Insulated 5th wheel
I'm new to posting so go easy on me. I am looking at buying a 3 or 4 year old 5th wheel. We will be taking it south, hope to stay above freezing temps, BUT I would like to find a unit that has under...
Forum Discussion
transamz9 wrote:
The radiant barrier wrap they put on them is what gives it the higher rating. On my Sanibel it looks like aluminum foil.
Radiant barrier is just a bunch of hype. It was developed for space use, to reflect IR rays and in space there is no atmosphere so there is no heat gain or loss thru conduction. But here the biggest problem is conduction and that is why radiant barrier here requires a dead air space to have any benefit. Radiant barrier is aluminized plastic so it is a very good thermal conductor and installing it directly against foam insulation is not the same thing as dead air space. When installed against foam you are left with the R value of the foam only. Using it in the floors or underbelly of an RV makes almost zero sense. The ground radiates very little IR and unless a heater inside the RV is pointed at the floor, then again, very little IR hits the floor to be reflected back into the rig. The only place radiate barrier makes sense is in the attic of a house. There is a reason that home builders use it in the attic and not in the floors or walls, they don't waste money where it doesn't really provide any benefit.
