Covering skylights

[ECones]

Our travel trailer has two skylights and two roof vents which the AC has a problem overcoming in the bright sun when the outside temps are 90+. We found some vent covers which should help with them, but the skylights are quite a bit longer, and we've found nothing to help there.

I'm just looking for ideas and wonder what some of you folks may have done.

Right now, the plan is to use about an inch of foam exterior sheathing cut larger than the skylight and self-sticking Velcro as temporary attachments.

Suggestions welcomed.

[ECones]

spoon059 wrote:
I went to the hobby store and bought some cheapo foam a couple inches thick. Cut it about an inch wider and longer than I needed and stuffed it in the vent opening. Because its a little too big, it holds itself up. Because its foam, it helps insulate. It cuts most of the light, but lets some light through. If you want to make it dark, wrap it in dark fabric.

Now that I think of it, Owens Corning does sell a pink foam.

[hddecker]

Reflectix is great stuff, I would just go with a couple of layers of that.

I've used it for all kinds of things, from under the bed in our Airstream to combat the cold from the exterior compartment and provide an insulating backing behind the wall treatment in the livingroom and bedroom.

[spoon059]

I went to the hobby store and bought some cheapo foam a couple inches thick. Cut it about an inch wider and longer than I needed and stuffed it in the vent opening. Because its a little too big, it holds itself up. Because its foam, it helps insulate. It cuts most of the light, but lets some light through. If you want to make it dark, wrap it in dark fabric.

[crcr]

Easy Peasey -- just buy some sheet styrofoam at HD or elsewhere, 1/2", 3/4", 1", or pick your thickness, cut it to just fit in the opening. I then use wide masking tape to cover the edges so that no material flakes off. Works great!

I would NEVER use pink fiberglass insulation for this -- very bad idea.

[ECones]

If you're talking about the pink fiberglass, my wife would divorce me if I brought any of that into her travel trailer --- and yes, it's hers 😉

I worked in insulation for several years, and to this day she doesn't want to be around it anymore.

I saw the shades for the vents, but the solar heaters / skylights are larger than the vents. I thought about mounting two shades to cover them.

[Cecilt]

For the skylight in the bathroom I use household pink insulation and shove it in the opening. Then I remove the screws holding the skylight cover and screw in the Reflectix. This holds the insulation in place. Don't worry about moisture. I had this set-up for 3 years in my TT and when I sold it and removed it to put in the new camper is was just fine. No mold or mildew. That skylight has zero insulation properties and could dry a wet towel in 20 minutes.

[Mark_Heisler]

Mark Heisler wrote:
our skylights have roller blinds
the blinds looks the same as our windows but smaller with magnets on the end to hold it up

[wmoses]

ECones wrote:
Our travel trailer has two skylights and two roof vents which the AC has a problem overcoming in the bright sun when the outside temps are 90+. We found some vent covers which should help with them, but the skylights are quite a bit longer, and we've found nothing to help there.

I'm just looking for ideas and wonder what some of you folks may have done.

Right now, the plan is to use about an inch of foam exterior sheathing cut larger than the skylight and self-sticking Velcro as temporary attachments.

Suggestions welcomed.

At RV Stores like Camping World you can buy rolls of reflective foil that can be used to cover the skylight. Affix using Velcro dots.

[Mark_Heisler]

our skylights have roller blinds
the blinds looks the same as our windows but smaller with magnets on the end to hold it up