Welcome bmjas!
On the side canopy, the choices are many, and many of them are a royal pain in the neck to set up and take down. Last year we bought a Clam popout screen room with walls to attach to the screens. It was to replace our older one that was one of those royal pains to set up and take down.
This brand, their quality is good. I have seen them in person and have friends with them.
https://quicksetshelters.com. We have the smaller 5-sided one. They make a larger 6-sided that you can fit a big picnic table into, just the smaller one fits our off-grid camping better in the places we go.
Now many brands are copying the design and do not know their quality.
A key understanding of the Clam or other brands is what you use the shelter for. In our case, it is for a bug hut, or better said, to get out of the bugs... We also got the side panels, which help with the low wind in cooler temps. Once understood (just read/follow the directions before attempting to put it up), they go up and down quickly and store easily.
But here is what tye are not. They will not hold up to heavy rain; the tent can flop down in the center due to the weight. It can shed some light rain, but not a drenching shower. If you know heavy rain is coming, take it down or at least collapse it flat to the ground. I have never tried the flat-to-the-ground trick yet but read and seen others doing it.
They are also not cool on a hot sunny day. The bug screen is a fine mesh which is good for bugs, and the sun heats up the hut. You can tie open the screen doors, which helps let heat in and out, but they do not shed the heat well when sitting in the hot sun. We have an EZ up, no-sided shelter with a white roof for sunshade.
I added extra ropes and tie-downs to help keep the Clam from blowing away if we are away from the campsite until we get back. I did rescue my neighbor's Clam that was tumbling before we bought ours. He did not have the extra ropes to help prevent the tumbling, and his stakes were poor. Figured I would be proactive as we have dealt with wind-whipping tarps apart before while camping.
On the window screens in the camper, with the camper being a 1981 camper, I do not know where or if you can buy screens to fit into the windows. Maybe others with the older campers can better help. Your velcro ideas may be a good workaround.
I hope this helps, and happy camping this year.
John
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Current Sunlines: 2004 T310SR, 2004 T1950, 2004 T2475, 2007 T2499, 2004 T317SR
Prior Sunlines: 2004 T2499 - Fern Blue
2005 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.8L V10 W/ 4.10 rear axle, CC, Short Bed, SRW. Reese HP trunnion bar hitch W/ HP DC
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