Door Fly Screen

Had a look at the 2016 new AS motorhomes this weekend. I noticed that they now have a built in door fly screen. Well may not be quite built in but attached to the inside of the door frame. Does anyone know where I can purchase one and approx cost.

As far as I am aware, these new Auto-sleeper blinds cannot be retrofitted. I might be wrong, I think they may come as part of the door. I did ask at the NEC Show in October last year, interested in one for our Broadway.

However if A/S now do retrofit them, then yes please!

Pete

Pete

No, cannot be retro-fitted.  We  looked at a 2015 model last year, which didn't have a fly screen and enquired about fitting one.  We were told that it's not possible, due to door position.

Correct, different door.

I've never been sure how useful they are anyway. Can anything keep the little swine out of the van when people have to come and go all day?? Once inside I often wonder if the door screen traps them in, when they might otherwise fly out and annoy someone else?

How often do we see vans with damaged screens, sometimes providing hours of mirth and jocularity as we watch someone trying to open the damn thing so they can get out!!   In France last year a small but rather rotund German lady (about 4' 6" in all directions) eventually had to climb out of her caravan window because the door screen would not open. Well, "climb" is a misnomer - she fell out, wearing part of the window frame as a girdle!!  Shouldn't laugh at others' misfortunes I know, but it was hilarious - specially as she was flailing her arms and blaspheming (I presume) loudly in strident German all the time.

I would have lost patience and walked straight through the bloody screen.

Dave

Gromit wrote:I've never been sure how useful they are anyway. Can anything keep the little swine out of the van when people have to come and go all day?? Once inside I often wonder if the door screen traps them in, when they might otherwise fly out and annoy someone else?
 

I've always thought the old fashioned fly 'curtain' is a better option, as doesn't impede passage through the door.

Some modern ones look quite nice too, much better than the old multi-coloured plastic ribbons anyway and you can just stick over the top of the door.

I spent a lot of time on this trying to get one that fitted the Worcester/Winchcombe and other models. Failed both sides of the Atlantic and in the end bought a £9.99 JML curtain which is hung on a piece of chrome pipe suspended on two chrome wardrobe rail fixings. The bottom is attached by two black clothes pegs same colour as the screen. Instantly removable when not required, looks fine, works a treat and cost pennies!

Hi fellas! I made a few comments on a previous thread over this subject too. However, last week I was given the temporary loan of a new A/S Nuevo, complete with the flyscreen fitted in the habitation doorway. So I've had a chance to try it out for real.

It's no big shakes! The doorstep moulding looked the same as the one fitted in Winnie (2014) but a special modification of a moulded-on bit was attached (looking underneath the doorstep moulding, the old bit was the normal black fibreglass, with the new, added-on bit mould was attached to the old bit, in non-coloured fibreglass). This makes the doorstep deeper into the entrance and accomodates the frame fitting of the flyscreen assembly at the bottom. The main top portion of the fly screen surround is simply screwed against the caravan sidewall. Well, at least there is now a flyscreen in place. As to whether it's been designed to be used in a truly practical manner? the jury is still out on that question.

In operation, the flyscreen has to be slid fully open to allow the door to be closed. This leaves the door and the flyscreen in the same plane, ie in line with each other as opposed to one piece in front or behind the other. The door must be fully opened in order to close the screen across the doorway (this also means the larger door mounted bin is left outside with the door - same as before, so you can't bend down to place your tincan or tea bags into the bin!) The door is now held open by a gas strut. The flyscreen cannot be left closed over the doorway and shut the door at the same time like is possible with so many other motorhome manufacturer's designs. I can only imagine what might happen should the wind decide to blow hard enough to force the door to slam closed, as often happens with our vehicle unless I strap it open, ignoring the damned flies etc! I expect the resulting damages could be expensive?

IMHO, I believe the flyscreen frame should be fitted inboard of the closed door, allowing either, or both, to be open, or closed independently as in my previous excellently, and practically designed, Rapido 7099.

There are all sorts of design issues at play when you try to work a practical, working flyscreen/hab. door/waste bin set into a motorhome or caravan.

Basically the flyscreen isn't necessary when they door is shut, so it really shouldn't matter that a door mounted bin impinges on the flyscreen when the door is closed. However as said, the door may blow closed or be closed without thinking and the flyscreen damaged. The answer to that is not to mount the bin on the door, which is an impractical place anyway when the door is clipped open.

The problem then is where to locate the bin in a relatively small environment. The obvious place is on the return end of cabinetry at the door entry space but this often features a handle to aid access to the van and is relatively narrow. Fitting a bin there can be unsightly and either means an obstructed entry or less furniture width, which is often at a premium anyway plus maybe a wider door, which may have ramifications on cost and structural strength etc.

Overall not an easy circle to square.