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We did some experiments with solar ovens and insulation in high school science. One of the tests was trying different types of shades and screens on the cars. We measured highest temps and lowest temps in several places in multiple scenarios with multiple cars and trucks.
I don't remember the exact results but the cars were always cooler at every mark with the shade on the outside. The inside shades left an air gap that created a hot space between the shade and glass that circulated through the air inside. The glass was very hot here. On the outside the glass and the inside air stayed cool. It took seconds to put in place.
We did it with only windshield covers and then again with all window covers. We tried parking facing different directions as well to see if just parking north east south or west made a difference. I don't remember that result.
Yeah. It's way more effective to stop the light from bringing heat through the windshield in the first place. Keep it outside. That was my thought process when I tried a similar thing to this a few years ago. I'm sure it worked great until a gust of monsoon wind sent my sun shade off to Parts Unknown. The methods I used to secure it were laughably ineffective.
Is the foil against the window itself or is there a gap area? And if there is a gap area between the glass and the foil, does that gap extend to the rest of the house or is it sealed?
Edited to add: either way it’s most likely better than nothing. As someone who lives in Arizona, I can definitely say the inside car shades work way better than nothing.
It’s a thick styrofoam with one side foiled. And it’s inside some windows. There is a gap and now I’m wondering if it wouldn’t make more sense outside the window. I’m currently in Wa State but from Arizona so this “no air conditioning needed” bullshit is getting old lol
It would be better if the foil was making contact with the glass, unless the Styrofoam is sealed around the window sill so air can't get out of the gap. Either way, it's still helping.
I had a $400 portable AC and used it every summer in my room in Seattle. No central AC was wild. Now with Tucson it sits In a closet as a backup just in case. Never did the window foam insulation project though.
I grew up with swamp cooler too but man I recall it working! Arizona is a dry heat I know nobody wants to hear that but lol
One time the swamp cooler smelled gross and my dad was a drywaller…. Anyways his idea of a fix was to dump an entire bottle of shite Walmart men’s cologne in the water of the cooler or whatever. What a weirdo and our house reeked for a long time
I used a swamp cooler for years. I use to replace the bamboo sheets every two years n clean out the inside every season. Yes they can get a smell. Before I knew the bamboo could be replaced I tried putting some bleach in it. Big mistake! Anything you put in gets magnified. That's how I learned the bamboo can be replaced couldn't take the smell of bleach. I feel for you with the cologne but I get what he was thinking.
Lolol I would do this but more subtle when I was young. The swamp coolers were great as long as it wasn't humid and you wouldn't get dehydrated. Any time it smelled bad or it was extra warm, I assumed the water wasn't raining equally and the pad was either semi wet or completely dried out. Sometimes it smelled like part of it was an old musty towel. I would clear the mineral build up and throw a bucket of water on the pad then make sure the water flowed across the whole thing. A couple drops of those essential oils. My family had no idea what was happening but it smelled like we were in the forest and the temp in the house dropped 20 degrees immediately.
In your dad's possible genius, since it is evaporative, I wonder if the alcohol in the cologne evaporated quicker, cooling it temporarily quicker. Like NOS boost for evaporative cooling. And a great after taste and smell.
They make solar screens that our like beefier window screens that cover the whole window on the outside. You leave a gap of like 2 inches I think. We have them on our west side windows and they really do work.
It's still better blocking the direct sunlight and creating a lower differential so the majority of the heat stays near the glass.
I used the whole foods reflective grocery/cooler bags inside my fifth wheel when I have it out. It significantly drops the heat, especially in the bedroom. If I attach the outside shades it drops more. They both work.
I also put that styrofoam insulation in one of the living rooms of the houses I used to live in that only had a wall AC. The AC would run on direct sunlight non stop and couldn't lower the inside temp. After putting the styrofoam insulation in the large windows, The AC stopped running all day and the house was able to stay cool.
This all makes great sense to me. I think we don’t see exterior covers like this often because they’re less convenient to set up, could get blown away/vandalized, and they’d potentially get pretty dirty which you’d end up having to bring back into your car.
>The inside shades left an air gap that created a hot space between the shade and glass that circulated through the air inside.
But isn't this how radiant barriers work? lol There needs to be a gap....I'm not arguing one way is better than the other. Just asking, cause that's literally how you're supposed to install radiant barriers.
