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Camper_Jeff_&_Kelli

Seattle

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Posted: 01/10/22 01:33am

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Today's Project, Making A Warmer Truck Camper Bed.
Cedar Lattice For Ventilation. SIKA 1" Insulation Board To Keep Mattress Warmer. Flannel Sheets To Be Warm And Cozy In Bed.
I've seen others on the RV.NET forum do similar projects in the past. This is my attempt at it. I'll be traveling in some cold areas, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, the next while and based upon my last winter trip to these areas, I decided I better try something to make winter life in a truck camper a little more comfortable. Getting some electric booties to keep the tootsies warm while sitting at the dinette. I did a test with a couple thermometers last trip and found a 30 degree difference from the floor to the sink countertop, 40 floor, 70 countertop. The feet were very uncomfortable. The furnace is doing a lot of work to keep the temperature up.
I'm open to suggestions for improvement.
J&K

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* This post was edited 01/10/22 11:36am by an administrator/moderator *

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ticki2

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Posted: 01/10/22 02:42am

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I think you will find that the foil face insulation directly under the mattress will still condensate , the moisture comes from you body . Better to put the insulation directly on the cab over floor and then the latttice on the insulation for circulation , then the mattress .

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WNYBob

Tonawanda, NY

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Posted: 01/10/22 05:31am

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When I had my TC, I used Harbor Freight's fatigue mat. They are 3/4" thick flexible foam and they interlock. It adds insulation and a little cushion.
Worked great for the low cost.

JimK-NY

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Posted: 01/10/22 07:01am

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I have a 3 season Northstar camper which does not do all that well when temps are freezing or below. I have found a few mods that help.

A lot of cold air seems to come in through the back door. I hung a heavy curtain in front of the door that helps a lot.

I have an 8" thick mattress that provides great insulation, but it feels really cold initially. I use an oversized hot water bottle. It will take boiling water and has a knit cover to prevent being burned. I put it in the bed a bit in advance. It warms the bed and the heat lasts for hours. With enough blankets, I am usually comfortable without even running the heat at night. I hate hearing the furnace run all night plus it uses a lot of battery power. Condensation under the bed is a problem but I do not want the claustrophobic feeling of raising the bed so I just prop up the mattress periodically to make sure the area under the mattress does not become damp.

One of the biggest improvements I made was adding carpeting. I bought inexpensive, indoor/outdoor carpeting from the home center and spent a couple of hours getting a perfect fit. I was initially concerned about the carpet getting dirty but that is not an issue. I can easily pull out the carpet and beat off the dirt. If it gets really bad, I wash it. Even in the coldest nights I can get out of bed and walk across the floor to use the restroom without getting icy cold feet.

The next major improvement was to seal off the space between the camper and sides of the truck. I used slabs of rigid foam insulation to get a good sealed off area. That also keeps the wheel well storage areas clean. That is where I put extra boots, dirty laundry and misc items such a big extension cord and paper goods.

Geo*Boy

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Posted: 01/10/22 07:13am

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Use HyperVent under the mattress to prevent moisture and mold in your mattress.

Sjm9911

New Jersey

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Posted: 01/10/22 07:46am

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Cut reflexdex for the windows also( like the pop up people do). But looks like a good install. Should help a lot.

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2oldman

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Posted: 01/10/22 08:16am

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Heated mattress pad.

JimK-NY

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Posted: 01/10/22 08:23am

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I tried Reflectix to seal off some of the vents and windows. It is almost worthless. The R value of Reflectix is 1.0. Fabric covers and window shades are a lot more attractive and perhaps even more effective.

Fortunately my Northstar was built with European windows which are double layer with a layer of air sealed between the layers. They are fairly effective especially if I close the shades which traps another layer of air. If you have single layer windows, I recommend heavy fabric curtains.

Do not cover any vents. You need to use them and exhaust fans whenever you generate a lot of moisture such as using the shower or cooking.

jimh406

Western MT

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Posted: 01/10/22 08:25am

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We use Reflectix in the cabinets and under the mattress. We use removable Reflectix for the Windows and skylights. We made a small bag to store the removable parts. Makes quite a difference. We do use a memory foam pad on top of the mattress.

We don't have a condensation issue. Maybe we don't breath enough. [emoticon]

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JimK-NY

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Posted: 01/10/22 08:31am

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2oldman wrote:

Heated mattress pad.

The typical heated mattress pad is going to use about 80-120 AH per night. Plus the ones I have seen are all 120 v so you need a larger inverter to use one and the inverter will waste considerable extra power.

If your rig is hooked up, fine, but I would just use a space heater in that case.