Today I flipped the shades on the Big Front Window (BFW) so that the blackout shade is on bottom and the bug screen is on top. I did this to improve airflow between the shades and the window in an attempt to avoid excessive heat buildup that could warp the window, apparently a thing with the BFW. The idea is to set the shades for 80% blackout on bottom and 20% bug screen on top and use convection (hot air rises) to vent heat buildup out the bug screen on top, pulling in cooler air at the bottom to replace it (crack open the BFW). Then aid the process by pulling out the hot air with the trailer’s roof fan. This helps keep the interior of the trailer cooler without cooking the window in extreme conditions. The orientation has the added advantages of somewhat increased privacy when partially deploying the blackout shade and putting the heavier blackout shade on the bottom where the wall is more vertical, reducing the tendency for the shade to sag.

All of the shades in earlier Altos were oriented this way but sometime before my 2023 F1743 was built, Safari Condo (SC) began flipping them on all of their trailers. SC confirmed that Horrex is the manufacturer of my shades. The Horrex manual clearly states that the blackout shade should be on the bottom. SC told me the orientation is personal preference and that they flipped them for convenience. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me considering the guidance from the manufacturer and the considerations listed above, but OK. Easy enough to flip them back.

And it was pretty easy. I was initially unsure whether the curvature in the frame is symmetrical but it clearly is. This means I could flip the entire assembly, frame and all, vs. swapping the cartridges that hold the blinds. It took me about an hour to do this job solo. A second person might have helped or more likely would have just been in the way. Judicious placement of seat cushions and pillows doubled for a second set of hands. Here are the steps:

1. Remove the front table
2. Pop off the four plastic covers at each corner of the frame by pulling them from behind
3. Prop the bottom of the frame with cushions and pillows to keep it from flopping down when screws are removed. The top of the frame is held in place by two brackets so it stays put without the screws.
4. Remove the two sheet metal screws at each corner that secure the frame to the wall of the trailer.
5. Carefully slide the whole frame up slightly to detach the top frame from the brackets. The clearance between the frame and the light switch assembly is tight, I had to “bend” the switch assembly slightly to free the frame. There is enough natural play in that assembly, nothing was bent permanently.
6. Carefully rotate the whole blind assembly 180 degrees. The frame is fairly solid when detached from the wall but can’t withstand too much sideways force.
7. Hang the top of the frame on the brackets, again “bending” the light assembly slightly. Prop up the bottom of the frame with cushions and pillows to hold it to the wall of the trailer.
8. Re-attach the two sheet metal screws at each corner. As with every other sheet metal screw in this trailer, be careful to avoid stripping it while tightening. So.many.sheet.metal.screws :(.
9. Replace the plastic covers at each corner. The trick is to slide the pointy part of the cover over the inner corner of the frame first, then push it on the rest of the way from the outer part of the frame.
10. Reverse the plastic clip that joins the two shades
11. Behold the now upside-down and out-of-sight warning label

If I had stripped one of the sheet metal screws in this process I would have replaced them all with rivet nuts and stainless steel machine screws. If I had the rivet nuts on hand I would have done this proactively, but I was impatient.

Rather than “crack open” the window using the built-in detents on the left and right latches, it has been suggested more airflow is needed, maybe a 1/2″ to 3/4″ gap. It’s difficult to measure but using the detents, the gap between window and seal seems slightly less than 1/2″. A fellow Altoiste pioneered some blocks that will hold the window out further. These would be simple to create and could potentially hold the window more securely: Three attachment points instead of two, at the bottom of the window instead of the sides, and more difficult to break in from the outside. Here’s a post showing his design https://www.facebook.com/groups/Altoistes/permalink/1204161736285064. And another where STL files were uploaded that can be used to 3D print the spacer blocks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Altoistes/permalink/24523360507271858

Now I need to decide if I want to flip the remaining windows. My biggest concern was the BFW because I sometimes close the blinds while parked at home. I generally don’t close the other blinds and I don’t imagine the smaller windows are as susceptible to warping, but the same convection mechanism would apply. I’m not as concerned about the privacy aspect. I’ll probably flip them eventually.

I’ve read about concerns with flipping the kitchen window because of the tight clearance with the overhead shelf. Based on this experience, I don’t think it would be an issue, at least for my F1743. The frame doesn’t have to slide up much to detach from the brackets, it looks to me like there is enough clearance. And I would imagine the blinds went in after the shelf when the trailer was constructed.

Thanks to this post for the procedure and discussion about the merits of convection for the BFW: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AltoOwners/permalink/1746414862418213