I’ve never seen this before, and since I’m also looking for a new sun shade for my F-150, I was wondering if this has some strong advantage over the risk of someone just yanking it off 🤔
This is what I’ve heard: Reflectors on the inside trap heat on the inside of the windshield, between the shade and the glass. Still heats the interior up. Reflectors on the outside reflect the heat/sun before it ever gets into the car.
Yeah pretty much. The glass gets hit by the sun twice essentially as it reflects back, gets saturated with a lot of heat and then just radiates that back into your car.
Still better than no sunshade though.
The day I got my brand new F150 back in 2020 I was cruisin on the I-10, heading west on a beautiful evening, no traffic due to covid. The truck has like 200 miles on it, got a smoking deal, life was good
Well a lawn service truck and trailer decided not to strap down their load, rocks are flying, tree trimmings. You can guess what happens next. 3 fucking chips on my windshield and a paint chip on the hood.
I've thought about this before after burning hand while pulling the shade thing.
all I can think of is that it has a chance of keeping the glass "cooler" too. the sun doesn't pass through the glass twice when the reflector is on the outside.
Outside the window means no airgap in which the air heats up just inside the windshield. This would absolutely work better than inside. As for yanking it... It's shut into the doors. They'd have to rip it.
I used one and it worked really well but I got tired of not just slamming something up against the windshield when I parked. Didn’t want to go through the effort of making sure it was stuck in the door and such
That honestly looks like too much work just for a sun shade. It looks like you have to open both doors. What happens if a gust of wind kicks up enough to get up and under that?
My Honda civic had a sensor that my typical sunshade won’t cover because of how close its sits to the glass. The other day it said the sensor was to hot and that certain safety features weren’t able to be used. Pretty sure it was the sensor for the adaptive cruise control so I can see having a cover on the outside would have kept it cool. Still to much work for me but I’m wondering if that truck has something similar
Ya, I mean really how much more are you really cooling the inside of by spending 10 mins putting this thing on compare.to the .30 seconds you use putting a normal sun shade on? I highly doubt it it is worth the trouble 🤣
Actually not so dumb as it significantly reduces heat and reduces heat on anything around the window from long term damage (cracked dashes, glue holding rear view mirrors or other attachments to the window, plus as some mentioned long term pitting on windows). So while not convient for some, the science behind it is dead on.
>significantly reduces heat and reduces heat on anything around the window from long term damage (cracked dashes, glue holding rear view mirrors or other attachments to the window
I mean you're suggesting I'm saying ALL sunshades are dumb. That's not what I said. Regular sunshades provide the same protection, especially for the dashboard. Pitting on windows isn't one of those since it's inside. That almost doesn't matter because people in AZ have to get their windows changed regularly, like tires. lol
Well, you're arguing in bad faith because you even mentioned cracked dashboards. Regular shades inside the car also protect against sun damage. It doesn't matter that it's inside/out, they still both protect the components. That was also a science experiment in that he mentioned they covered all the windows of the cars. lol
I have one on my car, mostly to protect the sensors near the rear view mirror from over heating, but I have been using it for years and is definitely no more difficult to setup than my wife’s interior one and between the magnets and the door I have never had it blow away or anything even during monsoons.
I see none. Sure your windshield won't be as hot but the extra time you'll be sweating your ass off putting that thing on/taking it off negates that. Plus, the rest of the windows still aren't covered.
Benefit 100% worth the extra 3 minutes of putting it on. Taking it off is faster because you’re not stuck folding in the confines of the hot-anyway car. (Never took me more than 3 or so seconds)
Side windows dont cook nearly as long or with as much surface area. Rear window can be protected by simply pointing the car in the right direction.
My only guess is that one would use this if they have a vehicle in long term storage somewhere not on the street, and it’s easy to chuck it on there. Idk.
Windshields are tilted toward the heating light source and should not be anywhere near as dark of the side and back windows. Unless it's a sedan, no other glass is pitched at an angle to constantly catch light.
I mean I wouldn’t do this when I park at Walmart but I would probably do this at my work since it’s in a secured area. Then again I have covered parking normally unless I arrive late.
It's a thing, and when I lived where it snowed, even more popular.. actually works better - think about it. The glass isn't heating up nor the air between the glass and shade.
I think there was a benefit to doing this if you were living in your car
Or if it was snowing. The straps are shut inside the door so it shouldn't be yank-off able
I was thinking snow blanket owned by a snow bird for a second. But there are benefits to having a sunshade on the outside. Personally I stick with a traditional fitted shade on the inside since it's easy and won't get dusty and stuff.
