I had the same problem in my old 79 Jayco. Our backsides were quite cold at times. I am thankfull the new Viking has 1.25 inch thick boards under the bunk filled with insulation. Man what a difference. The reflectix looks like a good idea. Wish I had seen that when I had the old pup.
We had good luck with the emergeny Mylar blankets you can get for around a buck at Walley World. We were "cold" camping one night and the bed was freezing. We went to the store and returned with a comforter and a couple of those emergency blankets. I put the emergency blanket under the mattress and all was swell.
I have meant to put Reflectix under the mattress but I'm having trouble getting off of the $40 when the $1 Mylar sheets are doing just fine.
spearmint wrote: Do you only put the reflectix in the bunk ends or on all windows? Even if it is just in the bunks, doesn't it make the camper very dark inside?
I have seen it applied to all windows. Good for camping in freezing weather. However, while you are sleeping inside of your blankets or sleeping bag, you should be warm enough with the bunk end windows covered, insulation under the mattress, and the furnace on.
BTW, there are better alternative insulating foils than the commonly found Reflectix brand sold at hardware stores. The reason is that Reflectix will soon start to noticeably oxidize as soon as a month after being exposed to air and moisture. The mirror like shine, gives way to a cloudy appearance. Well, that white cloudy stuff is Aluminum Oxide. It actually looks black when it rubs against fabric, your hands, tenting, or matresses and bedding. It's very difficult to clean out of fabric.
There are other brands of insulating foil that have clear layers of plastic film on both sides of the exposed aluminum foil insulating sheet. The type protected by clear plastic layers is what is normally used by manufacturers for windshield sun shades for example, where they will be regularly handled. Unprotected Reflectix is not meant to be handled. It's meant to be used as a permanent building insulation.
You can find large rolls of insulating foil WITH the outside layers of clear protective plastic at places like Camping World, and online.
Thanks for the info on oxidation of Reflectix foil insulation. I checked Camping World and didn't see any alternatives. I checked Google and was quickly overwhelmed. Would you be willing to recommend a manufacturer or product name?
Yes, I'd love to know where to get the coated foil stuff also. I was all set to stop at Home Depot and I'm so glad that Beacher described the difference. Makes sense now. Anyone know of a source?
In 2004 they carried a brand name called SpectraFoil. Now, it's generically labeled. However, it still has the exterior polyethylene plastic layers that Reflectix does not have.
If you are looking for an online source, you want "PET/Aluminum insulating foil".
It's manufactured exactly like Reflectix, (probably by the exact same offshore source), with layers of aluminum laminated over a single or double layer of polyethylene bubble wrap. However, PET/Aluminum sheet is laminated at the aluminum mill during it's manufacturing process with a coating of PET-PolyETheylene, so it's not bare, exposed, electrically conductive, and chemically reactive on at least one side. Sometimes familiar food packaging is made with double sided PET/Aluminum sheet, like kid's juice paks. When you stick the pointed straw through one of those juice paks you are piercing the polyetheylene layers.
* This post was
edited 04/24/08 12:07pm by Beacher *
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