For those of you who have a trailer with a large picture window in the rear, are they harder to keep cool in the summer, and harder to keep warm in the winter?

Our rear living floor plan has a large center back window and 2 side windows. See picAnd yes, the more single pane glass you have regardless of where it is, the harder it will be to heat and cool. We do winter camp, all year round when night temps go well below freezing. When we do this, we take precautions for winter camping. We have to deal with the trapped internal moisture, we vent (the roof vent) and use a dehumidifier. We also use the shrink wrap clear plastic on the inside of the windows to stop the heavy condensation on the windows. This helps with the heat loss. It is very cheap, works well but it does take time to put on. If you are buying a new camper, storm windows or double pane windows are options on some brands. If you are worried about heat loss and hard to cool, consider these upgrades. Our brand of camper was noted for bright interiors that let natural light in. Thus we have lots of windows. The ability to have that over a camper with a fraction of the windows outweighs the negatives in our opinion. All those windows also open to let air in which is nice when the weather outside is nice. If we ever buy another new camper, it will have storm windows or double pane glass. Hope this helpsJohnPS. if you are buying a new camper and the camper is 28 feet plus long, see if they have a 15,000 btu AC unit over the 13,500 standard option. It makes a difference with a lot of windows on a hot summer day.

Don't notice that with my very large dual pane rear picture window. Best part of my RV.

JBarca hit the nail on the head. we have lots of windows in ours, enjoy they view and light. On ours I did make poor man's double pane by cutting lexan to fit over the inside of the windows that don't open. It makes a very noticeable difference in the winter, don't know about the summer yet.

Yes the are harder to heat and cool I use double cell blinds to help insulate the windows. I have two four foot by four foot and one four foot by two foot widow's in the bedroom alone. I feel like I live in a fish bowl.

Do you like living in a "fish bowl", or do you have second thoughts about having so much glass?colliehauler wrote:Yes the are harder to heat and cool I use double cell blinds to help insulate the windows. I have two four foot by four foot and one four foot by two foot widow's in the bedroom alone. I feel like I live in a fish bowl.

Heating & cooling TT with large picture window.

ktmrfs
Explorer II
Dec 22, 2016
Atlee wrote:
To broaden my question to "colliehauler", do any of you wish you had gotten a trailer will fewer and smaller windows? Or are the many and larger windows worth the "price of admission"?

Not us. We LOVE the large windows and the view we get. That is one of the key things that sold us on the trailer. Yes, it takes more to heat it, yes, it affect cooling. well worth the price of admission for us.

But YOU need to decide what is important to YOU. what made us happy may not be what makes you happy.
mtofell1
Explorer
Dec 23, 2016
Energy efficiency in RVSs ranges from bad to really bad. Dual pane windows make a difference. The size of windows is a pretty small difference in the grand scheme of things.

If you measure out the entire sq in of window surface in two RVs and compare heat cost and whatnot I think you'd be talking a few nickels per day. Given the benefit and enjoyment of visibility, the heating/cost impact would not even come close to making my radar in choosing an RV.

I'd work an extra day and pay for the next 10 years of cost to enjoy a good view :)
Durb
Explorer
Dec 23, 2016
We have large windows in our trailer, single pane, tinted. We plan a week long trip each year in a place where the temps are 95-100 degrees and no shade with extremely low humidity. The 15k air conditioner can't keep up. I am considering solutions for that now. The heater never has a problem but our nighttime temperatures seldom approach freezing. We wouldn't trade for smaller windows as the views and airy feel more than compensate for a few warm nights.
ktmrfs
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2016
Durb wrote:
We have large windows in our trailer, single pane, tinted. We plan a week long trip each year in a place where the temps are 95-100 degrees and no shade with extremely low humidity. The 15k air conditioner can't keep up. I am considering solutions for that now. The heater never has a problem but our nighttime temperatures seldom approach freezing. We wouldn't trade for smaller windows as the views and airy feel more than compensate for a few warm nights.

try using the shrink wrap window film on the inside. Hint. use the 3M brand, the tape is better. they are plenty clear once you hit them with the hair dryer, and it does make a noticeable differnce in heat gain and heat loss.
Atlee
Explorer II
Dec 23, 2016
Thanks for all the replies. I asked because I'm now looking at a TT that has a large window in the rear behind the sofa.

I wanted some feed back about heating and cooling. Most of the comments are along the line of my original thoughts.

If I get this trailer, I'll just have to figure out a way to block the temperature loss when necessary.

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Heating & cooling TT with large picture window.

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