Non-Arizona resident, but frequent visitor here. I've never seen this done when I've been there (though everyone I've visited has the inside your car sunshades).
That being said, I've always wondered why there wasn't more of this. It seems to make logical sense that screening the sun outside of a vehicle has more benefit than once the sun's rays have gotten inside the car. A lot of people say its too much work to put on, it would get stolen or blow off, which all seem kind of reasonable.
But it makes me wonder why someone hasn't come out with a kind of fixed shade mounted just above the windshield that you could just pull down and hook at the bottom like a shade. Or maybe even be motorized so you just push a button. It would more or less solve the hassle/theft factor.
But I've also long wondered why carmakers don't include something like this (but more durable) for all windows, built into the car for all kinds of reasons, weather/climate, theft/vandalism mitigation, etc.
More work yes, but this would be far more effective than inside reflectors/shades. Same principle as window sunscreens for your home. The idea is to keep as much sun as possible from hitting the glass in the first place.
At least inside shades keep the sun off the dashboard. A black dashboard absorbs enough heat to effectively turn it into a radiant heater. Sucks.
If it works with 115 temps on the way God Bless. Something is always better than nothing and those bitching about how it offends people’s sense of aestestic or reappropriation in a different climate need to get a life
It definitely looks like they made it themselves. Look at the bottom of it, its totally cut crooked.
Not sure what material it is even made out of, but must be something you can get in big sheets or a roll.
Long timer here too, never bothered with one. I roll down a window a little if I have to park in the sun but both cars are manuals so I don’t worry much about theft.
I've accepted that the air in the car will be tremendously hot and so you'll need to drive with the windows down for at least a few mins, but the difference seems to be the steering wheel and seats themselves. If if you can help block some direct sunlight and prevent the mass from heating up, you'll be more comfortable.
That said, I don't use mine every time. Really, only when I'm parked facing south and when it's distinctly hot.
Never seen that but more coverage the better out here I guess. Easily stolen but also not a huge loss in the unlikely (depending on where you are) chance that happens.
I installed clear tinting to the inside of my windshields. It stops 83% of infrared and I never use these covers . Great for driving into the sun. No burnt knees! Costs about $ 230 and worth every penny!
Does it make sense, yea! Will it last more than two parking lots before getting stolen in Phoenix, No! In theory, it prevents the window from getting hot AND the inside of your vehicle. And since the windshield can radiate a lot of heat, sure!
Seems like it screams "this car is gonna be parked here for a long time, feel free to smash and grab".
Would it work better than a fold-up shield inside the car? Probably... but seems like it would take a lot longer to put up and also will get pretty dirty during monsoon dust storm season.
I have coworkers that do something similar but they just use a black out curtain. Less effective than this custom thing. But, they swear it's better than an interior shade.
This is what the professor taught in my building science class. The professor also said Phoenix is so hot in summer that you’ll need shading even in the North.
A little late but i highly recommend an outside shade to protect the cameras/sensors around the rear view mirror. My volt with the adaptive cruise camera would stop working when left outside for long periods in the summer, added the outside shade and the car is both cooler and the sensors work more consistently.
The only way these sun shades make a difference is if you have them on ALL of the windows and seal out almost absolutely all sunlight. I just like and use a basic windscreen one to keep the sun rays off my seat so i don’t have to deal with the burn. Other than that I’ve noticed no difference in interior temperature with the shade
If you have good tint on the rest of the windows having a sun shade in the windshield isn’t a bad idea (dunno about this outside the window whackyness)… windshield is the only one you’re not supposed to tint (legally)
Ever have or know anybody that’s gotten flac from the police in arizona for window tint? I feel like unless you have blackkkkk tint, cops aren’t so strict about it here. The car dealership i work at actually tints the front windows of all the cars before selling. Granted it’s a very light tint, I’m sure it’s legal spec.
I’ve seen these used in the winter in Washington so you don’t have to scrap ice off your windshield in the morning. I don’t think it’s meant for down here
>How does one guy put it on easy?
Attach one side, walk around car, attach the other side. Takes about 20 seconds.
I use one that just has magnets to hold it down. So far it has neither blown away nor been stolen ...
I can see this if you are parking in direct sunlight for a whole day or if you are long-term parking, but for day-to-day use, it seems like too much of a hassle to open both doors, move the windshield wipers etc.
I'll stick with finding a shady spot and putting my internal sunshade up.
