Has anyone removed a tailgate window pod-alike unit?

[Gàirnealair]

I know my van is gorgeous and I am very lucky to have her, but the tailgate glass is mostly obscured by a massive surround with a relatively small concertina window blind fitted. Standard conversion from Hillside and whilst there is absolutely nothing functionally wrong with it I hate the damn thing

It reduces visibility by at least 50% and I would really like it gone. I have hated it from the day I drove Blue Bus off the forecourt and I know I'm not going to change my mind.



I'm sure lots of folk who've done their own conversion have put these in, but has anyone taken one out?

 

[SamD]

You could take it out and replace with curtains or you could make your own with a bigger cutout and blind?

 

[Gàirnealair]

Cheers Sam, putting in curtains or a thermal/blackout type screen is the easy bit.

I'm wondering how difficult it would be to physically remove it?

 

[Ali-G]

Have you looked at Vanshades? I have one in my tailgate and the cutout is bigger than that.

 

[Gàirnealair]

Thanks Ali, yes I've looked at the Vanshades site.
No idea what make this one is, perhaps it's something that Hillside have put together themselves. Just nervous about trying to remove it without damaging the van interior.

 

[Ricardo T]

The Vanshades one I fitted recently was secured with about 8 tek screws screwed directly through the carpet and plastic formed tray the blind is mounted in and then into the tailgate bodywork, and the carpet then fluffed over to hide the screw head....this is possibly the same...try very carefully levering the formed plastic away at different points and that may help you locate the fixings if they are not directly visible.
Send a pic of the internal part of the side/door.

 

[Ali-G]

Maybe worth giving Hillside a bell, see if they are willing to advise.

 

[CAB]

That's appalling. It looks like a standard motorhome blind cassette mounted onto a carpeted bit of ply. What designer thought that looked good?

 

[Bigsidavies]

It’s a ‘perfect fit’ window blind fitted to the reverse of a ply panel.
I much prefer to have the nice big view from the tailgate. We just use an internal thermal blind that goes on with suckers for the rear screen.

 

[Ayjay]

I’ve no idea how to remove it but quite why anybody would design the thing like that is beyond me!

 

[Gàirnealair]

@Ricardo T - pics below. Just what you said - screwed through wooden panel, carpet fluffed a bit. But there are also brackets fitted to van which panel seems to be attached to. Really hard to see them through window.





@Ali-G - Hillside build nice vans but their customer service . . . nuff said. And I'm not first owner.

@CAB @Ayjay - agreed!! Although it doesn't look quite so dreadful once you are inside:



@Bigsidavies - Same as you I prefer safety over style - huge rear window and I can barely see out of half of it.

Thanks to everyone. Nervous about trying to remove it, mostly because I'm small, retired, female, and not sure if I can physically manage it. Am going to call a couple of fairly local independent converters and see if they'll take on the job in exchange for folding beer vouchers.

 

[EAN]

I have a Hillside on order (won’t be ready till mid March next year).
I’ve got every intention of temporarily removing the rear blind pod to get the rear tailgate window tinted so it can’t be seen from the outside as although functional, it spoils the look from the rear for me.

 

[CAB]

Looks like a vanshades blind wouldn't fit due to the furniture in the corner, but blackout stretchy curtains are available.

 

[Gàirnealair]

Looks like a vanshades blind wouldn't fit due to the furniture in the corner, but blackout stretchy curtains are available.

Thanks. There is room between the window-facing side of the wardrobe and the glass for a curtain or something insulated. I've made plenty of caravan curtains and window coverings in the past so that's the least of my concerns