Blacking Out Windows

[davin]

Hi everyone.

 

New here and my first post.

 

 

Got my new 1.9 diesel arctict steel berlingo today ! First impressions are thats it's a bit slow - but I can live with that - it's perfect for what my family requires.

one thing we noticed straight-away was the sun streaming in through the large windows - hitting junior straight in her little baby eyes.

Has anyone blacked out the side and rear windows?

I did it once on a van and it looked like I had stuck black cling film to the windows.

Is it expensive to get it done professionally (ie not by me).

 

look forward to hearing from you

[Terry1100]

The easiest, cheapest way do do this (and you don't end up killing motorcyclists) is the stick on (suction cup) blinds that you see so many of in France.

 

We replace ours annually as they can get a bit tatty - literally only a few Euros in Super U, Leclerc etc

 

They have the added advantage of keeping the interior cool when parked. Those big windows really turn a parked Blingo into an oven. It means the aircon dosn't have to work so hard when you first get back into the car.

 

I would have thought you could get them in Halfords.

 

(mind you, it pains me to admit it but professionally applied tints can look very cool on Blingos).

 

P.S. - Saw a Hurricane Grey Blingo with tints thsi morning - looked nice.

[davin]

Hi Terry.

 

Thanks for your response and apologies for my delay in replying.

 

I found a company online who tint Berlingo windows - but it costs £250, (all the windows taken out and done properly). Theres no way I can justify paying this so it looks like its either a trip to Halfords or use the screens you reccomend.

 

Still getting used to my new Berlingo - is it normal for a 1,9 diesel to have a top "cruising" speed of 70mph ? (75 at a push) Also the steering is very "soft". Im sure the car is fine as it's a main dealer with 20,000 miles - must just be berlingo personality traits.

Got a long drive across europe later in the summer - looking forward to it - anyone else got any Berlingo travels planned?

 

Davin

[Terry1100]

Davin,

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "soft" on the steering. It's certainly not a sportscar but I think to call it vague would be going too far. To me, it steers how I would expect a van based vehicle to drive. Having said that, one of my few real dislikes of the Blingo is its turning circle. To be fair, we get an extra "shock" when moving from car to car as the C2 is particularly "roller skate" in its demeanour.

 

I can't speak for the Blingo in 1.9D guise but I have driven many miles in a Peugeot 309 with the same engine (they were AA Inspectors cars in the early '90s - that or a 1.3 Maestro !). Although acceleration wasn't dramatic, it bowled along at motorway speeds quite tidily. I would have thought it could cruise at 80 - 85. One of the tractor owners here will be able to comment :)

 

We'll be going furhter than usual this Summer in ours. We've been going to Southern Brittany for 10 years now and we need a change so we're returning to the Carmargue - an area we used to go to before we had kids. We're going to take two days each way to stop the kids killing each other - in the olden days we'd drive down in one go throught the night.

 

I've posted a picture previously of how much you can get into a Blingo - and still have room for the luggage and four bicycles.

[DickieG]

Has anyone blacked out the side and rear windows?

I considered getting the rear windows done for the benefit of my daughter until I enquired with my insurance company who would have loaded the premium by quite some amount (I can't off-hand recall by how much).

[DesdinovaUK2]

We did Frejus on the Cote D'Azur 2 summers ago in the now defunct 53 reg 1.6 petrol. Nice drive down. Like Terry we did 2 stops Eastern Paris with friends on first and last nights, with Avignon on the way down and Lyons on the way back. Drove the Monaco GP circuit in the B'lingo too, with camera in one hand.

 

Doing the Italian lakes this summer - planning only 1 stop this time.

[hertsnminds]

I've done Modena to Dorking, passing through 7 countries, in about 15 hours. That was with 2 drivers, only stopping for fuel and the chunnel.

 

Have to say driving through the Alps in an open top 2 seater is a glorious experience.

 

Ian

Black 55 VTR+

[davin]

Hello all.

 

Forgot to mention our summer travels.

 

Driving to Poland, then getting the ferry from Gdansk to Sweden, then another ferry from north of Stockholm (place called Kappelskar - very reasonable ferry price) to Finland, visit the relatives then head back again.

 

Last year I used a ferry company called transeuropa ferries, sail from Ramsgate to Oostende.

It was 60 pounds each way in the van that I then had - but only 30 each way for a car.

It's a cargo ferry really so it's pretty basic, but for 30 pounds who cares.

 

The ferries between Sweden and Finland are incredible - and very reasonable when compared to the ripoff fares between UK and France.

Just hope the berlingo behaves herself on such a long journey

 

http://www.transeuropaferries.co.uk/

 

oops, just checked the website and the prices have gone up. still pretty cheap though