Heat loss
I do not want to take over the other thread about preheating a camper so I thought that I would start this thread. I was wondering if anyone has ever done any tests to see how long the heat is mainta...
Forum Discussion
Photomike etc,
For RV's winter use in the Northern USA and Canada:
Dual pane windows (storms etc on ALL windows) are a must for very cold weather RV comfort and preventing/curbing/controlling heat loss.
On the over the range hood inside in front of the fan on our various RV's, there's an Aluminim type screen. I remove the screen (slide it out) and put a gallon twist tie simple storage bag over the screen and gather the plastic bag snug around the surface that is on the inside of the TC and sticky tape the gathered excess together on the back side and slide it back in. Then outside on the thru wall vent for the range, our have a flapper that has 2 small turn clips that stop cover flap from opening. Now no air in or out! I do the same plastic bag wrapping on our roof A/C inside air grills but you don't have A/C.
For the 14" X 14" roof vents, I bought 3" thick urethane rubber foam and cut it 15" X 15" and put a white garbage bag over the foam and taped it closed on the back side and push them into the 14" X 14" vent hole. s o easy to put in or also take one out if we want to open a roof vent for a time period.
Adjust all thru opening door lock hardware so there's tension holding against properly installed weather stripping. I also have always put a layer of Astro-Foil on the door's backside held on with Gorilla Tape all around the outside edges. really helps.
Of course, ALL cracks, holes, openings on the entire RV have to be truely sealed or caulked so NO air can pass. Yes, the outside shower, around the doors and windown, plumbing lines and drain tubes, propane lines. electric entry door "U" shaped cord opening (I use a 2" long piece of appropriate sized split urethane foam water line tube insulation), seal around the roof vent stink stack from the plumbing/holding tanks, Use drain stoppers as they suck a lot of air out thru the roof vent constantly when driving and when parked when the wind is blowing, they are a constant vaccuum cleaner running and sucking out heat, anywhere air can infiltrate.
I add an Astro-Foil layer to the propane compartment shell on both sides held on with Gorilla Tape all around the outside edge of every piece. The very same thing is done to the box that holds the shorepower cord (all of our Lance TC's had a galvanized steel cord box and it really got cold in winter). Line the fridge compartment rear acess as best you can with Astro-Foil and seal the area around the fridge itself to the TC structure with Astro-Foil and Gorilla Tape. Gorilla Tape is not affected by cold temps or moisture/water unlike ducttape.
The main thing to remember is that for heat/air to escape from the inside, outside air must be able to replace it. Stopping air in stops the air flow going out because you can't normally pressurize or de-pressurize the inside of a structure without using a blower or a vaccuum pump to make it happen. Atomspheric's normal pressure is your friend. It's not rocket science!
If you are losing heat fast, you either have a lack of proper insulation and getting thermal transference or you have air leaks that you need to find and seal. The norm for most insulation is from R-3 to R-5 per inch thickness if both sides of the insulation or the insulation itself stops air flow thru. Nature's law: If air can't escape, no air will come in and if air can't come in no air will escape so that leaves thermal loss or thermal transference or broken into conduction or convection or radiation.
For RV's winter use in the Northern USA and Canada:
Dual pane windows (storms etc on ALL windows) are a must for very cold weather RV comfort and preventing/curbing/controlling heat loss.
On the over the range hood inside in front of the fan on our various RV's, there's an Aluminim type screen. I remove the screen (slide it out) and put a gallon twist tie simple storage bag over the screen and gather the plastic bag snug around the surface that is on the inside of the TC and sticky tape the gathered excess together on the back side and slide it back in. Then outside on the thru wall vent for the range, our have a flapper that has 2 small turn clips that stop cover flap from opening. Now no air in or out! I do the same plastic bag wrapping on our roof A/C inside air grills but you don't have A/C.
For the 14" X 14" roof vents, I bought 3" thick urethane rubber foam and cut it 15" X 15" and put a white garbage bag over the foam and taped it closed on the back side and push them into the 14" X 14" vent hole. s o easy to put in or also take one out if we want to open a roof vent for a time period.
Adjust all thru opening door lock hardware so there's tension holding against properly installed weather stripping. I also have always put a layer of Astro-Foil on the door's backside held on with Gorilla Tape all around the outside edges. really helps.
Of course, ALL cracks, holes, openings on the entire RV have to be truely sealed or caulked so NO air can pass. Yes, the outside shower, around the doors and windown, plumbing lines and drain tubes, propane lines. electric entry door "U" shaped cord opening (I use a 2" long piece of appropriate sized split urethane foam water line tube insulation), seal around the roof vent stink stack from the plumbing/holding tanks, Use drain stoppers as they suck a lot of air out thru the roof vent constantly when driving and when parked when the wind is blowing, they are a constant vaccuum cleaner running and sucking out heat, anywhere air can infiltrate.
I add an Astro-Foil layer to the propane compartment shell on both sides held on with Gorilla Tape all around the outside edge of every piece. The very same thing is done to the box that holds the shorepower cord (all of our Lance TC's had a galvanized steel cord box and it really got cold in winter). Line the fridge compartment rear acess as best you can with Astro-Foil and seal the area around the fridge itself to the TC structure with Astro-Foil and Gorilla Tape. Gorilla Tape is not affected by cold temps or moisture/water unlike ducttape.
The main thing to remember is that for heat/air to escape from the inside, outside air must be able to replace it. Stopping air in stops the air flow going out because you can't normally pressurize or de-pressurize the inside of a structure without using a blower or a vaccuum pump to make it happen. Atomspheric's normal pressure is your friend. It's not rocket science!
If you are losing heat fast, you either have a lack of proper insulation and getting thermal transference or you have air leaks that you need to find and seal. The norm for most insulation is from R-3 to R-5 per inch thickness if both sides of the insulation or the insulation itself stops air flow thru. Nature's law: If air can't escape, no air will come in and if air can't come in no air will escape so that leaves thermal loss or thermal transference or broken into conduction or convection or radiation.