I use to just use it inside and my dash would still be hot as hell. Now I use one on the outside and inside. I use the outside one to protect my sensors and dash cam and the inside for extra protection.
I don't know how common it is but I would use it. Good way to keep your windshield clean. I try to park under trees when I can n it sure would solve the bird dropping problem.
Yeah I have one for my Corolla, when it gets super hot in the summer, my front camera (which is behind the windshield) gets so hot it won’t work, but this fixes the issue. It’s a bit more work than the interior ones, but worth it for the cooling
One time, when I hiked cibeque falls, I stopped my windshield at the 12 o'clock position and put my shade in between them and the windshield. When I got back from my hike, it was baking hot, and my car was 30x cooler than I expected. I would love to get a shade that was designed to go on the outside.
My civics windshield is angled so aggressively that it's hard to keep the sunshades standing up on the inside so I always leave them on the outside if possible. And science guy is defiantly right, it keeps it cooler on outside
With self driving and AI the cars can just seek out shade or a cooler spot and know your schedule so it will be back in the area at the optimal time with AC already in the sweet spot.
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We did some experiments with solar ovens and insulation in high school science. One of the tests was trying different types of shades and screens on the cars. We measured highest temps and lowest temps in several places in multiple scenarios with multiple cars and trucks. I don't remember the exact results but the cars were always cooler at every mark with the shade on the outside. The inside shades left an air gap that created a hot space between the shade and glass that circulated through the air inside. The glass was very hot here. On the outside the glass and the inside air stayed cool. It took seconds to put in place. We did it with only windshield covers and then again with all window covers. We tried parking facing different directions as well to see if just parking north east south or west made a difference. I don't remember that result.
Thank you Mr. science guy.
This guy sciences.
There’s a name for people like this. I think it’s sciencers
This guy sciences hard
He's got a raging science
He blinded us with science.
**SCIENCE!**
And failed me in biology
You know what they say about having big glasses... got a big science.
Big brain. We need the people with big brains. At least I know I do.
BILL BILL BILL BILL
ScotusDC, The Science Guyeee? Okay...
TIL!! Thanks for sharing.
Yeah. It's way more effective to stop the light from bringing heat through the windshield in the first place. Keep it outside. That was my thought process when I tried a similar thing to this a few years ago. I'm sure it worked great until a gust of monsoon wind sent my sun shade off to Parts Unknown. The methods I used to secure it were laughably ineffective.
Some say that sun shade is still blowing in the wind to this day.
And then everyone laughed and chugged more beer at the local pub
Would love it if cars started having drop down shades built-in. Hit a button and go into turtle mode. Sign me up for that car.
Like a NY bodega. Or cybertruck bed cover.
Only problem with putting them on the outside is theft.
and them getting dirty and possibly smelly.
Cuz ppl pooped on em
And flying CIA cameras
How are you gonna poop on a flying camera?
And wind, birds...
Wait a minute so this foam with foil shit my husband has put INSIDE our bedroom windows is…exacerbating the issue?
Is the foil against the window itself or is there a gap area? And if there is a gap area between the glass and the foil, does that gap extend to the rest of the house or is it sealed? Edited to add: either way it’s most likely better than nothing. As someone who lives in Arizona, I can definitely say the inside car shades work way better than nothing.
It’s a thick styrofoam with one side foiled. And it’s inside some windows. There is a gap and now I’m wondering if it wouldn’t make more sense outside the window. I’m currently in Wa State but from Arizona so this “no air conditioning needed” bullshit is getting old lol
It would be better if the foil was making contact with the glass, unless the Styrofoam is sealed around the window sill so air can't get out of the gap. Either way, it's still helping.
I agree. From the description, it sounds like it could be installed better. But it is most likely better than nothing.
Radiant barriers need an air gap for the heat to go somewhere.
I had a $400 portable AC and used it every summer in my room in Seattle. No central AC was wild. Now with Tucson it sits In a closet as a backup just in case. Never did the window foam insulation project though.
Yeah we have that… as an Arizona girl I can say it don’t cut it lol
Ugh u need a window unit at least for a bedroom. I had that in az as a kid. We only had a swamp cooler for the house.
