5 Best Custom Fit Sunscreen Shades For Slide Outs To Cut Cooling Costs

That afternoon sun hitting the side of your big slide-out can feel like a giant radiator aimed right at your living room. You can hear the air conditioner running constantly, struggling to keep up while your power bill or generator fuel level plummets. This isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a significant drain on your resources and a major source of discomfort in your small space.

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Cut AC Costs with Custom Slide Out Shades

Your RV’s slide-outs are essentially thin-walled boxes extending out from the main structure, offering very little insulation against solar heat gain. The walls and windows on a slide-out absorb an incredible amount of thermal energy, radiating it directly into your living space. This is why the area around your dinette or sofa often feels 10 degrees hotter than the rest of the coach.

Sunscreen shades are the single most effective way to combat this. Unlike interior blinds that block light after the heat has already passed through the glass, exterior shades stop the sun’s rays before they ever touch your RV. By blocking up to 90% of UV radiation, they prevent the slide-out walls and windows from superheating in the first place.

The result is a dramatic and immediate drop in interior temperature. This means your air conditioner runs less often and for shorter cycles, saving you money on electricity at the campground or fuel for your generator when boondocking. It also reduces the wear and tear on your AC unit, extending its lifespan and saving you from a costly replacement down the road.

Magne Shade: The Premium Magnetic Solution

When it comes to ease of use, nothing beats Magne Shade. Their system uses incredibly strong rare-earth magnets, making installation and removal a breeze. You attach the exterior magnets to your RV’s sidewall using a high-bond 3M adhesive, so there’s no drilling required. The shade itself has magnets sewn into the perimeter, allowing it to snap securely into place with a satisfying thud.

This convenience is a game-changer. You can easily remove the shades for cleaning or travel without climbing a ladder and fumbling with snaps, especially on a tall fifth wheel. They are custom-made for a perfect fit, and you can even get them printed with custom images or patterns to match your rig’s graphics.

The primary tradeoff is cost. Magne Shade is the most expensive option on this list, representing a significant investment. However, for full-timers or anyone who values premium quality and a hassle-free user experience, the price is often justified by the superior materials, perfect fit, and sheer convenience of the magnetic system.

ShadePro Custom Shades: A Trusted RV Choice

ShadePro is a long-standing name in the RV industry, and for good reason. They produce durable, custom-fit shades that offer excellent performance at a more moderate price point than magnetic options. Their shades provide a very secure, taut fit that holds up well in windy conditions.

Their most common attachment method involves installing either twist-lock fasteners or traditional snaps directly onto the fiberglass wall of your slide-out. This does require drilling small holes, a prospect that can make some RV owners nervous. However, when done correctly with a quality marine-grade sealant, it creates a permanent and exceptionally strong mounting point.

This system is ideal for RVers who tend to stay parked for weeks or months at a time. While removing the shades is more involved than with a magnetic system, the trade-off is rock-solid reliability and a lower initial cost. It’s a proven, no-nonsense solution from a company that understands the demands of the RV lifestyle.

EZ Snap Shades: The Top DIY Installation Kit

For the RVer who is comfortable with a hands-on project and wants to save a considerable amount of money, EZ Snap is the clear winner. This isn’t a finished product, but a complete do-it-yourself kit. You receive a roll of high-quality sunscreen fabric and a set of their proprietary adhesive snap fasteners.

The process is straightforward: you measure your slide-out, cut the fabric to size with scissors or a utility knife, and then attach the snap components. The snaps use a 3M VHB adhesive, similar to Magne Shade’s magnets, eliminating the need for drilling. You control the final fit and finish yourself.

The biggest advantage here is the cost savings, which can be substantial. The downside is that the final result depends entirely on your craftsmanship. A rushed job can lead to wrinkles or an uneven fit. But if you take your time and measure carefully, you can achieve a professional-looking result for a fraction of the cost of a pre-made custom shade.

