and windshield curtains sold, so we're trying to be responsible for them. If we were not recovering the valances, 30 minutes per window to swap out. A little tip, we have a little rubber trim around the window frame to keep the old blinds from making noise while driving. Make sure if you have this to remove enough at the top to clear the MCD roller shade! Hope this helps. Our valences are attached with three screws at the top straight up into the overhead cabinets, at the bottom legs we have a small angle bracket. Some have a hidden screw in the bottom legs at a angle up and into the wall about a 45*. Good luck and a long phillips tip(8inches) in a battery drill helps.

Harry B · 11-02-2011, 11:01 PM

Look for the screws underneath the upper plead & the window. In other words, the screws have to be removed from behind the shade.

ernieh · 11-03-2011, 12:22 AM

I replace mine last summer. Wow, what a difference.

No need to remove the valance, but you will need some kind of spacer between the clips and the upolstery on the underside of the valance. Not only will things be easier to align that way, but it will make it much easer to install the shades into the clips.

A 12" extension for your driver drill will come in handy, as will a slot screwdriver about the same length to snap the shades into the clips.

Have fun.

shovelhead · 11-03-2011, 05:58 PM

I have been hearing of these mcd blinds what are these and where do you get them. I,m getting tired of restring the old ones Thanks for help

njs42 · 11-03-2011, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shovelhead

I have been hearing of these mcd blinds what are these and where do you get them. I,m getting tired of restring the old ones Thanks for help

MCD Innovations

shovelhead · 11-04-2011, 08:42 AM

Thank you I am glad to find out about these. Looks like I might have new project next summer
Ken

Party Barge · 11-07-2011, 08:34 PM

336MUFFIN,
My eyes popped out when you mentioned that you have your shades sold. How you do it, and what's the going price for the day/nite shades?? My shades should be delivered tomorrow, would very much like to advertise and sell our shades.

JohnRR · 11-07-2011, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Party Barge

336MUFFIN,
My eyes popped out when you mentioned that you have your shades sold. How you do it, and what's the going price for the day/nite shades?? My shades should be delivered tomorrow, would very much like to advertise and sell our shades.

For starters you can try the Classified Section here

336muffin · 11-07-2011, 09:16 PM

We sold all of the window blinds, 3 in the bedroom, 5 in the dining and living room, the curtains and track for the windshield and two electric sun visors. A friend of ours is upgrading a Prevost bus conversion and we just got lucky. JohnRR has a great suggestion.

pameridan04 · 11-11-2011, 06:39 PM

Read Ernieh's post above. Use long screw driver to help snap new MCD shades into clip. Also there is a black plastic clip in the middle of the old shade. You have to pop the old shade out of this clip in the middle on the big windows. Hint ... it is easier to snap that clip with the window DOWN.

Once you use the new MCD shades you will never want to go back to old shades.

REgards

Party Barge · 12-02-2011, 07:58 PM

Thanks all for the tips.

I started with the narrow shades first that only needed two clips. Found that it is not a project for an easily frustrated person. I'm an not and it was just a matter of a plan, try it, adjust and try again. First shade took a couple of trys, second snap pop first try. Third shade, I didn't take into acount the 1/2" valance side trim, and tried and tried to snap in but no. Had to stop and re-measure and remount the barackets, snap pop, all done.

On my rig, I have a long window in the bedroom, and I had to shimm out the valance to make room for the fatter roll of roller shade.

On the last three large windows, one I was able to install from reaching under the valance. The other two I had to take the valances off and install the shades to them or some or some wall brackets then re-install the valances with a small angle bracket on each end of the valance and screwing them into the side wall. The screws are only visible if you look real close.

I also put felt 3/4" square bumpers on each end of the solar shades where they hit the window frames to reduce noise.

Wow, what a difference in light and visibility.

I found when ordering shades that the price sheet has some 1 inch gaps between pricing, if you need a shade inside the gap by a 1/2", you pay for the next larger shade. I had to back off my sizes by a 1/2" in a couple of windows and the I found that it all worked out fine.

336muffin · 12-02-2011, 08:42 PM

We now have all eleven shades mounted and working! Recovered all of the valances and man what a difference! We can make it "night" during the middle of the day!

FIRE UP · 12-02-2011, 09:27 PM

Gents,
All I've seen so far on these MCD shades is the fact that they're a "Powered" and, in the video I've seen a couple of time, the person simply pushes a button on a remote and the window shades go up and down. It looks cool and certainly makes things easy by sitting in one spot and working all the window shades remotely.

But, if that's the case, then how did you get power to those shades? There was no mention about it in your install so, maybe the ones you installed are not the power units or, just a guess here, they're "battery" powered? And, there's a small battery in each shade. Or, am I way off base here? Thanks
Scott

ernieh · 12-02-2011, 11:42 PM

FireUp,

I could explain, but it's probably easier for you to check out the MCD website.

There is a link in message #6.

SarahW · 12-03-2011, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIRE UP

Gents,
All I've seen so far on these MCD shades is the fact that they're a "Powered" and, in the video I've seen a couple of time, the person simply pushes a button on a remote and the window shades go up and down. It looks cool and certainly makes things easy by sitting in one spot and working all the window shades remotely.

But, if that's the case, then how did you get power to those shades? There was no mention about it in your install so, maybe the ones you installed are not the power units or, just a guess here, they're "battery" powered? And, there's a small battery in each shade. Or, am I way off base here? Thanks
Scott

Scott--I can't speak for anyone else's installation, but the Duo MCD shades in our new coach are not powered. (Except for the windshield shade.)

336muffin · 12-03-2011, 05:58 AM

The only powered shade we installed was the windshield, wires and switches were already there. After struggling with the string shades, these are so much better even if they are manual. Remote would have added $1,500 more!

rream · 12-03-2011, 08:01 AM

We are thrilled with our new shades but had to buy new DP to get them, they are really nice. Not sure what is the best the new shades or the electric refrigerator.

SarahW · 12-03-2011, 10:48 AM

For those of you replacing the windshield curtains (specifically the driver's window and passenger window) with the Duo shades...how's that working out? I think I want to do that, but I'm not sure. Can you use the sun shade part while driving or does it interfere with mirror visability? Thanks.

FIRE UP · 12-03-2011, 11:34 AM

Thanks to all who replied to my questions about "Powered" MCD shades. I will check out their site again and find the "Manual" ones. We just re-strung one of our biggest ones and it took about 15-20 minutes and I'd never done it before. It's working considerably better now but, I can tell we're going to have to do more in the future. Maybe we'll check into the MCD manual ones to see the difference.
Scott