The second post in the series about van camping, I show you how to create easy DIY privacy curtains for your vehicle using few materials.
You can learn more about van camping in our post Van Camping 101.
Let’s face it, if you’re van camping, the last thing you want to do is to wake up to see someone’s face pressed up against your window. I’m not sure why someone would feel compelled to do that, but that is one of my fears while trying to sleep in the van. That someone will see me sleeping. Weird. I know, but it does keep me up at night. The things I ponder.
Privacy curtains are also helpful to block out the lights if you happen to pull into a rest stop or Walmart parking lot for the night. When I was researching van curtains I found several options. Most involved attaching a piece of wire or heavy-duty string or something similar across the windows to create something very much like curtains. My husband and I wanted something different.
Since I use my van on a daily basis and I don’t always want it to look like a van camper, but I want it to be easy to transform in a moment’s notice, it was important that the curtains be extremely easy to affix. I think we came up with the perfect solution.
Getting Ready for Van Camping 101: Easy to Make Curtains
Gather the Supplies You’ll Need
About 2- 2 ½ yards of black felt
3-4 packages of black dot Velcro, depending on how closely you want them spaced
a pair of scissors that cut fabric
a piece of chalk like this or a Tailor’s chalk pencil
How to Make Your Van Camping Curtains
Cut a piece of felt to the approximate size of your van window.
Hold the felt to the window and with the chalk, outline the shape of the window. The chalk easily rubs off.
Cut the felt to fit the window.
Add the Velcro hook & loop dots to the window in 2-3 inch intervals around the entire window.
Affix the felt “curtain” to the Velcro.
Carefully separate the Velcro pieces to remove the felt curtain, leaving one piece (the hook or loop, it doesn’t’ matter) on the window.
The Velcro doesn’t stick well to the felt. I was going to hot glue the felt but my husband suggested that we staple the Velcro dot to the felt which was much quicker and worked perfectly.
One side of the dot remains on the window at all times which allows the curtains to be adhered and removed from the windows in minutes.
Since our van windows are slightly tinted the felt isn’t even visible from the outside of the van when it’s in place.
We’re now one step closer to van camping.
Did you miss it?
Van Camping with Thirty-One Gifts
Restocking a First Aid Kit for Camping
Simple Camping Tips for a Better Outdoor Experience
My husband and I started van camping in our minivan and have now upgraded to a Dodge Promaster. It doubles as my husband’s work vehicle so we haven’t made any permanent modifications and it does take a bit more work but we love the space it gives us. You can learn more about our experiences in the Promaster in the following posts:
Used Camper Vans: Everything You Need to Know Before Buying
Tips for Van Camping in Winter
7 Reasons to Rent a Camper Van or other RV this Summer
David Leung says
I used craft paper cut to the shape of the windows. Because the craft paper keeps its shape, I am able to slip it under the rubber seal around the windows. Nothing fancy, it works great in providing privacy and block out some light. Also, front windows need to be covered with fabric screen to provide air circulation and to keep the bugs out.
Tonya Prater says
Great idea, David! We normally camp in our Dodge Grand Caravan in cooler weather so we don’t really need the screening material but we do camp in our Promaster during warmer weather and have made screens with screening material and magnets for our back door. It works really well. Happy van camping!
Tom says
I used Coro for my black out shades. Coro is that plastic corrugated material that they use to make those side of the road small signs on the wire H stands. They work great except I eyeballed the cut and since my dodge minivan windows are not perfectly rectangular their are small gaps. I paid $37 for a 4 foot x8 food sheet of Coro. Does anyone have any ideas in how to get it cut perfectly to size ?
Tonya Prater says
You could create a template with newspaper similar to how we did with the felt and use it as a pattern to cut the Coro.
Carrie Stuart says
Parchment paper works great. I trued cardboard and it was too bulky, then one morning I was lining my cake pans for cinnamon rolls, and the lightbulb went off.
Mark L says
Do you have any layout plans or interior photos of hte grand caravan? I am starting my own, and am looking for ideas.
