Front Window Screens for Van Life | TheGalavan
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2020
- Whether you're boondocking or stealth camping in a city staying cool living the off-grid nomad life can be tricky. When it's warm, you need to crack a window, but how to keep the bugs out without spending $150 for the EuroCamper Air Vents?
In this video, I show you how to make your own front window screens for less than $4 with plastic gutter guards I purchased at Home Depot. Granted, these aren't as secure as the $150 Air Vents, but you could make yours shorter so someone can't get in.
Link to the gutter guards: www.homedepot.com/p/Amerimax-... (Not an affiliate link)
Or for double the cost, you could get metal gutter guards, but they don't come with screening attached and wouldn't be as easy to work with.
Here at TheGalavan I feature vans, primarily designed and built by women, to give you inspiration for your own van build. I’m always on the lookout for other van life enthusiasts who want to collaborate and share their love of this lifestyle. I also love to cook from scratch in my van and share accessories, tips, and tricks to make van life easier and more successful for you.
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On my 2024 Toyota Sienna, I only had to cut off about a quarter inch off of each end. The window edge is almost straight, but good enough to fit in that groove. Works great. My local Lowes had these.
Thank you. This worked. I just did it after watching your video a couple times - once to see what materials to get, and next to see how to do it. Thank you, thank you.
I bought the gutter guards. I didn’t have to cut any. I didn’t realize they would be a shorter length. But all I had to do was to make a border at each end with Duck tape. It worked great!! Thanks for the demonstration-it was easy!! Great solution for second row windows in my Sienna.
Using the gutter guards was a great idea. I made screens for my van that velcro on the inside and have magnets outside, but yours seem more sturdy. good video
We did this same exact thing for our van build. We found that if you just push the screen a little bit forward the window will slide in front of it and you won’t have any gaps or bulges and won’t need the tape either. Hope you like the tip. We love your channel.
Oh! That's great! Thanks for the tip!
brilliant way to keep the bugs out and still have the airflow (with a stiff enough screen not to blow around).
I used this same product for my back windows of my car when we go car camping. It makes all the difference in the summertime to get the cool night air for sleeping. I put them in while the door is open to help place the channel on the window edge easier. I also cut a small piece from the flat- non channel- area to place in the window instead of using tape. It just slips right in.
Great idea! Thanks.
ETA: A little coroplast would work for the gap.
Just want to add the tip that if any of you have tin snips for cutting sheet metal that will work great as well
Very clever! Thanks for the idea and the easy to follow instructions.
That’s a great tip 👍🏼. I’m building out my van and will making these for my windows tomorrow.
Well done. Thank you for posting!
That is a good idea. I don't like bugs, but love fresh air.
Great idea! Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for the tip Joanie great idea.
Clever, simple and inexpensive idea! Thank you for sharing!
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks Joanie! This is something that I can actually tackle myself! Great idea that is practical and relatively easy to do. Love it!
Yes! You can! Although be sure to watch the blooper at the very end! 😄
I'm going to the store tomorrow. Great idea, thanks
That's cool that lemon oil works
what a great idea! Quick, easy, inexpensive...seems to kinda match the protective material you put over your windows about a year ago! Thanks Joni!
Wow! The best one I’ve seen! Will definitely go get some today! Thank you so much for sharing, Jonie!
Love this! Always cool to see ideas on how other van folks are solving problems we're all facing.
Perfect! What a great idea, I will definitely do the same with my windows. Thanks so much.
Nice Joanie, very creative.
Very helpful, easy to do and cheap. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Joni, I will try this for my front window on my RAM ProMasterCity. Have the tinted wind guard over the windows for ventilation at night, but have been struggling to find a way to keep bugs out.
I'm gonna try this, been wanting to for awhile now...thanks for sharing...stay safe and happy
Fabulous idea!
Pretty, easy, economical and functional! Excellent idea. I can see that I will simply have to make a set for my van!
EXCELLENT idea! I'd been wondering how I'm going to screen my van's windows. Thank's to you, I now have the answer!
Excelente idea was looking for something like that thanks so much for caring 🌹❤️
Awesome idea! thank you!
Love your idea!
Yes done this too and they work awesome!!!
Nice video! Thank you!
Clever. I'll remember for future use.
Great and inexpensive problem solver. Thank you.
Wow, that was a little piece of genius there. Thank you so much!
Great idea!
Very helpful. We are going to camp in our recently purchased older Econoline window passenger van and like the idea of window screen inserts for the cab windows that look secure. May spray paint the finished product black and super glue a cut section of the gutter cover I use to just be that needed bottom tail if our window requires it. Want to look secure like metal is used so nobody thinks they can just push their way in easily.
That is really awesome. I am going to try that
Joanie, you are so creative! Thanks for the video!
I should have mentioned that I learned about this from a vanlife couple I met last fall!
Great idea! I'm sure that that's going to work great!
