How to remount window shades

[flynfool]

I have a 2016 Georgetown 329. We were going down the interstate when we heard a big crash but didn't see anything out of the cabinets or what had caused the crash until we stopped for the night. The entire shade assembly on the big living room window had come loose and crashed behind the seats in front of the window. Only two brackets were holding the shades (daylight blocking and light blocking on the same assembly) that weigh close to 15 pounds. Both brackets had broken. FR sent me new brackets. When I contacted Slow Rise Shades, the manufacturer, they were surprised only two brackets were used to hold up the shade assembly. They also sent me several brackets. Now I have lots of brackets but know that re-installing the shade is going to be tricky. I would like to put four brackets to hold the shade. They must be screwed into the top of the valence, all in a perfect row, then the shade snapped into the brackets (they are spring loaded and designed for the snap assembly). Question is, has anyone else had this problem of a shade catastrophe? The brackets are screwed through the top of the valence so everything is very tight. It's impossible to put the brackets on the shade and then screw the assembly to the inside of the valence.

Other Georgetown owners beware that the shade on your main window might come crashing down someday. We have been going shade-less for the past month and the DW has finally said it's time to put the shade back up. Any suggestions on how to do this tricky job will be appreciated.

I've posted before on this forum and am amazed at the helpful and friendly responses.

flynfool

[CHICKDOE]

join the club! now we get to see how much of a contortionist your are! i'm not sure how yours are mounted so this may or may not apply. our valence was held on with a couple of 90 degree shelf type brackets. you could not get to the horizontal screws that go into the wall. I found that a socket set with a driver bit and an extension would allow me to snake up and unscrew the vertical screws holding the valence in place. take the valence off and then you have access to the brackets. the last step was to put the valence back and then 'snap' the blinds into the brackets. this is where you really need to be nimble as there just isn't room to hold the blinds while snapping them into place.

[flynfool]

Thanks Chickdoe. Sounds like you have had the same problem. Now I can barely see the small vertical screws holding the valence up as well as the shelf brackets at the bottom. So I take the valence off the wall, then install the brackets in a neat row in the valence, then screw the valence back on the wall using the vertical screws and the shelf bracket screws, then try to snap the shade into place on what will now be four brackets. That is a good plan that seems to have been tested already. Thanks for your help and I'll let you know how it came out. We are moving today from St. Augustine to Cape Canaveral so it will be a day or two before I finally get a little privacy but I'll follow up with you later.

flynfool

[CHICKDOE]

sounds like a plan. it would be an easy task, IF YOU COULD GET ACCESS. the hardest part is snapping the blinds into the brackets. the are not light, and you have a longer one. it would probably go easier if you had a helper. the helper could hold the weight of the blinds while you positioned them and rotated them to snap them in.


anyway, have a nice trip. that's the goal.

[flynfool]

I would never try to hang that shade assembly without help from the DW. It is heavy and awkward. That "snapping in" of the shade is what has got me concerned the most. Seems like a design that wasn't planning on a redo!

[SimoRandy]

I’ve had several of my brackets break. Took over an hour the first time to get the shades mounted. Ditto on all the other comments.

I “think” they have all come down while driving with the shades up. I’m now making sure I lower them for the ride. Next time I’ll be adding an additional bracket or two!

[ProfChuck]

I have replaced several of my shades and found you have to take the valance off to get to them. Biggest pain was trying to get them to snap on to the brackets. DW was a big help in getting the large on on because it allowed me to concentrate on one end without having to hold up the other. We did replace the two piece shades with top down bottom up shades you couldn't see through, from Home Depot and Menard's. Both have worked great.

[flynfool]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. As soon as we have a break in our wandering, or when we get tired of being seen by all the neighbors, I'll put these suggestions to good use. Suspected the valence had to come down and now I know for sure that's the only way to do it. Of course, DW will be involved. Will post results later. Who knows, might have more watch-outs.

[CHICKDOE]

it sure would be interesting if somebody that was taking a factory tour could make a video of how they install these. getting access is difficulty and you need to be a contortionist to reach up under those valences.

[flynfool]

We are headed to Elkhart this summer and plan to tour Forest River as well as some other MH manufacturers. I'll try to keep my IPhone rolling if we can get a demo on that shade installation. Nothing clandestine, I'll explain that a video of their process would help many who have had or expect a shade assembly to drop. Thanks for the tip.

[RVnut]

We had the same problem and we went from two clips to three and still failed so now I just installed a fourth clip to the blinds.. I remove the valance and then take off the shade.. Use strait edge to locate new clips and then install blind and then valance.. I have gotten to the point that it is getting easy

[360true]

Flynn.... Great idea. Take lots of videos (if they let you). Will be handy for the rest of us later!