I am looking at the Voltage line. It touts R values higher than most competitors. Living in Montana, we need a pretty well insulated unit to get in out of the cold during the chilly springs and falls.
So first, to Voltage owners, how do you feel the insulation compares to other units?
Second, are there any other TH units that have high R values that actually correlate to increased comfort rather than just marketing?
Higher R-Values are nice, and do add to the comfort..but the RV's with less insulation can stay comfortable by running the furnace more in the winter or the Air Conditioner more in summer weather and keep you comfortable too if powerful enough.
Good insulation will keep the interior a more constant temperature with less energy.
Be wary of some of the claims RV Builders make with their insulation being "Arctic", "4 season" or "Polar"...adding a 2nd layer of foam does not double the R-value.
Voltage by Dutchmen claims to have R-40 Roof & Floor, R-24 Slide Floor and R-11 Walls.
The Department of Energy says you'd have to have 12" of fiberglass batting to achieve this R-40 rating, and rigid foam would have to be 9" of insulation for a R40 roof.
Most RV Roofs are 4" at the thickest point.
My posts shouldn't be taken for factual data. They are purely fictional, for entertainment purposes and should not be constituted as actually related to scientific, technical, engineering, legal, spiritual or practical advice. Amen.
fordsooperdooty wrote: Higher R-Values are nice, and do add to the comfort..but the RV's with less insulation can stay comfortable by running the furnace more in the winter or the Air Conditioner more in summer weather and keep you comfortable too if powerful enough.
Good insulation will keep the interior a more constant temperature with less energy.
Be wary of some of the claims RV Builders make with their insulation being "Arctic", "4 season" or "Polar"...adding a 2nd layer of foam does not double the R-value.
Voltage by Dutchmen claims to have R-40 Roof & Floor, R-24 Slide Floor and R-11 Walls.
The Department of Energy says you'd have to have 12" of fiberglass batting to achieve this R-40 rating, and rigid foam would have to be 9" of insulation for a R40 roof.
Most RV Roofs are 4" at the thickest point.
I agree that manufacturers often overstate their R-values. The claimed R-values for the foil/mylar/foil insulation is often unrealistically high. Especially when the manufacturers say you need a air space for the insulation to work and in RVs they do not leave a 3/4" to 1" air space.
But the government numbers that you list for foam insulation are not correct. Extruded polystyrene is rated at R-5 per inch. So 8 inches would give the R-40 your mention. Polyisocyanurate is R-6.5 per inch. So less than 7 inches would give the R-40. Some of the spray urethane foams are rated at R-7 per inch. So 7 inches would give R-42.
Do you have a specific source reference for the statement that you would need 9 inches of insulation? Expanded polystyrene - bead board - which is used in a lot of Rvs would only be R36 for 9 inches.
I am living in a Voltage right now. I had a Crossroads Cruiser prior to the Voltage. Both have good R values and both are 4 season campers. Any camper is going to be drafty. The Cruiser's heat ran nearly constantly when the temps approached freezing. The Voltage seems a little better. The garage is always colder than the rest (it only has one vent and many windows/a rubber floor/ and a ramp that probably isn't insulated). The slideouts put off a lot of cold air. I put the silver bubble wrap stuff from Lowe's in all the windows and even down behind the couch to lessen the draft. That really helped. Before that, I was going thru a 30 lb tank of propane every week. Now with the insulation, and two electric heaters, I go a few weeks. But, to somewhat answer your question, I think the Voltage is good, but none are like a real house. Luckily, the heat runs thru the floor ducts, so the floor is never really cold. The 40,000 BTU heater is good. It warms it right up. Another plus, the mattress has a built in heater. I use it and can keep the heat lower all night. I try to be a miser when it comes to propane. If I didn't care about how much propane I used, I could keep it 70 degrees pretty easily. If you have any questions, let me know. It has been a relatively warm winter, I may have answered differently had it been colder.
2010 Dodge 3500 Mega Cab Cummins Diesel DRW
2009 GMC 2500HD D/A Crew Cab
2012 Dutchmen 3795 Voltage Epic Package
2012 Smart Passion for Two
2003 Suzuki Intruder 1500LC Cruiser AD USAF 1996-2011 1700+ hrs E-3B/C AWACS
NYANG 2011-Present
The Votage and XLR Thunderbolt are rated the same. Raptor and Fuzion are just behind. But as stated, there is only so much you can fit into a tiny space and the heaters work well. And every R value that the side walls go up, the interior space goes down as the insulation gets thicker.
Mav
"A fifth wheel trailer is a bi-level towable mobile home."
Offline
.jpg)
