MCD Windshield Shade

[Dick Simonis]

I'm having my windshield awnings replaced with a MCD shade as part of the TV upgrade but have a few questions on how MCD functions.  My understanding is that there are two sources of power to the shade, one switched will not allow the shade to drop past a predetermined point and one not switched which will allow full operation.

My question is if the shade is wired with two sets of switches or just one pair with a (sense) wire that tells the unit if the ign. switch is on or off.

Right now, we have the original two sets of wires from the motorized shades (driver and passenger) and they are both switched.  Premier Coach will be doing the shade install since they have the exclusive in Tucson but I'm trying to understand what power they need in the new box where the shade will go.  Much easier to do this now while all the front cabinets are out than after they new ones are installed.

[Roy C Tyler]

Dick
Mine is wired so that both switches will only allow it down so far if the ignition switch is on.  If the ignition switch is off, both switches will allow it to come all the way down to the dash.  One of my switches is in the driver's console next to the driver's seat and the other is next to the passenger seat.

[Edward Buker]

Dick,

I installed a single MCD shade in my 2002 Marquis. It was the back mesh version as a sun shade and not the block out version. As I remember it for that arrangement you needed a ground, a positive, and a positive with the ignition switch activated, so three wires. There was also a momentary switch involved that was used to program the stop point with the ignition on but that is local wiring at the shade if I remember right. I was able to make it all work with the dash switches for the old shade. If you are using a single shade arrangement and the existing drape as I did you should not need extra wiring but you may end up repurposing the old shade wires and switches. The manual is attached that shows the wiring.

http://www.mcdinnovations.com/downloads/MCD-AmDuo-OM-r6-1-4-website.pdf

I think it would be difficult to get a two shade version in the windshield arrangement in a 2002 Beaver but the single is possible. I am happy but wish the mesh was a little more dense as a filter but all in all a good compromise. At times when we are parked, to keep out the heat, we lower it just enough to have a folding foil shade be supported at the top by the MCD shade and that is more effective at reflecting the heat back out while parked. This is a link to our install with photos.

 http://beaveramb.org/forum/index.php/topic,650.msg4767.html#msg4767

Later Ed

[Dick Simonis]

I having the duo shades installed and the existing visor boxes are being rebuilt to accommodate the new single shade.  The plan is to use the two existing buttons for the driver and passenger visors and re-purpose them for the day and night shades respectively.  So, in theory I have all the switches and most wires I need already in place they just need to be connected differently.  Of course both existing switches are on the ign side so I don't have one that is always on.  I also don't know if the switches are on the ign switch proper or if they are on the switched bus in the electrical panel.

Ed, If I understand you correctly I will need two hot wires and one common ground to run the two shades. So the switched hot is actually a sense wire??? that, when hot, tells the shade the ign in on and limits the drop.

Sooo, worst case we need to move the existing hot wires to "always hot" and add one hot that comes off the ign "on" bus.  Sound about right.

I like your glide channel for the shade and we'll do something similar.

When this is all done I'll make sure to document what was done....unlikely to be as good as Ed's commentaries but at least something.

[Edward Buker]

Dick,

Because you will have two shades you will need to have two wires to feed the motor for each shade plus the ignition wire that can be shared by the two shades. So 4 wires total to power the two shades and 1 sense wire from the ignition. So 5 wires total need to feed up from the dash. The ground that I mentioned is not a shared ground because the dash switch will be reversing polarity to run the shade motor up or down. There may be enough wiring to run the shades from the existing old shade wiring but you will probably have to run a sense wire up. The existing switches will work to operate the shades, you may have to modify the connections a bit. I modified my pillar covers with wood inserts under the vinyl to create a flat surface and added a cherry molding I made to create a wider flat area. I found that I had to use some Johnson paste wax on it to get the shade to glide down properly. The difficulty of this install is that we do not have a vertical pillar post and windshield so you are trying to get this all to fit in a tight space and ride the sloped pillar post which has more friction then just having the shade drop straight down. The newer Beavers with a vertical drop pillar post would be an easier install. I hope the dual shade install will work out well, it will be a trick to fit in the space you have.

