We often camp in pretty cold conditions – subfreezing but not sub-zero. On a recent winter trip, we realized that the frosted single-pane window that is inset into the trailer door was losing a lot of heat. So when I got home, I rigged up a way to hold a foam insulating pad on the inside of that window. I think that other folks who camp in cold weather might find this useful.
As I do on our other windows, I used foam flooring material (from Costco), which comes in interlocking panels (about 2 feet square), cut down to fit the window opening. The foam is about a half inch thick and is fairly stiff. The window in our trailer's door was about 21 inches by 15 inches. (Actually, I measured it in millimeters to give myself the illusion of precision.) I cut the pad to size with a box cutter:
Click For Full-Size Image.
The trickiest issue is how to hold the pad in place? I thought about Velcro or magnets (my best friends) but decided to string four strands of monofilament fishing line (10 lb. test, I think) across the window to contain the pad. Here is a shot of the finished project with the pad in place:
Click For Full-Size Image.
And this is a close-up of one of the monofilament cross-strings:
Click For Full-Size Image.
In order to create the cross-strings, I first took out a screw (one at a time!) and stuck one end of the string into the hole:
Click For Full-Size Image.
(By the way, please excuse the greasy fingers -- that's what my hands look like on a "garage day.")
I then screwed the screw back into the hole, trapping the end of the monofilament:
Click For Full-Size Image.
After tightening that screw, I removed the screw on the opposite side of the frame. I cut the monofilament to be about 3/4 of an inch too long and then stuck that end of the line into the screw hole. As I tightened the screw, it tightened the monofilament, taking up the slack. (Bonus – if you tighten the monofilament just right and then tap it with your finger, it sounds like a cheap ukulele.)
In order to install the insulating pad, just slip one end under the lowest string and slide it up into place. Remove it by sliding it down. We store it under one of the dinette cushions -- a little extra padding never hurt anything, right?
As I do on our other windows, I used foam flooring material (from Costco), which comes in interlocking panels (about 2 feet square), cut down to fit the window opening. The foam is about a half inch thick and is fairly stiff. The window in our trailer's door was about 21 inches by 15 inches. (Actually, I measured it in millimeters to give myself the illusion of precision.) I cut the pad to size with a box cutter:
Click For Full-Size Image.The trickiest issue is how to hold the pad in place? I thought about Velcro or magnets (my best friends) but decided to string four strands of monofilament fishing line (10 lb. test, I think) across the window to contain the pad. Here is a shot of the finished project with the pad in place:
Click For Full-Size Image.And this is a close-up of one of the monofilament cross-strings:
Click For Full-Size Image.In order to create the cross-strings, I first took out a screw (one at a time!) and stuck one end of the string into the hole:
Click For Full-Size Image.(By the way, please excuse the greasy fingers -- that's what my hands look like on a "garage day.")
I then screwed the screw back into the hole, trapping the end of the monofilament:
Click For Full-Size Image. After tightening that screw, I removed the screw on the opposite side of the frame. I cut the monofilament to be about 3/4 of an inch too long and then stuck that end of the line into the screw hole. As I tightened the screw, it tightened the monofilament, taking up the slack. (Bonus – if you tighten the monofilament just right and then tap it with your finger, it sounds like a cheap ukulele.)
In order to install the insulating pad, just slip one end under the lowest string and slide it up into place. Remove it by sliding it down. We store it under one of the dinette cushions -- a little extra padding never hurt anything, right?
profdant139 wrote:
Farmboy, that sounds like a winner -- if you get a chance, could you post some photos to show how that works? Thanks.
