DIY RV Repair: Entry Door Privacy Shade

As a new RV owner, one of the things that has been really annoying me this past week is the privacy shade on the entry door of my 2012 Itasca Sunstar 30T. It was not going back up into its casing when I tried to open it in the morning. Since the RV can get kind of dark when the shades are down, this meant that I was having to leave lights on during the day or the kitchen area would be really dark and gloomy. Most of the forums I searched talked about the need to remove the shade from its brackets and then just manually re-roll the shade back onto the tube to tighten it again.  This sounds simple, right? Well, at first I couldn't figure out how to do it.

Unlike regular window shades in your home, where you can actually touch the inside tube, this shade is housed inside a metal box. Others on the RV forums said it couldn't be fixed and they said to just replace the shade. Well, if you know me, you know I am too thrifty to just go out and automatically spend money to replace something. So, I decided to experiment a little to see if I could fix it. As you may know, I am trying to be brave in all things and not let fear stop me (and you should too). What's the worst thing that could happen if I just started experimenting to see what I could do? It might break and I'd have to replace it. What's the best thing that could happen?  I might fix it! Well, it worked and I will show you the steps I took to fix it below with a few screenshots.

One of the first things you will need to do is to remove the screen and the black box it is housed in from the screen door. You do this by removing the little black screw-hole covers (I used the sharp tip of a knife to get them to come off) and then unscrew the box from the door.  I had to use my new handy-dandy solar rechargeable flashlight to see what kind of screwdriver I needed.  (Thanks to Ken for this amazing flashlight!). In my case, it was a Philip's head screw. At first, they didn't seem to be turning but if I wiggled the black box, I could tell when they were coming loose.

Once you have the black shade box off of the door, look inside the box on each end to find the metal ends of the shade. Rub a few drops of silicone or another lubricant (I used the hydraulic fluid/transmission fluid I had handy and a Q-tip to rub the oil on these metal end). Pull the shade in and out a few times to make sure that it is working. Then re-install the black box to the door. Put the little black screw covers back on and you are all set.

Easy-peasy.  Then watch out, cause now the shade will roll-back up quicker than it was before you fixed it. Hope this post will solve this problem for a few other RV owners and save them some money. If you have had a similar problem and found another way to fix it, feel free to share that in the comments below.

Found My RV, It's a Miracle

Yup, it happened. The evening after I closed on my condo and moved into a Marriott hotel room suite, I found the RV of my dreams. It is a used 2012 Itasca (Winnebago) Sunstar 30T. I fell in love with this model over Memorial Day weekend when my sister Susie and I toured RVs at Camping World in Robertsdale, Alabama. The 2017 model was $120,000. Needless to say, I sighed sadly and resigned myself to hunting for a different model. This was tougher than I thought it would be. Used (less than 10 years old) Winnebago and Itasca RVs are hard to find. It seems that owners of these models hang on to them because they love them. I got close a few times but either someone bought it before I could or the price was too high. For example, a 2015 Sunstar 30T I found in Ohio was $88,000. (Still way over my budget).

So, what is it about this model that makes me so happy? First, it is 30 feet in length. Since I want to camp in federal and state parks, this is important. Many of these campgrounds are older and their sites won't accommodate the bigger 40-45 foot long RVs. Also, I think I will be more comfortable driving a smaller motorhome. Second, this model serves my needs for guest space with the sofa sleeper. Third, I love that the dining table set up takes up less space than the traditional booth-style dining area. Fourth, the quality of Winnebago and Itasca RVs is amazing. The passenger and driver's seats swivel to face the couch and are a comfortable leather-like fabric and the cabinets are sturdy hardwood.

There are other extras that make me happy. For example, the passenger side seat has a desk that pulls out from the dashboard. I will use this to store maps and campsite planning aids. (The service department at National Indoor RV Center will help me to fix anything that needs to be fixed.) But, the thing that sends me shouting from the mountain tops about God's loving-kindness toward me is that this RV will cost what I originally set as my "budget" in March. I was tempted to spend more than I should when I couldn't find the Sunstar in my price range.  Just this past week, I decided to be responsible and resigned myself to getting a model I could afford and then I found this RV.

Happy Dance!