There may be other ways of doing the wood work but this is what I did. Pulled the old frames and shades out. Pulled the pillar covers, pulled the vinyl back on the covers and screwed in place triangles of wood to create the flats and recovered. Made several large pieces of cherry to provide a mount for the shade as well as a cover for the shade as viewed from the inside of the coach. Ran the wires under the wood mount to the wiring end. I drilled the cover piece to add the learning momentary switch. Once the shade was installed I found that the shade would sometimes miss the flats and come off the track so to speak so I had to add a cherry molding on the pillar to narrow the opening to make this all work right. The headliner may not be exactly square to the pillar so as the shade comes down it may favor one side or the other creating a tracking issue. Some photos that may help your installer. Hope this helps.

Later Ed

[Dick Simonis]

Ed, nice pics and lovely job.

Did your Marquis have the boxed electric shades originally??

On ours, because of the boxes, we elected to modify them to take the MCD.  The center was cut out as well as the ends so the new shade will go full length and sitll be recessed.  I haven't seen it yet but if I get to the coach today I'll take a pic.  The MCD should be here Monday and I am going to put some insulation up inside the front cap while it's all exposed.

[Edward Buker]

Dick,

I did have the two recessed shades and I did not consider going up with the new shade into a recess as opposed to coming down. That will be an interesting alternative approach. We pulled those units and the trim and built down from there. Love to see the photos when you are done. It is all an adventure when you make change in these RVs....

Later Ed

[Keith Oliver]

Dick:

Far simpler if you forget about the switched side and just allow the brains of the driver to let up on the button when the shade has descended to a low enough height (while driving).  Your existing buttons will suffice, you just need to get the power off the switched terminal and onto a terminal that always has power. 

This is how mine were installed, by the MCD guy in Indio a couple of years ago.  We had a discussion about how they should be wired, and this was his preferred method, as I didn't already have any switches or wires in the front of the Contessa that could merely be repurposed.

I pulled the fabric covered ceiling board down from where the drapery track had been, found a solid bit of aluminum frame up there that things would attach to, and put a wooden valance up that looked like the rest of the woodwork in the coach, so the MCDs were well hidden and looked like they had always been there.

[Dick Simonis]

Here is a pic of the enlarged box for the MCD.  It's still a bit rough with all the construction in progress but you can see how it was lengthened all the way to the edge of the windshield.  We still have to deal with a small trim piece to accommodate the 4.5" of the MCD vs. the 3" depth of the box, along with corner pieces at the ends.  You can see the existing wires at the end.  Once we find the other ends and switch them to a hot bus that will take care of the wiring.  There is already a switched hot up in that corner that was used for the isolation relay so no additional wiring needs to be done.

While I at the coach yesterday we also took advantage of a cutout to put some insulation between the bulkhead and the top of the cap.  I picked up a small roll of R-30 which is 9.5" thick and cut it into into ~15" by 12" pieces and shoved it in and to the sides being careful not to dislodge the wires and other stuff up there.  Go a bit lucky in that the 9.5" thick insulation was the perfect size for the space.  Not a perfect job but anything up there will help the heat load.

I was the first time I'd seen the coach since dropping it off for all the work and I'm getting excited to see the end result.  Looks weird with no cabinets.

[Fred Brooks]

         Greetings Dick,
     I stopped by the coach and you did a great job on packing the front cap with insulation. No chance now for condensation or heat build up. I finished the TV  cabinet today.  Regards Fred

[Dick Simonis]

Ed, do you recall where you switched the wires to change the MCD power from the ign on circuit to un-switched power.  We put the MCD in place and it works fine with the ign switch on now I need to change it to always on.

Did you do it in the bay or under the dash?

Dick

[Dick Simonis]

Ed, never mind, I went to the coach with the help of the Marquis wiring diagrams from our website and found the hot.  Seems the visors were sharing the hot with the driving lights which connected to a CB in the electrical bay.  Found the wire and switched it to he house battery bank and all is well.  Now I just have to remember t shut off the driving lights when stopped or wire in a relay.

[Edward Buker]

Dick,

I found a power wire under the dash that was on all the time, might have been the radio memory and coupled that to the switches. That left the driving light circuit in tact to go on and off with the ignition. You just need a dash source that is on all the time.

Later Ed