Tonya Prater says
Okay, so I had intended to create something but I’ve not done that. 🙁 This is a short video that shows most of our setup for our first extended van camping trip: https://www.facebook.com/TravelInspiredLiving/videos/1866130886736206/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCFyESla-FvvmYFhu4YDUcp2lam79N-PFGEXaYJNdkJvW8KQ5Eg0D5rl3bnf-eqcyJyerQiXwBaFJpKf21By_5ualeCwCXgIB2OoB3TtK9yud_teCf8FnjZ95CMpA3yTNvuHyshCfwyJzaazND9Je7Yu49RClFsb1fCsl2z-9evJ-5mqjmShywRt3p3hl3FSpTRVfzEQiIwBDAdW3-M7By3TGRbUZ7O5pSZQNeAD1hawJUdJMTWVIpRkXuDXzZz7MbSVARuFaQBk29G_2wtzQfqz_j5JnoAIAcIlA8qnJUJxU9lK0wFKXD4r7_L0qCOGl5iOIrFL9-DVZtl&__tn__=-R The sound cuts out a little bit at the end but you will be able to see how things are set up.
Ditra says
Thanks for this great idea, I’m inspired. I just got back from a road trip with my two Corgis. We stayed in Yellowstone. While I layed awake at night I was staring at my van windows trying to figure out how to do this without screwing anything into my van walls. I can’t wait to get started on this.THANKS FOR SHARING THIS
Tonya Prater says
I’m so glad that I could help you solve your problem with van curtains! One issue I had with van camping is that I wanted to make sure no one could see me and these easy to make curtains definitely solved that problem. Our windows are slightly tinted so when the curtains are up you can’t even tell from the outside. They work perfectly. Good luck making yours! Let me know if you have any questions.
Tina says
Where did you get the felt and what type of felt did you get?
Tonya Prater says
Hi Tina,
I used regular craft felt that I purchased by the yard at Hobby Lobby.
Joyce Greene says
Thanks for this info! My van actually has window screens for the side windows, which I used on my latest camping adventure, but I like this idea for even better privacy, PLUS, it covers the back and front side windows.
Would you have any ideas for how to make a screen to cover an open rooftop (to allow air to ventilate but also keep bugs out of the van)? My rooftop “moon roof” can be vented and/or slid open. On my most recent camping excursion I vented it and lightly stuffed the opening with a finely meshed scarf. I keep the scarf in my van as I use it when going into restaurants with icy cold air conditioning wearing tank tops.
Any ideas you have to share would be appreciated. Thanks!
Tonya Prater says
Hi Joyce, on our last van camping adventure through Florida, we used screening material pulled tightly and held in place with heavy duty magnets. I would think it would work well for the moon roof. We purchased the screening material and magnets at Home Depot.
Nhatran says
Did you consider small suction cups?
Tonya Prater says
We didn’t because the velcro was easy to attach to both the felt and the windows and attached the fabric securely with no gaps. I wanted to make sure the fabric fit flush against the window so when we were inside watching TV, etc. no one outside would be able to see inside through gaps in the fabric.
Carol says
Tonya,
Does extreme heat cause the velcro dots to fall off the windows?
Thanks! -Carol
Tonya Prater says
We haven’t experienced any issues with the Velcro dots. We did recently travel in my husband’s Dodge Promaster Van and used Velcro on the walls to hold slipcovers and noticed when it got hot the velcro wouldn’t hold the slipcovers but the velcro that is attached to the van is near impossible to come off. In the minivan, as this post is about, we stapled the velcro to the felt so it has held up perfectly. If you plan to camp in hotter climates, make sure you attach the velcro to the fabric in a way that it won’t come apart when things heat up- glue, staples, sew them, etc. but it’s been my experience that the other side of the velcro fastens and sticks tight to the vehicle. Does that make sense?
Annelieke says
Hi Tonya,
Thanks for the detailed description and the pictures! I was wondering how you’ll go about opening the windows now that the velcro dots are attached to it at all times?
Cheers, Annelieke
Tonya Prater says
Hi Annelieke, This is an interesting and thoughtful question! The back windows in our minivan do not roll down so this wasn’t something that we needed to consider. If so, I think I would have tested the other velcro dot – not the one I placed on the windows but the one I added to the felt because it is thinner. Our far back windows do open but they push outward which again, is not an issue. Our back window does not roll down either. I hope this helps! Thanks for your question!
Judi says
Love the idea – used black landscape fabric – it was light weight and easy to cut – really inexpensive
and easy to replace
Tonya Prater says
That’s wonderful! I’m glad you found an easy solution that worked for you. Thanks for sharing!