In some of my previous videos you may have noticed that I already have curtain in place,
separating the front cab from the back load space.
I realised early on that I would want some privacy , whether neither spending the night in the van or
if I leave the van unattended and I don't want people to be able to see what's in the back.
Using a tension rod, a small black-out curtain,
and a couple of magnets, I was able to create a really effective curtain.
I held it in place with both tension from the rod
and by creating two small holes in the van's headliner to support it.
However as time has gone on I've noticed that
both the weight of the curtain and its regular use has weakened the headliner,
and before it tears and gets any worse I want to address it with a permanent solution.
My plan for the curtain is to drill holes into the edges where the tension rod would normally
sit to allow the rod to rest on the metal of a van, instead of the flimsy headliner.
In order to prevent any scratching or noise
from this metal-on-metal fixture I will be using two rubber grommets.
This has the added bonus of looking really smart, as well as holding the tension rod very securely.
The tension rod is just a basic one I found in a department store,
while the curtain is one from a pair of blackout curtains that I found on Amazon, which measures
168cm wide and 137cm long and turns out to be pretty much the perfect size for an NV200.
I started by measuring the diameters of both ends of the tension rod.
The first being 11mm and a second 13.6mm.
I sourced two quick-fit rubber grommets with inside diameters
of less than that a potential rod so as to ensure a tight fit.
The smaller has a diameter of 11mm and the larger of 12mm.
I removed the white end caps of the tension rod and checked these grommets fitted,
then moved on to marking where I will be drilling into the van which is hard to see on the carpet.
To make the holes, I used to step drill bit which cuts holes of 4
to 20mm in metal up to 5mm thick, and it was perfect for this job.
I placed a piece of masking tape at the 14mm mark,
which is the size of the hole needed to be accepted by the grommet, and began drilling.
I placed some strong magnets directly below the hole and these helped catch
a lot of the metal filings and burrs that came from the hole.
I would periodically stop to clear the magnets and
clean the hole before continuing to ensure that metal filings didn't get everywhere,
as ensuring that metal filings didn't get everywhere it was a priority.
Once the hole was drilled I used the magnet and a hoover to clear up any pieces of metal,
and overall it was very successful.
I then cut away any excess carpet with some scissors to clean up the hole.
With the first hole done I moved on to the second one and did exactly the same thing,
with the exception of putting masking tape at the 16mm mark this time, as it was a bigger grommet.
Both holes came up really nicely and once cleaned up I could look to protect the exposed metal.
Using a white metal primer I carefully painted both holes to prevent any rust in the future,
left it to dry, and then did another coat later.
With the holes drilled, primed, and dry, I can look at the headliner.
I made a template so I could trim a small portion off each side.
The headliner material had become quite worn,
where I made holes in it previously to support the curtain hole.
I want to make sure that it doesn't have to support the weight of the curtain,
or even come into contact with the curtain again, as it is actually quite a weak material.
By trimming off these holes, not only do I make the headliner look
smarter but I can actually draw the curtain further on each side,
as the headliner doesn't stop the curtain which is definitely an added bonus.
With the headliner cut to shape, I decided to use some rubber u-channel, that was left over
from carpeting the van doors, to cover the headliner edge, as it didn't look very nice.
It was a bit fiddly to attach but it looks much better.
I may consider changing it to a grey trim in the future to match the headliner more,
but for now it smartens up and protects the headliner adequately.
I could now finally install the grommets in their
respective holes and begin reinstalling the curtain.
With a bit of manoeuvring the curtain pole went through the rubber grommets
with a tight fit, which is exactly what I wanted.
Tightening the tension rod further enabled me to make the curtain as secure as it
needs to be and I'm pleased to say it's a really strong hold.
With the curtain reinstalled, I could check its fit,
and making these adjustments has made so much difference.
The curtain is much stronger is easier to draw across and blocks out more light than before.
I mentioned magnets at the beginning of this video, and I sewed a couple of these
down each side of the curtain, so they can hold the curtain in place while it's drawn.
They aren't a perfect solution, as they have a habit of coming away every so often,
so this is something that I'll look into more in the future.
Overall, I'm so happy with the result and I think it neatens up that whole area,
as well as providing a very functional curtain.
Finally, please do subscribe to my channel and keep up-to-date
with the rest of my van build series and thanks for watching!