Heki Skylight Shading

[egarant]

Forums all over the internet have justifiable complaints on how much sun and heat the Heki Skylight lets in. I camp in the desert southwest most of the time so I am constantly looking for a solution to stop the bake that is going on inside my TC, especially while driving to a destination. I do have a cover I purchased from Europe that attaches to the outside, but only good while stationary.

After considerable research I was going to go with a sprayed on Rhino or Line-X application UNTIL I saw this:

Liquisol

This is the extreme desert version. They even make a 3 season version which you can wash off! A little pricy, but looks like a heck of option.

Me thinks I am going to try it!

[Jack_Spratt]

The Mad Norsky wrote:
Good information to know.

We're considering a new camper, and of course the Heki is standard equipment. I'm really considering ordering a camper and seeing if it can be deleted.

Anyone have info if Lance can do this?????

Again, looks like a good product.

They would not let us change to a conventional vent and fantastic
fan on the 855

[HMS_Beagle]

If you DO get the Heki (and I agree it is a great concept, just poor execution), insist that they install the crank up or electric version.

The Heki midi comes in three versions: bar operated, crank operated, and electric motor operated. They share most of the same parts. I have only seen the bar operated here in the US in a camper. The bar mechanism (the track and latches in particular) are fragile and underspec'd, but the worst part about it is that the bar is above the bug screen. So to close it, you have to open the bug screen and let all the bugs in (actual trap them in, since you are closing the lid). This is madness, but typical of windows in Europe where they simply don't believe in bug screens.

The crank operated version has a crank to operate the lid, still underspec'd but maybe not as bad, and the crank is located inside the bug screen. You can close the lid, still trapping them but at least not letting them inside (let them out the next day if you like). Or tap the bug screen to get them airborne and you won't trap nearly as many as you close the lid. The electric version replaces the crank with an electric motor, I suppose that could be valuable to some but not to me.

I replaced the bar operated version with the crank version and I am one happy camper. Now if they would just upgrade all the components by about 2x it would be a good unit....

In theory you can order the parts to convert the bar to the crank version, though in practice it may be easier/cheaper to replace the whole thing.

[run100]

egarant wrote:
We have that same screen system, but you are not supposed to engage the screens when underway. THAT is the problem, all that heat generation while you drive, then you get to a stop and have to try to cool down an interior that has been baked for 5 hours.

Uh oh! You just taught me something, because I must have missed that in the owners manual. Live and learn.

Thanks for the tip!

[egarant]

HMS Beagle wrote:
Let us know how that works. Might be just the thing for those of us in the West.

The cover from Europe, is it possible to put on from the inside of the camper by opening the lid? Or do you have to climb up on the roof and do it from the top?

I am able to kneel on the bed, open the hatch and slip the cover over the hatch.

[egarant]

run100 wrote:
egarant,
Does your Heki have the two interior shades on it? Ours has a screen (like a window screen) and a darkening shade that cuts out all the light. Similar to day/night shades, as the darkening shade is pulled across, it replaces the screen and vice-versa. Because we live in the desert, when the camper is not being used, we keep the majority of the darkening shade deployed, but make sure a few inches of the screen section is open to allow heat to escape.

Anyway, we really enjoy our Heki skylight and it sounds like they've been greatly improved from the earlier versions.

We have that same screen system, but you are not supposed to engage the screens when underway. THAT is the problem, all that heat generation while you drive, then you get to a stop and have to try to cool down an interior that has been baked for 5 hours.

[jimh406]

We like our skylight a lot. If I bought a new camper, I'd definitely want one in spite of the issues with it.

It is in the way of adding solar panels. In some ways it is a pain. The gas shocks have died, and they don't provide an easy way to replace them due to their design. I had to replace one latch that broke and that is a pain both to get the part and to make the fix although mine made it 9 years. Practically speaking, you can't have it open where there are bugs. At best, the bugs come down to the screen, and you have no way to get them out without climbing on the roof, or opening the screen to the inside if you want to close the screen. Basically, the screen is mostly worthless.

We keep the shade closed, but I think I'll have the DW make a cover that slips over since she is good with the sewing machine. Putting a cover on it is a small price pay compared to how much light it lets in. We put reflectix in the area at night to reduce the heat consumption. We don't generally go camping in extreme heat because we don't enjoy hanging out in 90+ heat. For 80s we can get by without AC.

Of course, if you spend minimal time in your camper during the day, I guess it doesn't matter. We like our very open floor plan and windows of our double slide. It's pretty dark and overcast during much of the year in the Northwest. The skylight helps a lot for that.

[run100]

The Mad Norsky wrote:
Anyone have info if Lance can do this?????

I believe Lance will delete the skylight if you don't want it.

[kerry4951]

The Mad Norsky wrote:
Good information to know.

We're considering a new camper, and of course the Heki is standard equipment. I'm really considering ordering a camper and seeing if it can be deleted.

Anyone have info if Lance can do this?????

Again, looks like a good product.

Northwood (Arctic Fox and Wolf Creek) doesnt install them. Its not even on their option list.

[run100]

egarant,
Does your Heki have the two interior shades on it? Ours has a screen (like a window screen) and a darkening shade that cuts out all the light. Similar to day/night shades, as the darkening shade is pulled across, it replaces the screen and vice-versa. Because we live in the desert, when the camper is not being used, we keep the majority of the darkening shade deployed, but make sure a few inches of the screen section is open to allow heat to escape.

Anyway, we really enjoy our Heki skylight and it sounds like they've been greatly improved from the earlier versions.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

Good information to know.

We're considering a new camper, and of course the Heki is standard equipment. I'm really considering ordering a camper and seeing if it can be deleted.

Anyone have info if Lance can do this?????

Again, looks like a good product.

[HMS_Beagle]

Let us know how that works. Might be just the thing for those of us in the West.

The cover from Europe, is it possible to put on from the inside of the camper by opening the lid? Or do you have to climb up on the roof and do it from the top?