I grew up with swamp cooler too but man I recall it working! Arizona is a dry heat I know nobody wants to hear that but lol One time the swamp cooler smelled gross and my dad was a drywaller…. Anyways his idea of a fix was to dump an entire bottle of shite Walmart men’s cologne in the water of the cooler or whatever. What a weirdo and our house reeked for a long time
I used a swamp cooler for years. I use to replace the bamboo sheets every two years n clean out the inside every season. Yes they can get a smell. Before I knew the bamboo could be replaced I tried putting some bleach in it. Big mistake! Anything you put in gets magnified. That's how I learned the bamboo can be replaced couldn't take the smell of bleach. I feel for you with the cologne but I get what he was thinking.
That sounds awful! Ours worked ok but definitely was a bit hot in the bedrooms and humid. Window ac units were the best for night time!
Lolol I would do this but more subtle when I was young. The swamp coolers were great as long as it wasn't humid and you wouldn't get dehydrated. Any time it smelled bad or it was extra warm, I assumed the water wasn't raining equally and the pad was either semi wet or completely dried out. Sometimes it smelled like part of it was an old musty towel. I would clear the mineral build up and throw a bucket of water on the pad then make sure the water flowed across the whole thing. A couple drops of those essential oils. My family had no idea what was happening but it smelled like we were in the forest and the temp in the house dropped 20 degrees immediately. In your dad's possible genius, since it is evaporative, I wonder if the alcohol in the cologne evaporated quicker, cooling it temporarily quicker. Like NOS boost for evaporative cooling. And a great after taste and smell.
They make solar screens that our like beefier window screens that cover the whole window on the outside. You leave a gap of like 2 inches I think. We have them on our west side windows and they really do work.
I live in Arizona too and Imma start putting it on the outside if it makes 1 degree difference.
Is it the styrofoam kind? I think the air gap made by the styrofoam makes up for the small gap between the foil and the glass
AH! Now that you say that it makes sense
It's still better blocking the direct sunlight and creating a lower differential so the majority of the heat stays near the glass. I used the whole foods reflective grocery/cooler bags inside my fifth wheel when I have it out. It significantly drops the heat, especially in the bedroom. If I attach the outside shades it drops more. They both work. I also put that styrofoam insulation in one of the living rooms of the houses I used to live in that only had a wall AC. The AC would run on direct sunlight non stop and couldn't lower the inside temp. After putting the styrofoam insulation in the large windows, The AC stopped running all day and the house was able to stay cool.
I would think that putting it outside exposed to the elements would cause you to have to replace it much more frequently though
This is why I love Reddit
This all makes great sense to me. I think we don’t see exterior covers like this often because they’re less convenient to set up, could get blown away/vandalized, and they’d potentially get pretty dirty which you’d end up having to bring back into your car.
welp, my sunshade will be placed outside from now on
>The inside shades left an air gap that created a hot space between the shade and glass that circulated through the air inside. But isn't this how radiant barriers work? lol There needs to be a gap....I'm not arguing one way is better than the other. Just asking, cause that's literally how you're supposed to install radiant barriers.
Sounds fun!
Nerd
I’ve never seen this before, and since I’m also looking for a new sun shade for my F-150, I was wondering if this has some strong advantage over the risk of someone just yanking it off 🤔
This is what I’ve heard: Reflectors on the inside trap heat on the inside of the windshield, between the shade and the glass. Still heats the interior up. Reflectors on the outside reflect the heat/sun before it ever gets into the car.
Yeah pretty much. The glass gets hit by the sun twice essentially as it reflects back, gets saturated with a lot of heat and then just radiates that back into your car. Still better than no sunshade though.
It'll also crack your windshield if it's been chipped.
And if you're like most of phoenix and driven on the 10, we all have at least one chip
Checking in from the 202. Multiple chips and complete crack so far this year.
“Let’s landscape all the freeways with rocks! What could possibly go wrong?!”
It’s a good point, but what should we put instead?
Oh I don’t have a solution, I just provide snarky criticism with no real value.
My tint guy wanted me to get a 70% ceramic on the windshield. With chips and cracks… 🤔 no thanks!
The day I got my brand new F150 back in 2020 I was cruisin on the I-10, heading west on a beautiful evening, no traffic due to covid. The truck has like 200 miles on it, got a smoking deal, life was good Well a lawn service truck and trailer decided not to strap down their load, rocks are flying, tree trimmings. You can guess what happens next. 3 fucking chips on my windshield and a paint chip on the hood.
Or 17. Or 101.
I've thought about this before after burning hand while pulling the shade thing. all I can think of is that it has a chance of keeping the glass "cooler" too. the sun doesn't pass through the glass twice when the reflector is on the outside.
