25 replies to this topic

[Bill D]

Great job!

 

You should notice additional benefits such as less noise and light.

 

We often stop at roadside rest stops.  Often there are bright overhead lights and sure enough some truck driver will pull up in the middle of the night and run the truck all night.  Having a thermal pack makes a huge difference.

[Alvis]

Any fire concern with very thin nylon fabric?  Maybe coat with fire retardant?  Or maybe not an issue, but curious and want to make sure no danger from stove.  

[Lineman]

This would definitely not be fire resistant since this nylon has no FR treatment to make it self extinguishing. I considered this when I built it and decided it was acceptable for my personal risk level, you may decide differently. There would have to be a large fire on the stove to reach the bottom edge of the thermal pack; and my cooktop is never on and unattended so any problem would be contained before it became a big problem. The other big threat of fire in a camper is the appliances (water heater, furnace) which are housed in combustible wood cabinets. A problem with them would be a really big problem for anyone inside the camper long before the flames could reach the soft sides of the camper. Personally I didn't see the non-FR liner adding any significant risk to sleeping inside a tiny camper full of combustible material.

[Styx2015]

Any updates on the performance of your Thinsulate thermal pack? Is it still holding up? Has the thin nylon been enough to keep condensation at bay until wiped up instead of soaking the insulation? Any issues with machine washability? Have you had any chance to test out the insulating properties in cold weather in addition to hot?

[Lineman]

I am still really pleased with it, and it is holding up well.

I had hope that it would reduce the amount of condensation in cold weather, but we still have nearly as much. The nylon doesn't absorb much water. In cold weather we just reach in through the window openings and wipe the walls down before we drop the roof. No problems with mold or stains.

We haven't needed to machine wash it. The occasional food splatter or dirt just gets spot cleaned. Still looks new.


The feel of the camper is much warmer in cold weather. It eliminates the cold air rolling off the side walls, which keeps my head and feet more comfortable when in bed.

If I bought a new camper, I would build another one.

Edited by Lineman, 19 September 2020 - 02:31 AM.

[steve whiteside]

it would be an interesting experiment to go for 2 24 hour periods.  Both with the AC going running on generator and both set with the same temperature setting.  Measure the amount of gas used for each period.  one period with the insulation and one period without.  In this manner you try to see how much insulation helps in the transfer of the cold from the inside to the outside. Using the amount of gas used as your measuring stick.  

 

Any, a lot of good work done on this project and a an excellent write up

 

Steve