# Motorhome interior heat loss



## RichardD (Sep 14, 2009)

This is our first MH and I've been surprised at the level of heat loss!!! I thought with the modern vans and the thickness of insulation used in walls and ceilings it would be alot better than my old Bailey caravan circa 1992.

I was out working in the van yesterday with a small electric fire on and the temperature got up to around 14C, finished about mid-afternoon and turned the heat off.

This morning the temperature had dropped to just below 3C which is the outside temperature. I was expecting heat loss and would have hope that the inside temperature would have been 3 or 4 degrees higher than outside. Bearing in mind that it's not really cold yet like last year, I'm concerned. 

I don't yet have front silver screens which will help, but do any of you have other solutions (other than leaving on the truma) to reduce heat loss?

Richard


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

You're not the first Rapido owner I've heard complaining about poor insulation.

Windscreen covers are a must at this time of year.


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

Everything chills down fast .
However we are off to the Alps soon so I have made some inserts to go between windows and blinds. I used some sealed foam camp mat material cut to shape. I also made some for the roof lites.

Should reduce some loss of heat.

Kev


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

It's not a problem we've had but, you are right, the external screens will make a lot of difference.

While you are waiting to get some then you might try a homemade solution- ie a thick blanket or similar hung from something ( string ?) above the cab area. Not pretty but, if it makes a difference then you will know that it is not poor external wall insulation that is causing the heat loss.

You might also try putting your hand around the outside edge of your fridge and seeing if you get a draught there. It's not unknown for manufacturers to fit fridges without the necessary seal between the back of the fridge and the inside of the van.

You might well have lots of other holes to the outside, apart from the vital gas leakage and ventilation ones that should not be blocked. Sometimes manufacturers lead pipes and wires through huge holes and crawling around under the van with some foam sealant to block them might help.

G


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## alshymer (Nov 4, 2007)

*Motorhome heat loss*

Hi
Just a word of warning.
We have insulated our Hymer so well with insulation, between all the blinds and windows and in the roof vents, which is very nice but the biproduct is loads of condensation!!
This has been a real problem, dampness in cupboards, mould too. Remember the moisture has to go somewhere and it will find the coldest spot, which if it isn't the windows, will be somewhere else!
The more heat you have, the more insulation you need, so open the roof vents.
We have learnt a lesson this winter, fortunately before it was too late!
Best wishes
Alshymer


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi Richard

I would have been amazed if the van had *not *lost its heat after 18 hours in sub-zero temperatures.

That's only a drop of less than one degree per hour, and it would need some pretty phenomenal insulation to prevent that - especially with a huge expanse of single glazed windscreen sucking the heat away!

Don't be concerned. There's nowt wrong with your van - they are all more or less the same. :wink:

Dave


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## RichardD (Sep 14, 2009)

Next purchase then are some silver screens!!

Recommendations for A Class versions??? 

Looked at Van Comfort who supply German manufactured items for £325 ish. Silver Screens do there own at around the same price.

Not sure about how they attach. Any advise?

Richard


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## EJB (Aug 25, 2007)

There are many ventilation holes in the average MH :wink:


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

RichardD said:


> Next purchase then are some silver screens!!
> 
> Recommendations for A Class versions???
> 
> ...


I've tried Silverscreen, Taylormade and Van Comfort.

Of all three makes my vote goes to Silverscreens. The original and the best.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Spacerunner said:


> Of all three makes my vote goes to Silverscreens. The original and the best.


Me too!


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## Roger7webster (Oct 10, 2006)

The silver screen version fits over the driver door and through the passenger sliding window. Held on with suckers 
Very easy to fit and very effective as an insulator. I have the privacy screen version that allows the insulated cover to be removed during the day so we can see out. Worth the extra few quid we believe 
We have found loads of holes that let in the cold air. Pull out the drawers and look around especially around the cooker if you have one fitted 

Roger


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## Kev1 (Apr 4, 2011)

lets be honest
You really need the insulation when you are living in it.
lots of moisture created then so you need to vent your van for about 15 mins to allow moist air out each day.

However when you are not living in it
surely its fine to let it down go down to low temperatures so long
as you have drained it down well. 
We are lucky ours is parked on the drive with a remote temperature sensor in it.
When the temp drops down to near freezing I turn the oil heater on and keep the temp about 2 degrees above freezing.
However we had a caravan for 17 years and never ever molly coddled
it. Only once when I forgot to drain the hot water heater did we have problems.

Kev


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Zebedee said:


> Spacerunner said:
> 
> 
> > Of all three makes my vote goes to Silverscreens. The original and the best.
> ...


NOT ME

Used to be the best but not now i,m afraid.

Paul.


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Our tardis is 6.5 metres long. I can set the heating to run on electric, gas or both. On electric I can set it at 1kw, 2kw or 3kw.
During last winter with snow all around and with the front blind down inside the screen we achieved a 20 degree rise with 1kw of electric heating. The side windows of the cab are double glassed.

Does that help?

C.


