When living in a confined space with numerous windows, privacy becomes crucial for comfort in your car, van, or truck. Luckily, there are affordable choices available to instantly enhance car window privacy while vehicle camping. In the article below, we will delve into a wide range of ready-made and D.I.Y. options for car window privacy.
Importance of car window privacy
When living in your vehicle it is common to store a majority of your personal belongings inside your car out of necessity. With see through car windows, prying eyes can easy see your valuables that may be a target to theft or damages. Although insurances are a great option to protect your belongings, obstructing the view through your windows is a great way to deter theft. Below are the 4 expert ideas for car window privacy cover:
Window Screens
Vehicle window screens are another easy way to quickly reduce the amount of light coming through your windows and decrease the visibility of passerby’s looking in, offering you basic car window privacy. Window screens are cheap and easy to install with most designed to fit over an open car door and are fixed into place when the door is shut.
Most vehicle window screens brands are a generic ‘one size fits all’ product which can be difficult to fit to some larger vehicles such as pick-up trucks. Make sure to read the dimensions prior to purchase to ensure a snug fit that is not too lose or tight, which my lead to rips/ tears.
Unlike most options these screens act as a bug shield for those who want to enjoy the fresh air when camping. While it’s worth mentioning that they are not suitable for wet weather conditions and can experience UV damage with prolonged use, it’s important to consider their limitations.
Although this option is great for doors, there are not many options when it comes to window screens for rear windows or front windshields. Another down side is having to remove the screens every time you wish to move your vehicle as it affects driver visibility & in most places illegal to drive with them on the passenger and drivers doors.
Like most things now days window screens can be found on Amazon or any good auto store.
Tinted Windows
Tinting the windows of your vehicle is a great way to add privacy to your vehicle camping set up. Not only do they add to the aesthetic of your set up they also offer a multitude of other benefits. These included but are not limited to; Solar heat rejection, blocking harmful UV Rays & reducing glare when driving.
Window tinting does a great job at reducing the amount of visible light coming through, so unless you like waking up with the sun every morning we highly recommend them.
Window Tinting options
There are plenty of options when it comes to the installation of window tint to your vehicle camper set-up. You can opt for a professional to install the tint of your choice to your vehicle which guarantees correct installation, however this comes at a great cost when compared to D.I.Y for your budget builds.
With most tints applied from either a roll of film or already cut to specifically fit your vehicles Year/ Make/ Model installing tint yourself can be a cheaper alternative. There is heaps of video resources when it comes to the installation of window tint film so make sure to check these out before attempting it yourself to avoid ruining tint, this one by Tint Studio covers all the basics.
Many states and countries have limitations on the amount of tint you can legally apply to your windows so be sure to check with your relevant laws.
Reflectix Covers
Reflectix is a type of foil laminated bubble wrap used most commonly as a sun visor for vehicle windshields. This is one of the most popular choices when it comes to vehicle camping window/ privacy covers due to it’s great insulating properties & value for money.
These insulated window covers are great at creating complete privacy in your vehicle camper set-up and work great in both summer and winter. Easy to make, install and remove, Reflectix covers are prone to trapping condensation and can cause mold to grow if not removed regularly which can be dangerous to your health.
Reflectix is readily available at a range of retailers both in store and online with many generic brand options available by the roll or cut to size. The material is easy to work with and easy to cut to size with a pair of regular scissors or box cutter/ stanley knife.
How to make insulated car window covers
What you’ll need:
- Reflectix or generic laminated bubble wrap
- Pen/ Marker
- Scissors or box cutters
- Duct tape
Start by measuring the windows you wish to cover with a measuring tape or directly by placing the roll/ piece of material up to the window. Draw the outline of your desired window in marker and cut out. Use duct tape around the edges of the cut to seal and avoid the layers separating.
Installation is easy with in most applications the cover sliding into the track of the window and wedging in to keep it up. If you find the cover is prone to falling you can use a strip of Velcro or similar adhesives to keep them fixated, note this is not ideal for windows that roll up and down.
Car Camping Curtains
Curtains are another great way to create privacy in your vehicle camping set-up. Whether you D.I.Y or purchase ready made commercially available car curtains, most are easy to install and will require you to mount a rod across your window to hang up the fabric component. Some rod free curtain options are available with roll up curtains another option to consider.
With some curtain rods requiring you to drill into your vehicle to attach them, this is not always the best option especially if you are looking to sell your car in the future as this can affect the future value. Adhesive mounts such as command hooks are a great alternative to mounting curtain rods without the need to drill.
Advantages of car camping curtains is the ability to control the amount of light and level of privacy. However with the curtains required to be hard mounted to the windows it can draw unwanted attention and make your car stand out which is non ideal for those looking to stealth camp.
Conclusion
We hope this article help give you some ideas on creating car window privacy in your vehicle camping set-up. With a lot of these options great by themselves, using them in conjunction is a great way to ensure your bases are covered.
