My old Berlingo had tinted windows and I liked them for a bit of extra security for bikes and kit, and privacy when sleeping in the back (with curtains too). New one doesn’t have them but I’d like to put them in.

Quick local search suggests a pro job is going to be at least £150.

I’m guessing it’s going to a be at best a fiddly, and at worst, hideously messy, job.

I see you can get pre-cut kits which would take the cutting out difficulties out of it, but assume the fitting it neatly is the really tricky bit.

Am I asking for a world of trouble? Anyone done it? I’m generally pretty confident working with my hands, so there’s that.

Pay for a professional, just one bubble is likely to be very noticeable and make you wish you’d paid a professional.

^^^^this

You can usually see where people have DIY’d

Bit like plastering,a pro makes it look piss easy.

Mine was already done but I managed to break a window loading some timber so replaced it and DIYed the tinting (actually mirrored). It was a right pig of a job and very hard to get anywhere near perfect. Ended up with a few bubble and a bit of a crease. Its actually not the worst one as the other have been scratched and torn by bike handlebars and the like over the years so I’m not too worried. It works as a security measure which was my number one. If you want it done properly I’d go to a pro if you can live with a bubble or three then have a go. In fact, maybe have a go, the tint isn’t expensive, if it doesn’t work it’ll peel off again.

I’ve done a van years ago. The flat side Windows went pretty well and I was more than happy with it.

The rear window was a different story, because it’s convex I couldn’t shape the film property over it, the edges looked awful.

I think it will need fitting like any vinyl. Pros mix water with baby shampoo and squeegee it out to get no bubbles. Also clean the windows with alcohol first. Must be videos on youtube. As above a pro will do it very quickly

Aftermarket film tints look awful (after a short period )anyway so I’d give it a bash DIY it’s unlikely to look much worse than a pro assuming you can follow instructions and don’t get flustered. As above film is very succeptable to damage.

I tried to do my Berlingo a few years back. Side windows were easy, nice and flat.

Got to the rear screen, nearly kicked it in! Total pita. Paid a pro to do it. Looked spot on for a few years until I sold it.

I tried DIY on a Berlingo and I lost £30 and an afternoon and gained a window that had more wrinkles than a prune. dire.

Paid a professional £150ish and he took 2/3 hours and I ended up with a perfect finish. He had a lockup/garage set up with a number of tricks of the trade screens and water sprays.

New berlingo was factory tinted for exactly your reasons, some slight reduction in level of “bike in van”
don’t DIY.

I can only assume you’ve never applied a screen protector to a phone. (-:

Get a set of these instead.

https://www.carshades.co.uk/shades-citroen-berlingo-multispace-2009-2018-c-2729_2857_2860_4861.html

£82 look great and can be taken in and out in a minute.

I have a set for my Outlander and they’re brilliant

I can only assume you’ve never applied a screen protector to a phone. (-:

This! The plastic ones were a real pita, I’d cut small pieces of masking tape and stick them to the edge, align the plastic protector exactly then very carefully wrap the tape around the edge of the phone as a set of hinges. Then it was relatively easy to lift the protector, clean the screen carefully then drop the protector back down and start peeling the outer film off, all the time pushing the protector down onto the screen, sort of squeegeeing the outer film off. Took ages, but I never got permanent bubbles or dust underneath.
Toughened glass ones are a vast improvement.
Having spent thirty-odd minutes putting a protector onto something the size of an iPhone 4, I’d never, ever, EVER try tinting my car windows, I’ll pay a professional to save myself hours of grief and misery and have a perfect job done.
Personally, I really don’t like the dark privacy tints, it’s impossible to see anything out of the back window, the mirror might as well not be there, I’d choose a mirror film, with about a ten percent tint – all the privacy you need, and still able to actually see outside the car. It’s often Berlingos and Partners, with some other van-type vehicles that have the very dark tints, I guess because they’re carrying a wheelchair in the back, but it really does compromise being able to see outside.

but it really does compromise being able to see outside.

The factory dark tint doesn’t….. Trip to barnard castle perhaps ?