Forum Discussion

JimM68's avatar
JimM68
Explorer
Aug 30, 2015

Windshield sunscreen?

I want to rig some exterior magnet mount sunshades.

I'll use this Home depot sunscreen for the side windows, and I have an MCD exterior windshield shade that came with the RV but was never used or mounted.

I bought a 10 pack of 3/8" rare earth magnets from Harbor freight, but way too small to do the job. Searched and saw a couple posts from a fellow DIYer who got his magnets from Amazon but didn't recall exactly which ones.. :h

Looked on Amazon, 30 plus pages of rare earth magnets, ranging from the little one I bought to industrial types with 200 pounds of force?

I'd like to do the windshield with 5, corners and a top middle. Magnets glued to the inside of the windshield. And hooks on the fabric so I can install them from the ground with an awning rod.

Other windows the magnets will glue to the frames, on the outside. The little ones I have may work there?

Any good guess or real experience on how many pound force magnets it will take to pull thru the windshield and hold that sunscreen on?
  • Dale, were those links right?
    SEVENTYFIVE pound pull magnets?
    Seems an awful lot.
  • I had already sewn 1" x 1/8" into my screen and ripping the pockets open would have been difficult if not impossible (black thread thru black material) so I had to compensate with larger magnets. Using listed pulling force as a general reference number, 1" x 1/8" - 12.6 Lbs. 1" x 1/2" - 54.5 Lbs. 1" x 1" - 61 Lbs., I have 12.6 sticking to 61 for 73.6. If I had used 1" x 1/2" all around I would have had 54.5 sticking to 54.5 for 109. So,,, when considering what I did do against what I should have done 1" x 1/2" is probably the way to go.

    Windshield glass really cuts into the magnet strength. Took me three attempts with increasing size magnets to get to the point that I could install the screen consistently. The upper corner has to firmly hold the entire screen while your push the material to the next set of magnets across the up of the windshield. You might be able to get by using smaller magnets other than the upper corner but I wouldn't recommend it. Stick to 1" diameter by 1/2" thick, minimum, all around.
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    I made one so it could be installed by one person without using a ladder or expensive magnets. Here is another thread on DIY sun shades with how I did it.