Great idea
Brilliant Idea Joni! a DIY inexpensive Idea. I have a 2009 Savana & can't get screens for it, so was thinking of making my own with 1/8" Plywood which is rather laborious. This is definitely the way to go. Fast & inexpensive. Thanks for sharing! Cheers from Toronto, Canada.
Great idea!
Excellent video on DIY screens!
Did mine today. Turned out great! Thanks for the video.
Glad it helped!
Oooo...glad I checked in.
Been urban camping and will appreciate more ventilation ☺️
Glad I could help! It's a great, cheap solution for sure!
Very very helpful. Thank you for sharing, I’ll do that for my camper van build. It’s easy, cheap and doesn’t require any special skills or tools. I love it.
Yes - super simple. My girlfriend used black Plastidip on hers and it looks even better!
This was great. Thanks
Nice job!
Pretty good TK.
Thank you for sharing this great idea! I will definitely be doing this for summer truck camping.
Have fun!
Thank you like it a lot!❤
That is by far,the easyist window bug card I’ve seen.
I used commercially made ones that were very similar for my tractor trailer cab windows. Nice to have a plan for the van! Suggestion...fit the bottom groove onto the window before you roll it up. That way the screen doesn't bend as it fits into the frame channel.
Thanks for the tip!
I made two,placed down onto the glass then tried to electricly roll up the window. Had to keep doing it so it wouldn't buckle.oh and after I finally had them perfectly installed, didn't I ,later that day, push the one button accidentally.arghh
I wish car manufacturers would install them so the window can be rolled up or down for any number of reasons.
I ❤️ this idea!
Good idea!
Great vid... thanks for posting!!!
Thanks for watching!
wow - nice looking, and kind of classical. Your example showing how it was done was just right. Not to chatty just enough.
Excellent idea/solution. That’s a keeper 👍🏼👍🏽👍🏻
Thanks 👍
Brillante idea!
Chip and great ideas 💡 I love it.really appreciate...smart lady love.
excellent video 📹👏👍👌
Awesome idea!
Thanks!
What a clever idea! Thanks, Joni, I picked up two guards at HD yesterday. Hope to have them installed soon. This is incredible because I had actually considered plopping down some serious money, $100 or more, for commercially made ones. I spent $4 on the gutter guards. I'll let you know how they work out.
Excellent! And a more recent comment mentioned that they just leave them in place all the time, that their window just rolls up in front of it if they push it a little out of the way, and then, no need for the tape because there's no gap!
Brilliant!
Thank you! You went into detail in important ways and I appreciate that.🙂 For some vehicles, black materials will be better.
Well done
Like it a lot!
Thank you for sharing, you made it look so easy
It's as easy as it looks! One of the easiest vanlife upgrades you can do!
Brilliant.
This is awesome! I am definitely going to try this!!! Thank you for this tutorial!!! =D
Thank you for posting that! I did not realize that gutter guards came in a plastic material. I thought I would be having to cut metal and I’ve been planning on doing that for my middle row van windows because I already have screen socks for the front windows. but they don’t have screen socks that fit for the sliding doors..
LOVE IT
Thanks!
like your dazzling smile
Really interesting ...thanks for sharing.
My pleasure
Wonderful. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Genius!!
Thanks 😊
Really clever!
Thanks! Just passing on what I've seen on the road and giving the step-by-step to achieve it! 😉
Thank you
Muy buena idea la felicito👍👍👍✌️
Excellant thank you soo much
brilliant
Great idea! I could even do that in my car. Thanks!
Go for it!
Awesome idea Joni, thanks for sharing. Would love to join your group but not not a fan of Facebook. Stay safe.🙂
Back in the '70s I had a set of those that were custom made for the style of my van and what they had in the corners was a little piece of foam and it worked really good. I'll get out to check that out. Maybe make a set for my Chevy van? Thank you very much
Hi. My name is Leon. I convert cargo vans. Building vans is not my full-time job but I love it. The company is called Far To Go Vans. We are based in Fargo, ND USA. I like how you repurpose things to make van accessories. Proof that buildouts that don’t have to be expensive to be functional, aesthetically pleasing. I can do a low-end (full) buildout for 120 K. Scary to even think about.
Luv!
Nice
Ford windows are shaped much differently, with a long piece running downward. When I made mine with these last year I had to use 2 for each window.
Good to know. Thanks!
Awesome!!!👠🚌👠
Clever.
I cut mine 1/4" larger on each side so they stay in the window channel better & cut the channel of the gutter guard the width of the window. I also painted the outside the same color as my van so prying eyes don't
Enter those gutter guard the great but you can also slide them into a pair of nylons a little more protection for buds
Awesome DIY projects and the steps to make the screens! 👍👍👍😎😎😎!! I do have one question can I do this for a Ford Econoline? Thanks again, as always, for the videos, plz, keep them coming? Thanks again, Eric Sulen Grand Rapids Michigan.
Whether this will work for a Ford Econoline just depends on how curved the top of the window is. You can always try one first to see if it will work!