Silent Gliss Campervan Curtain Track Installation

Do you need to know how to install Silent Gliss campervan curtain track?

I made the video above having struggled to find any clear instructions on how to fit Silent Gliss curtain track to a campervan. I worried about making a mess of it and found virtually nothing on the internet to help me,

so wanted to show my efforts in order to help other people.

Please watch the video above as it shows how I fitted my curtain track

to my VW T25 campervan.

Please note that I didn't end up with a perfect installation as I made mistakes as I struggled to work out how to do it correctly. Why aren't there full instructions for this on the internet?

Let me explain where I went wrong....

Firstly, I shouldn't have fitted the back track to the body of the van but instead fitted it to the tail gate. I had avoided that option because I didn't want the curtains to be lifted up along with the tail gate every time I opened it. Having since fitted a ribbon to the tail gate to secure the tailgate curtains, I now realise that wouldn't have been an issue. The reason why I shouldn't have fitted the track to the body of the van is because I stupidly drilled holes into thin metal that isn't on the inside of the van but the outside, so I now have a problem with water coming in and regular silicone repair work to do. We live and learn! I will relocate this piece of track to the tailgate at some point and fill in the holes with fibreglass.

Another mistake I made was in cutting nicks out of the track that curved around the sliding door runner guide. This, I realised, was not necessary as it can be bent quite easily on your knee after being heated up by a hairdryer.

The cab area proved to be a nightmare and I ended up settling for an incorrect installation. I couldn't for the life of me bend it correctly so it would still allow for a sun visor to be fitted, as it needs to be twisted as well as bent. I ended up ruining one piece of track and had to order some more at great cost given I was in Spain and these tracks cannot be posted using normal post. I settled for a normal curve into the corner. This does actually look good and works really well, but we can't have any sun visors. Instead, we've got some sunshade film stuck to the top of our windscreen and some fabric tassel running all the way around the gutter of the van, which reduces dazzle from the sun.

Something else I should have known before installing my track was that you can get face-fix track and top-fix track. The face-fix track is designed to be fitted to vertical surfaces: walls, sides of cupboards, etc. The top-fix track is for fitting to horizontal surfaces: ceiling, under cupboards, etc. I used only top-fix track but I didn't fit it to any horizontal surfaces.....only vertical ones. It hasn't presented any problems and the gliders (runners) run very smoothly anyway. However, in time, I might find the gliders wear more on one side. It's better to fit the correct track if you want to ensure longevity of the gliders and face-fix track would help the curtains fit more snugly against the windows.

SILENT GLISS CURTAIN TRACK

Assuming you're going to do a similar installation as I did, you'll need to buy only face-fix track

if you want the perfect result. Below is a list of what you'll need to buy...

CAB - 2 x 1.5m track plus 2 end caps. BUY HERE

FRONT SIDES - 2 x 1.4m track plus 2 end caps. BUY HERE

REAR SIDES - 2 x 1.2m track plus 2 end caps. BUY HERE

TAIL GATE - 1 x 1.5m track plus 2 end caps. BUY HERE

Other websites will often recommend 2.5m lengths for the sides. I would recommend against this as 2.5m lengths would be more difficult to handle, they'd be more likely to get damaged prior to installation and they're not always possible to post. Besides, it's easy to align two pieces of track and that is what I did on both my sides.

END CAPS

You'll see other websites or sellers that say you need four end caps for the cab but that is only if you have four curtains in the cab, which would be unusual. It's better to have two wide curtains so that you can draw them right back and out of your view for driving.

CAB - 2 end caps

FRONT SIDES - 2 end caps

REAR SIDES - 2 end caps

TAIL GATE - 2 end caps

Eight end caps altogether but it's better to order ten because they're easy to drop and lose. Check your track doesn't include some end caps when you buy it.

HOOKS AND GLIDERS

Don't be tempted to use ordinary residential curtain hooks as they're too big, they'd make the curtains hang too low and, most importantly, they'd create a bigger gap between the curtain and the window. My recommendation is to use Silent Gliss hooks and gliders. Buy two hundred of each and you'll have plenty. Bare in mind, gliders may be included in your track purchase, so you'll only need the hooks.

Other than the issues stated, I'm happy with the way I installed the Silent Gliss curtain track to my campervan and, two years on since the installation, there have been no other issues. The curtains still open and close smoothly and no curtain hooks or gliders have broken.

I'm also happy with my choice of curtains, although they're not perfect. I'm happy I had them professionally made as they've kept their shape well. I'm glad I chose light coloured curtains as we have kept them closed for privacy whilst still getting plenty of daylight into the van. The last thing you want is a gloomy van! Bare in mind, most of the time when you're camping, you will want to keep your curtains closed. The fabric has stood up to two years in the Spanish sun with no sign of fading. The thermal lining works but not enough to keep the van cool in the summer or warm in the winter....but much better than no thermal lining at all! We used the silver-coloured thermal panels attached with suckers and magnets to assist in keeping the heat/cold out and making the van darker at night. One problem we have had is mould spots....tiny black dots. These obviously show up on our pale curtains and wouldn't be as noticeable on darker curtains. Obviously, choosing the shade for your van curtains comes down to what your priorities are: perfectly clean curtains, complete darkness at night, curtains that are less likely to fade in the sun, curtains that can bekept closed during the day without turning your van into a dungeon, etc.

I improved the method for holding keeping the curtains held back and secured against the walls. I will make a video about that soon and post it here.

Anyway, I hope you have benefited from my advice on installing Silent Gliss campervan tracks. Please check my advice and ensure you adjust it to suit your own vehicle and needs. If I've made a mistake in this post or video, I can't be held responsible if you copy it....so please take your time

and double check everything before you make purchases or drill holes.

Good luck!