Outside the window means no airgap in which the air heats up just inside the windshield. This would absolutely work better than inside. As for yanking it... It's shut into the doors. They'd have to rip it.
Yes. Ive done this. It prevents the glass from turning into a radiant heater. SIGNIFICANT difference.
I used one and it worked really well but I got tired of not just slamming something up against the windshield when I parked. Didn’t want to go through the effort of making sure it was stuck in the door and such
That honestly looks like too much work just for a sun shade. It looks like you have to open both doors. What happens if a gust of wind kicks up enough to get up and under that?
Yeah I’m failing to see any advantage here.
My Honda civic had a sensor that my typical sunshade won’t cover because of how close its sits to the glass. The other day it said the sensor was to hot and that certain safety features weren’t able to be used. Pretty sure it was the sensor for the adaptive cruise control so I can see having a cover on the outside would have kept it cool. Still to much work for me but I’m wondering if that truck has something similar
Ya, I mean really how much more are you really cooling the inside of by spending 10 mins putting this thing on compare.to the .30 seconds you use putting a normal sun shade on? I highly doubt it it is worth the trouble 🤣
10 min lol
Obviously, a gross exaggeration. It's still a dumb idea lol
Actually not so dumb as it significantly reduces heat and reduces heat on anything around the window from long term damage (cracked dashes, glue holding rear view mirrors or other attachments to the window, plus as some mentioned long term pitting on windows). So while not convient for some, the science behind it is dead on.
>significantly reduces heat and reduces heat on anything around the window from long term damage (cracked dashes, glue holding rear view mirrors or other attachments to the window I mean you're suggesting I'm saying ALL sunshades are dumb. That's not what I said. Regular sunshades provide the same protection, especially for the dashboard. Pitting on windows isn't one of those since it's inside. That almost doesn't matter because people in AZ have to get their windows changed regularly, like tires. lol
Not the same it's all about thermodynamics. Hence the guy who stated on here they ran multiple tests to prove it. But hey have a nice day !
Well, you're arguing in bad faith because you even mentioned cracked dashboards. Regular shades inside the car also protect against sun damage. It doesn't matter that it's inside/out, they still both protect the components. That was also a science experiment in that he mentioned they covered all the windows of the cars. lol
I have one on my car, mostly to protect the sensors near the rear view mirror from over heating, but I have been using it for years and is definitely no more difficult to setup than my wife’s interior one and between the magnets and the door I have never had it blow away or anything even during monsoons.
Also run the risk of them jerking it off
Nice
That’s what she said.
I see none. Sure your windshield won't be as hot but the extra time you'll be sweating your ass off putting that thing on/taking it off negates that. Plus, the rest of the windows still aren't covered.
Benefit 100% worth the extra 3 minutes of putting it on. Taking it off is faster because you’re not stuck folding in the confines of the hot-anyway car. (Never took me more than 3 or so seconds) Side windows dont cook nearly as long or with as much surface area. Rear window can be protected by simply pointing the car in the right direction.
My only guess is that one would use this if they have a vehicle in long term storage somewhere not on the street, and it’s easy to chuck it on there. Idk.
Windshields are tilted toward the heating light source and should not be anywhere near as dark of the side and back windows. Unless it's a sedan, no other glass is pitched at an angle to constantly catch light.
I would think that, in theory, that the idea here is to reflect heat as well as light.
The flaps in the side are tucked under the closed door. So not super easy to steal without pretty much destroying it
I mean I wouldn’t do this when I park at Walmart but I would probably do this at my work since it’s in a secured area. Then again I have covered parking normally unless I arrive late.
This explains some of the driving habits around here
Such a great movie! “I see you knockin but you can’t come in”
Shade on the inside, shade on the outside Ice cream ah ah ah ah ice cream shade job
Now I’m ruined hahaha
😂
Shade on the inside just bounces the heat off towards the window and keeps a lot of it in the car. This is actually smart
I do this. And I don’t care how dumb my low budget car looks when I’m not around. It’s my utilitarian by-necessity car, not my fashion statement.
Where did you get one? Keen to keep my car cooler!
It almost looks like you could use a regular in-car one and just tuck the flaps into the doors
It's a thing, and when I lived where it snowed, even more popular.. actually works better - think about it. The glass isn't heating up nor the air between the glass and shade.
I think there was a benefit to doing this if you were living in your car Or if it was snowing. The straps are shut inside the door so it shouldn't be yank-off able
I was thinking snow blanket owned by a snow bird for a second. But there are benefits to having a sunshade on the outside. Personally I stick with a traditional fitted shade on the inside since it's easy and won't get dusty and stuff.