Tough Top Awnings: Durable, Long-Lasting Fabric

Tough Top Awnings is best known for making replacement fabric for slide-out topper awnings, but they are also a fantastic source for bulk sunscreen material. This isn’t a kit or a finished product, but rather an option for the ultimate DIYer or someone needing to replace the worn-out fabric on an existing shade.

They sell an extremely durable 90% block vinyl-coated polyester screen fabric by the linear foot. This is the same heavy-duty material used in high-end commercial applications, designed to withstand years of intense sun and weather without becoming brittle or faded. It’s a step up in durability from many pre-made options.

Choosing this route means you are responsible for sourcing your own attachment hardware—be it snaps, grommets, or another system—and handling all the cutting and sewing yourself. It’s the most labor-intensive choice, but it gives you total control over the project and access to some of the toughest fabric on the market.

Vista Shade: Versatile Drop-Down Sunscreens

Vista Shade offers a different approach to the problem. Instead of a form-fitting cover for the slide-out wall itself, these are drop-down screens that hang from your slide-out’s topper awning rail or your main patio awning. They function like a vertical curtain, creating a shaded "porch" area.

These shades excel at blocking low-angle sun during the early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is coming in from the side. They also add a significant amount of privacy to the area around your slide-out. Because they hang a foot or two away from the RV wall, they allow for better airflow than a direct-mount shade.

The tradeoff is that they are less effective at blocking direct, overhead sun from heating the slide-out wall and roof. They are also more susceptible to wind. A Vista Shade is an excellent complement to a direct-mount window shade, but for maximum heat reduction on the slide-out wall itself, one of the form-fitting options is a better primary solution.

How to Accurately Measure for Your New Shade

Getting the measurements right is the most critical step. Custom-ordered shades are non-refundable, so precision is key. Don’t just measure the slide-out box itself; you need to measure the outer edge of the slide-out’s flange or trim ring.

The goal is to have the shade cover the entire wall and overlap onto the main RV wall by an inch or two on all sides. This ensures complete coverage and a clean, sealed look. Use a rigid steel tape measure, not a flexible sewing tape, for accuracy. It’s always best to have a second person help hold the tape steady for large measurements.

Before you finalize your numbers, double-check for any obstructions. Look for clearance lights, compartment doors, or exhaust vents that might interfere with the shade’s placement. Most companies can accommodate cutouts for these items, but you need to provide precise measurements for their location. When in doubt, take a photo and draw the dimensions directly on it to send to the manufacturer.

Installation Tips for a Secure, Wrinkle-Free Fit

Proper installation is the difference between a sloppy, ineffective shade and a taut, professional-looking one that performs perfectly. For any system using adhesive fasteners like EZ Snap or Magne Shade, surface preparation is everything. The area must be spotlessly clean and dry. I recommend cleaning with soap and water first, then wiping the final mounting spots with isopropyl alcohol to remove any residual wax or oils.

If you’re installing a system that requires drilling, like ShadePro, water intrusion is your biggest enemy. You must apply a quality RV sealant, like ProFlex RV or a similar polyurethane caulk, to the back of the fastener and in the screw hole itself before tightening it down. This creates a waterproof gasket that prevents leaks.

To get that tight, wrinkle-free look, work methodically. Install on a warm, sunny day, as the fabric will be more pliable. Start by securing the top two corners first, pulling the fabric taut between them. Next, secure the bottom two corners, pulling down and out to stretch the material evenly. Finally, fill in the snaps or fasteners along the sides, always working from the center out to smooth any remaining slack.

Investing in a quality slide-out shade is more than just a comfort upgrade; it’s a practical step toward managing your energy consumption and protecting your RV. Whether you choose a premium magnetic system or a hands-on DIY kit, blocking the sun before it heats your walls is one of the smartest moves you can make. The right shade will pay for itself in cooling savings and make your small space feel that much more like a comfortable, well-managed home.