Gauging Interest - Camper Shell Curtains

Hi fellow campers! I am preparing for an extended leave of absence from my work to explore (and potentially relocate to) the American west. I will largely be living out of my Tacoma during this time. I've equipped the bed of my truck with a platform, electricity, fridge and other amenities but one thing has consistently eluded me during my build - camper shell curtains. I want curtains for obvious reasons - privacy while camping, and keeping the gear in the back of my truck out of sight while I'm away hiking or climbing.

I've found solutions ranging from velcro, drilling/mounting curtain rods, cutting out reflectix and more, but one thing seems to be consistent - you, the owner must take measurements and cut/sew yourself, and the end result depends on how skillful you are, and how much time you take with the construction.

I have some background in manufacturing, and I'm considering attempting to design a solution to this problem. My proposed design would basically be a die-cut outline backed with adhesive (for bare toppers) or velcro (for toppers with a headliner) that would match each window. The coverings for each window would be collapsible and match the die cut window outline templates. Material for the coverings would likely be some sort of blackout nylon or cloth. The only installation step would be applying the templates to each window. Coverings would be designed to fit windows for common cap manufacturers including A.R.E., Leer, Century, Snugtop, etc.

Business challenges for this aside (of which there appear to be multiple of varying difficulty), my questions for the forum are:

1. Does anybody know if something like this exists already (because if it does, I can't find it)?
2. Would you pay for something like this, or is it just not worth it?

Thanks for any insight!

 

There are a lot of different window designs and sizes out there (see also the threads where people ask about installing different windows) so you'd have to know exactly which ones the owner had in order to match them. It'd be far easier and cheaper to produce a minimal number of designs that cover the windows instead of trying to fit them exactly. I may be wrong, but I don't think even 3M double sided tape is going to hold up long to repeated removal of Velcro curtains (in non carpeted models) and the cheap carpet used in shells definitely isn't going to hold up well, it starts pulling pretty easily.

 

Thanks for your reply! Yes, the many combinations that are out there are one of the challenges I've considered, and you're probably right that it would be better to offer a range of sizes, and the owner would have to measure once. I'm aiming for aesthetics, which is why die cutting to the window outline appealed to me.

As far as the templated outlines go, I think bare toppers are the easier challenge (I imagine you could use a thermosetting adhesive that would stick to fiberglass quite well, so long as the owner is fine with it being a permanent addition to their topper). Carpeted models would be more challenging; you'd have to select a velcro with a peel force less than that of the adhesive holding the carpet to the topper.

For the life of me I don't understand why cap manufacturers don't just offer a curtain rod and curtains fit to the topper given all of the other options you can add on. I'd happily pay extra to keep the sun from waking me up and to keep my stuff somewhat hidden from meth heads.

 

I agree with @Bajatacoma , there are a lot of differences out there. You might consider magnets if you can fit it right around the window frame. I know there are some places like Strawfoot making windows coverings but I think most are not considering cap/shell windows. I think most of what's available are for specific camper models.

For my side windows, I just got help sewing some flannel with a dowel rod thru the top. They're just for privacy right now, I may layer them up with insulation and make bottom attachment points later.

 

Thanks for your reply! Nice-looking curtains, those are among the best I've seen.