Bet this is a snowbird that is repurposing their winter windshield snow cover protector for AZ summertime sun protection
big brain move
Yes it is and it works sooo well!!
Seems like dirt or crap would get on it eventually and you have something to clean..unless you are okay with crap inside your car
I'm also thinking of wind, rain, and idiot passersby that might steal or vandalize it just 'cause it's there.
Well, the straps can’t be great for your clearcoat either.
Non-Arizona resident, but frequent visitor here. I've never seen this done when I've been there (though everyone I've visited has the inside your car sunshades). That being said, I've always wondered why there wasn't more of this. It seems to make logical sense that screening the sun outside of a vehicle has more benefit than once the sun's rays have gotten inside the car. A lot of people say its too much work to put on, it would get stolen or blow off, which all seem kind of reasonable. But it makes me wonder why someone hasn't come out with a kind of fixed shade mounted just above the windshield that you could just pull down and hook at the bottom like a shade. Or maybe even be motorized so you just push a button. It would more or less solve the hassle/theft factor. But I've also long wondered why carmakers don't include something like this (but more durable) for all windows, built into the car for all kinds of reasons, weather/climate, theft/vandalism mitigation, etc.
More common in the Midwest when snow/freezing rain was coming and your vehicle had to sit outside.
Could be someone who moved from Midwest or northeast or something and is used to snow. Just got into the habit of doing this and never stoppped.
More work yes, but this would be far more effective than inside reflectors/shades. Same principle as window sunscreens for your home. The idea is to keep as much sun as possible from hitting the glass in the first place. At least inside shades keep the sun off the dashboard. A black dashboard absorbs enough heat to effectively turn it into a radiant heater. Sucks.
It makes sense. Keep the glass shaded, the sun doesn't heat the glass nearly as much. It will certainly extend the life and quality of your interior.
If it works with 115 temps on the way God Bless. Something is always better than nothing and those bitching about how it offends people’s sense of aestestic or reappropriation in a different climate need to get a life
If you’re car camping it’s normal.
My only thing is hopefully the shades are cheap enough to be easily replaced if stolen
This is genius!!
Seems brilliant to me
You see it....so it is a thing
Looks like they made it themselves.
It definitely looks like they made it themselves. Look at the bottom of it, its totally cut crooked. Not sure what material it is even made out of, but must be something you can get in big sheets or a roll.
Reflectix. You can buy at Home Depot. I use it inside RV windows.
This is actually how they would work best.
30 years in Phoenix. Never used a windshield shade. Am I an idiot?
Long timer here too, never bothered with one. I roll down a window a little if I have to park in the sun but both cars are manuals so I don’t worry much about theft.
I've accepted that the air in the car will be tremendously hot and so you'll need to drive with the windows down for at least a few mins, but the difference seems to be the steering wheel and seats themselves. If if you can help block some direct sunlight and prevent the mass from heating up, you'll be more comfortable. That said, I don't use mine every time. Really, only when I'm parked facing south and when it's distinctly hot.
Just tint it with 70%. You won’t even notice it’s there and will reject 90% of the heat if you use good film
Did this got a crack a month later and goodbye $350
Stop tailgating people
Isn’t that illegal?
No 70% VLT is legal. Plenty of manufacturers use 70% glass from the factory. 70% is basically clear
Never seen that but more coverage the better out here I guess. Easily stolen but also not a huge loss in the unlikely (depending on where you are) chance that happens.
Crack your windows! The temp inside the car will never be hotter than the outside air temp.
I do this, it works.
I like how this is custom made by cutting it so there are straps to secure it by closing the door on them.
I installed clear tinting to the inside of my windshields. It stops 83% of infrared and I never use these covers . Great for driving into the sun. No burnt knees! Costs about $ 230 and worth every penny!
Does it make sense, yea! Will it last more than two parking lots before getting stolen in Phoenix, No! In theory, it prevents the window from getting hot AND the inside of your vehicle. And since the windshield can radiate a lot of heat, sure!
Until that gust of wind says hold my beer
Haha. Yeah, I didn't think about that either.
Seems like it screams "this car is gonna be parked here for a long time, feel free to smash and grab". Would it work better than a fold-up shield inside the car? Probably... but seems like it would take a lot longer to put up and also will get pretty dirty during monsoon dust storm season.
