Success insulating cabinets?

gbopp wrote:

ernie1 wrote:
rk911: Exactly what is the relective foil? Is it just regular foil backed insulation. Do you have a name?

REFLECTIX

This is from Home Depot. Check around for the best price.

yup

ernie1 wrote:
rk911: Exactly what is the relective foil? Is it just regular foil backed insulation. Do you have a name?

REFLECTIX

This is from Home Depot. Check around for the best price.

ernie1 wrote:
rk911: Exactly what is the relective foil? Is it just regular foil backed insulation. Do you have a name?

I suspect he’s referring to Reflectix. I use it for windshield and all windows when parking where there isn’t any shade in the summer. I also lined the side, top, back walls of all cabinets that are in slides or just the back wall if it is on an outside wall.

rk911: Exactly what is the relective foil? Is it just regular foil backed insulation. Do you have a name?

Temp is temp! You need to cool the area or it will become the same temp outside the cabinet.

wopachop wrote:
Have any of you lined a cabinet with insulation so that it doesnt get 90F+ during the summer?...

yes but not a cabinet that stores food.

we bought a MagneShade windshield sunscreen a few years after buying the coach. in order to properly install the magnets on the windshield we had to remove the three-door cabinet above the driver's and passenger's seat. the satellite controller, receiver and other electronics take up about 1/2 of the total space in that cabinet.

from day one in hot weather the satellite receiver would shut itself down to prevent damage from over heating. annoying to say the least. so we replaced the solid wood insert from the cabinet's middle door with a piece of metal grillwork and added two adjustable-speed 12v muffin fans blowing out to help keep the interior of the cabinet cooler. that helped but the sat receiver still shut itself down in really hot weather, not as often but it still happened.

so when we took the caninet down to install the magnets we lined the rear exterior of that cabinet with reflective foil. that did the trick. the interior of the cabinet is niw essentially the same temperature as the interior of the coach. the sat rcvr case is warm but not hot.

we like to keep cabinet doors closed as i have a habit of knocking my head. ouch!

wopachop wrote:
Have any of you lined a cabinet with insulation so that it doesnt get 90F+ during the summer? Wondering if i should toy around with that idea or just get a cooler and store my dry foods in there during the summer months.

Problem is i have a lot of food/toys/tools/adhesives in all my cabinets. They wont all fit in a cooler.

Maybe a layer of foam insulation just along the back wall of the cabinet would help significantly?

wopachop I add a grill at the top and bottom of the pantry. It made a big difference. It even looks pretty.

Don't know how much good it will do. You would want to do the top of the cabinets where they contact the ceiling as well. Maybe use a foil faced foam so you can get more R value without giving up a lot of cabinet space.

I was thinking the heat must come from the back wall. Because the ambient air in the trailer is cooler than the closed cabinets. I know some guys will crack them open but its too dusty here. Prefer to keep them closed.

I don't think insulating the outside wall of a cabinet will do much to keep the temp down.