Survey on new technology for truck campers

Hemi Joel wrote:
Technology that I would be in favor of would be a two speed furnace. But not controlled by microprocessor or a touch screen. Just a simple mechanical thermostat, with a high, low, off switch

Espar diesel heater is what you need,,bit expensive but really worth it as its also very efficient..

Technology that I would be in favor of would be a two speed furnace. But not controlled by microprocessor or a touch screen. Just a simple mechanical thermostat, with a high, low, off switch

Hemi Joel wrote:
ISo every single time I start the generator to make a bag of popcorn, or heat up some leftovers, I need to go thru a button pressing process to set the clock before it will let me start the oven. Seriously, what rocket surgeon thought this was a good idea? That is typical of technology in a truck camper.

Actually, not rocket surgeons, Koreans, most likely. Problem is, TC builders are looking to maximize margins, so they don't hesitate to select foreign made products designed for a different way of living than what we're used to here. That microwave oven was more likely designed for an efficiency apartment, not an RV.

My one 'pet peeve' of you want to call it that because it's minor is the furnace as well. It's noisy. Don't use it much but when I do, it sounds like a car wash....

That and the 'biodegradeable' vent covers...lol

My TC lives most of it's life inside anyways, so it's protected from the elements except when I'm camping in the summer. 8 months of the year, she's a 'garage queen'.

I'm all for keeping it simple... My 12 year old Northstar has pretty much been trouble free. Almost no options. I've recently had to replace some plastic parts, no biggie.

My fridge and water heater are old school, no control boards to go bad. I do wish there was a quieter furnace option.

adamis wrote:
Maybe I'm just picky but I even find the High Beam indicator light on my dashboard to be offense to my night vision while driving. What engineer thinks "let's put the brightest indicator LED" on these gadget so the owners can be blinded by them at night"?

Yeah, so my GPS doesn't dim sufficiently at night either, so I have a tinted sheet that I tape over the display at night to knock it down another notch. You can get something similar here:

tinted samples

You can cut it to the size you need and tape it over any of the dashboard lights you find to be too obnoxious. Or...just try painting on some black fingernail polish...;)

adamis wrote:

Hemi Joel wrote:

adamis wrote:


Maybe I'm just picky but I even find the High Beam indicator light on my dashboard to be offense to my night vision while driving. What engineer thinks "let's put the brightest indicator LED" on these gadget so the owners can be blinded by them at night"?

You're not picky. I have the same issue with my 2014 ram. I dim the dash lights way down to improve my vision outside. But the big, blue high beam indicator glares in my eyes. My old 93 ram that I use for the camper is way better. Just a little red indicator that does not affect my vision. Modern technology is moving us backwards.

Glad I'm not the only one that was frustrated. What I find crazy is that dimming the dash lights does not dim the high beam indicator in the vehicles I've owned. I generally prefer to drive with my dash lights dimmed very low so my eyes see better outside but it is impossible to do with that dang high beam light glaring at you as the only bright light in the cab!

I think the opposite they need to be brighter on all vehicles along with a sensor that can tell when there is someone in front of you or coming toward you and an electrical charge to zap you when you don't bother to turn them off. My eyes are more sensitive to other peoples brights then a blue light on my dash.

M Kirsch wrote:
Technology could mean a lightweight honeycomb structure that is virtually rot-proof and knocks several hundred pounds off the weight of the camper. You gonna scream "NO! NO! NO!" to that?

....what about metal or FRP SIPs? With a skin of FRP or aluminum lock channel on both sides staggered to eliminate thermal bridging, forming an I-beam matrix (yes, apply FRP even on the inside, because the SIP can be say R16 = no interior condensation nor thermal bridging). With locking tongue-and-groove channellings (welded with epoxy), you essentially have a truck camper boat hull. Also, they would be Class I fire rated (polyurethane foam with fire retardant infused into the foam, render say, 750 degree F structural integrity).

A SIP manufacturer (or several around the country) could supply any individual or multiple truck camper (or, RV manufacturers) with all their pre-manufactured panels JIT, in custom sizes to assemble differing camper shell dimensions (assemble just like a Meccano set). The panels could even have built-in electrical cable channels.

These panels and panel makers already exist, and can easily supply the RV (or, truck camper) manufacturing market with panels with pre-cut window, roof and appliance ports.

Imagine having a truck camper with absolutely zero thermal bridging, and a micro air exchange heat recovery system running with 2 x computer fans (plans are available on-line) ?

I calculated to comfortably heat a truck camper 8 feet wide, by 16 feet long, by 6.4 feet high sitting in constant 25F outdoor temps and keeping the interior at 72F, with the above SIP construction and Low E windows x 3, you'd need appx 532 BTU/hour, that with exchanging the volume about once per hour with the exchanger..heating with something like a Truma Combi furnace/water heater system.....

Interesting that the Rams have that annoying feature. It wouldn't be that bothersome to me since I rarely drive with high beams in the TC. I avoid traveling in the dark.

Hemi Joel wrote:

adamis wrote:


Maybe I'm just picky but I even find the High Beam indicator light on my dashboard to be offense to my night vision while driving. What engineer thinks "let's put the brightest indicator LED" on these gadget so the owners can be blinded by them at night"?

You're not picky. I have the same issue with my 2014 ram. I dim the dash lights way down to improve my vision outside. But the big, blue high beam indicator glares in my eyes. My old 93 ram that I use for the camper is way better. Just a little red indicator that does not affect my vision. Modern technology is moving us backwards.

Glad I'm not the only one that was frustrated. What I find crazy is that dimming the dash lights does not dim the high beam indicator in the vehicles I've owned. I generally prefer to drive with my dash lights dimmed very low so my eyes see better outside but it is impossible to do with that dang high beam light glaring at you as the only bright light in the cab!