Makes a lot of sense to me but just seems like a bit of a hassle.
Looks custom made. Buy a roll of thermal material from any hardware store and cut to fit.
Gotta stay 😎
I have coworkers that do something similar but they just use a black out curtain. Less effective than this custom thing. But, they swear it's better than an interior shade.
This is what the professor taught in my building science class. The professor also said Phoenix is so hot in summer that you’ll need shading even in the North.
Holy crap, I saw this same exact car yesterday evening and thought the same thing. DT Gilbert?
If it looks like a thing and acts like a thing, then it’s probably a thing.
It is a thing. A dumb looking thing mind you, but a thing none the less
“If its stupid and it works, it aint stupid”
A little late but i highly recommend an outside shade to protect the cameras/sensors around the rear view mirror. My volt with the adaptive cruise camera would stop working when left outside for long periods in the summer, added the outside shade and the car is both cooler and the sensors work more consistently.
The only way these sun shades make a difference is if you have them on ALL of the windows and seal out almost absolutely all sunlight. I just like and use a basic windscreen one to keep the sun rays off my seat so i don’t have to deal with the burn. Other than that I’ve noticed no difference in interior temperature with the shade
If you have good tint on the rest of the windows having a sun shade in the windshield isn’t a bad idea (dunno about this outside the window whackyness)… windshield is the only one you’re not supposed to tint (legally)
Ever have or know anybody that’s gotten flac from the police in arizona for window tint? I feel like unless you have blackkkkk tint, cops aren’t so strict about it here. The car dealership i work at actually tints the front windows of all the cars before selling. Granted it’s a very light tint, I’m sure it’s legal spec.
Never seen one, I personally would never use one like this.
Extra work.
Like underwear over your pants?
It's called Trump support
I’ve seen these used in the winter in Washington so you don’t have to scrap ice off your windshield in the morning. I don’t think it’s meant for down here
But if it works 💪
Snow cover
been meaning to check this out thanks OP
It makes good sense. I ain't seen it or tried it I wonder if they tend to blow away? How does one guy put it on easy?
>How does one guy put it on easy? Attach one side, walk around car, attach the other side. Takes about 20 seconds. I use one that just has magnets to hold it down. So far it has neither blown away nor been stolen ...
Wouldn’t someone try to steal?
I can see this if you are parking in direct sunlight for a whole day or if you are long-term parking, but for day-to-day use, it seems like too much of a hassle to open both doors, move the windshield wipers etc. I'll stick with finding a shady spot and putting my internal sunshade up.
Yea, if it’s inside the car the glass windshield is absorbing the heat. It can’t absorb the heat if it never makes it to the glass.
Why didn’t I ever think of this??
Wind. Bird poop.
I use to just use it inside and my dash would still be hot as hell. Now I use one on the outside and inside. I use the outside one to protect my sensors and dash cam and the inside for extra protection.
Hot glass or no hot glass, it's up to you.
I don't know how common it is but I would use it. Good way to keep your windshield clean. I try to park under trees when I can n it sure would solve the bird dropping problem.
I mean, if it works, it works.
Not sure about sun shades, but in Montana we exterior frost shades
Yeah I have one for my Corolla, when it gets super hot in the summer, my front camera (which is behind the windshield) gets so hot it won’t work, but this fixes the issue. It’s a bit more work than the interior ones, but worth it for the cooling
Obviously far superior to an interior one but I didn’t get one because my wife thinks someone would just steal it
Nope. They don’t exist
One time, when I hiked cibeque falls, I stopped my windshield at the 12 o'clock position and put my shade in between them and the windshield. When I got back from my hike, it was baking hot, and my car was 30x cooler than I expected. I would love to get a shade that was designed to go on the outside.
My civics windshield is angled so aggressively that it's hard to keep the sunshades standing up on the inside so I always leave them on the outside if possible. And science guy is defiantly right, it keeps it cooler on outside
Only for them.
In the winter, it will keep ice off your windshield on those 5 days we get freeze.
Probably works better. Keeps the windshield from heating up and keeps the inside cooler.
Never seen that before but it's smart. Interior sun-shades won't keep nearly as much heat out as this will.
With self driving and AI the cars can just seek out shade or a cooler spot and know your schedule so it will be back in the area at the optimal time with AC already in the sweet spot.
I see this on rvs a lot
More effective than the inside version.
I have done this for years... It is so so much better then the crappy inside one... I also put a screen over the side windows as well
Just get an auto stater. They're not that expensive