Covered vs Uncovered Underbelly
While looking at travel trailers I've noticed some have covered and some have uncovered underbelly. I realize most have very little to no insulation, and some have radiant heat or forced heat from the...
Forum Discussion
Enclosed underbellies are a really great way for manufacturers to hide their substandard workmanship and materials... :R
A heated underbelly is very inefficient and a lot of heat ends up in the outdoors. What a waste. Some return air comes back up from the cold underbelly space. I sealed up all the holes that were hacked through the floor for ducts & piping and it made a BIG difference. But we have 100% electric heating now and none goes into the underbelly space. Furnace is rarely used now.
Not being able to access things in the underbelly space is a big negative. Can't inspect anything that the factory did wrong or poorly. Can't fix or replace holding tank valves. Can't inspect for frame damage, wiring or plumbing issues, rodent damage, etc. Can't do wiring or plumbing mods. If a tank or piping leaks and soaks the insulation, it's a real mess and a huge job to fix. Want to install a set of Horst Miracle probes or Seelevel sensors? Fuggedaboutit. I can't see aerodynamic improvement being of any significance amount, if any.
They use batt insulation in the underbelly space which IMO is a bad choice plus they don't do a very good job of installing it. If I had an open underbelly and wanted to camp in cold/colder weather, I'd much rather install insulation myself and do it properly. Heating pads under the tanks would work well. I'd beef up insulation immediately below the floor to improve R-value partly because a cold floor in cold weather is not comfortable, esp. on the feet.
Our first TT had an open underbelly and it was nice to be able to see and access everything under the frame. Had a couple of wiring issues that got fixed under warranty. Enclosed underbellies are common nowadays and you won't always have a choice in having one or not unless you remove it all. The only real plus I can think of would be if you are off-roading in mud. :)
But since in Texas and it's not below 40F or so often, if you find an open underbelly in a brand and floor plan you like, get it. Add rigid insulation afterwards if you think it would help.
A heated underbelly is very inefficient and a lot of heat ends up in the outdoors. What a waste. Some return air comes back up from the cold underbelly space. I sealed up all the holes that were hacked through the floor for ducts & piping and it made a BIG difference. But we have 100% electric heating now and none goes into the underbelly space. Furnace is rarely used now.
Not being able to access things in the underbelly space is a big negative. Can't inspect anything that the factory did wrong or poorly. Can't fix or replace holding tank valves. Can't inspect for frame damage, wiring or plumbing issues, rodent damage, etc. Can't do wiring or plumbing mods. If a tank or piping leaks and soaks the insulation, it's a real mess and a huge job to fix. Want to install a set of Horst Miracle probes or Seelevel sensors? Fuggedaboutit. I can't see aerodynamic improvement being of any significance amount, if any.
They use batt insulation in the underbelly space which IMO is a bad choice plus they don't do a very good job of installing it. If I had an open underbelly and wanted to camp in cold/colder weather, I'd much rather install insulation myself and do it properly. Heating pads under the tanks would work well. I'd beef up insulation immediately below the floor to improve R-value partly because a cold floor in cold weather is not comfortable, esp. on the feet.
Our first TT had an open underbelly and it was nice to be able to see and access everything under the frame. Had a couple of wiring issues that got fixed under warranty. Enclosed underbellies are common nowadays and you won't always have a choice in having one or not unless you remove it all. The only real plus I can think of would be if you are off-roading in mud. :)
But since in Texas and it's not below 40F or so often, if you find an open underbelly in a brand and floor plan you like, get it. Add rigid insulation afterwards if you think it would help.
