DIY RV Vent Sun Blocker

X-HT-300588

A vent shade, also known as a sun blocker, is a handy shade that blocks light coming through the ceiling ventilation in a camper or RV. Ceiling vents help increase airflow and bring fresh air into your motor home, but they can also let unwanted sunlight, moonlight and streetlight into the room. It's easy to sew your own RV vent cover to block as much outside light as possible. In today's DIY tutorial, we're going to show you how to do just that.

Video Chapters:

Intro — 0:00 min.
Cutting Fabric to Size — 0:35 min.
Sewing Binding — 2:13 min.
Installing Snaps — 6:56 min.
Installing Vent Shade — 12:59 min.
Materials & Tools List — 14:23 min.

Materials List:

Sunbrella^® Marine Grade White 46" Fabric (#4634-0000)
Blackout White 54" Drapery Lining Fabric (#122515)
Seamstick 1/4" Basting Tape for Canvas & Upholstery (36 yds.) (#122065)
Sunbrella^® Acrylic Bias Binding Tape Natural 1" (#11200)
Tex 70 Natural UV Bonded Polyester Thread 4 oz. (1,350 yds.) (#106135)
YKK^® SNAD^® Fastener Adhesive-Backed Domed Stud White 25mm (#121538)
3M™ Tape Primer 94 Adhesive Promoter Ampule
DOT^® Snap Fastener Screw Stud 3/8" (Nickel-Plated Brass/Stainless Steel) (#333105)
DOT^® Snap Fastener Button 11/64" (Nickel-Plated Brass) (#333777)
DOT^® Snap Fastener Normal Action Socket (Nickel-Plated Brass) (#333050)

Tools List:

Soft Grip Rotary Cutter 45mm (#123114)
Sailrite^® Self Healing Double-Sided Cutting Mat 24" x 36" (#123113)
Sailrite^® 1" Swing-Away Binder (#100103)
Sailrite^® Standard Fabricator^® Sewing Machine Package (110V) (#400500)
Easy Fit Kit in Waterproof Box - Snap Positioning System (#102565)
Pres-N-Snap Installation Tool (#109011)
Sailrite^® Drill Hole Cutter Set (#121825)
Sailrite^® Snap Fastener Deluxe Installation Tool (#100949)
Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3# (#68563)

First, let's talk about fabric choices. We chose a neutral marine canvas fabric that closely matched our RV bedroom's ceiling so that the cover blends in and looks natural. Choosing a canvas fabric with a stiff hand will make it easier to work with for this particular project.

We highly recommend using a blackout fabric for the lining. Blackout lining fabric is a room-darkening material that also helps keep rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The upholstery fabric faces the room (it's the fabric that you see) while the blackout fabric is not seen when the sun blocker is installed.

DIY Rv Vent Shade 3 — We used adhesive SNAD fasteners to attach the vent cover to the frame so we would not have to drill in a screw stud and leave a permanent hole.

The fabric vent cover attaches to the ceiling using snap fasteners attached to the cover and YKK® SNAD® fasteners attached to the vent frame. You can attach screw-in fastener studs to the vent frame, but SNADs are adhesive-backed fastener sockets. You don't have to drill into the vent frame if you use SNADs, and they're faster and easier to install. Plus, they're removable if you need to reposition your vent cover or want to remove the cover and snaps entirely.

This is a very easy, beginner-friendly sewing project and is a great way to add extra shading and blackout properties to your RV. Watch the video to get started on this DIY.

Thanks for watching! Let us know how your vent covers turned out. Post photos on social media using #Sailrite or in the comments section below.

If you want to view more projects in our RV Renovation Series, click here!