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

CliveMott said:


> Our tardis is 6.5 metres long. I can set the heating to run on electric, gas or both. On electric I can set it at 1kw, 2kw or 3kw.
> During last winter with snow all around and with the front blind down inside the screen we achieved a 20 degree rise with 1kw of electric heating. The side windows of the cab are double glassed.
> 
> Does that help?
> ...


6.5metres, pull the other one :roll:

Paul.


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## jsmisfreeatlast (Oct 11, 2010)

RichardD said:


> Next purchase then are some silver screens!!
> 
> Recommendations for A Class versions???
> 
> ...


Hi, I'm in the middle of researching this subject too.

The Hindermann Thermo Lux appears to be the "Dogs Buscuits" of screens( £325 for the Rapido A class, quoted by Motorcaravanning.co.uk in Nov 2011) fits with a door flap one side and either a glued, vertical rail or round press studs on the other side.

http://www.motorcaravanning.co.uk/shopuk/silver_screens_thermolux.htm

They look the bees knees but I'm a bit concerned about gluing bits onto the outside of the van.

My Rapido has long mirrors bracketed at the bottom the upper surface of these brackets are 3-4 cms higher than the base of the windscreen so I was concerned that the screens would snag the brackets and not sit flat when fitted but the motorcaravanning folk got me to send a photo and reckon it won't be a problem.

The other contender is the Polar screen

http://www.vancomfort.co.uk/polarscreens_000.htm

This one doesnt require any body work and fits with a flap through the sliding window on the non door side.

This means you have to slot a piece of wood or metal into the window channel on the inside to" lock" said window..perhaps no bad thing as that particular window seems a weak point, security wise.

As I said I'm still researching so cannot speak from experience..

Re the quality of insullation... I was at my local M/h dealer one very hot day last summer and was checking out some of their A class vans, noting that the interiors where roasting hot I shot off home to open some windows in mine.. I was amazed at how cool the Rapido was compared to the vans at the dealer. so I think Rapido insulation must be pretty good.
good luck

Bst rgds


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

jsmisfreeatlast said:


> RichardD said:
> 
> 
> > Next purchase then are some silver screens!!
> ...


The Thermal Lux Screens look good, wish I,d known about these when I bought my Silver Screens last Sept, I was unaware at the time that J&M had changed the construction material from a solvent based to a water based and are now nowhere near as good weather wise. Indeed J&M Designs tell you not to leave them on for long periods and freely admit they are not as good as the solvent based ones they used to sell. Apparently they had to change the material to comply they said. I,m not sure what with, health and safety or some new legislation etc.

Has anybody bought any of the Thermal Lux ones?
Paul.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

RichardD said:


> Next purchase then are some silver screens!!
> 
> Recommendations for A Class versions???
> 
> ...


My vote goes to Van Comfort. Had mine 3 years ago and they are excellent. Alloy tracks are fitted to each side of the van over the side window/driver's door and you slide the side pieces into the track, then the windscreen piece is attached to the sides with substantial Velcro strips sewn into each piece and then elastic straps go down to the skirts to tension the whole thing.

Snug as a bug in the cold!


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

javea said:


> RichardD said:
> 
> 
> > Next purchase then are some silver screens!!
> ...


I think they are all good in the cold, sun etc. Its the wind, snow and rain i,m interested in and how they stand upto long periods in winter left on.

I,m thinking of long termers/fulltimers here.

Paul.


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

As regards the van staying warm, have you met the concept of "thermal capacity"? This depends on the mass (weight) of material and the type of material: night-storage heaters are basically big lumps of concrete or brick, which are heated up at night and take a long while during the day to cool down.

My old brick-built house takes a couple of days to get cosy if we've been away, but then retains it's warmth quite happily.

There is very little in the way of thermal capacity in a van: a few sheets of wood and a couple of bits of plastic. Probably the biggest component is your crockery!

As regards screens, we use home-made ones - a couple of sheets of bubble-wrap held in place over the gutter-rails with spring pegs, and fastened down under the windscreen wipers.

As a fellow Rapido owner, I can confirm problems with gaps around the fridge and oven. Some of these I've reduced significantly with metal sheets and Duck-tape inserted by removing the external grills. I've built my covers from 2 small metal sheets (to allow insertion through the grill-holes) fastened together by self-tapping screws, thus reducing the likelihood of hot gases contacting the tape.

My next approach will be with foam strips round the front of the fridge and knife drawer.

Good luck - Gordon


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

H1-GBV said:


> My next approach will be with foam strips round the front of the fridge and knife drawer.


Gordon: we've had to take the foam strip route in two of our former vans. I cut strips out of pipe insulating tubes rather than using strips of foam from a sheet, and found these stayed in place more easily and were better at resisting compression and degradation.

If you have problems with down-draughts from the hab area windows then a length of the same pipe insulation, cut in half lengthways, is easy to wedge at the base of the blinds, between the wall and the bottom of the blind. These proved very effective in our old vans.

G


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

Our Van is of the four season variety with internal tanks and exeptional insulation. However we still get heat loss.
Items to check:- External Silver Screen
Door insulation (fill with polystyrene or similar)
Close all dashboard vents
Remember you cannot or should not try to hermetically seal the van some ventilation is essential. Your roof lights (loo and lounge) will always allow a little fresh air circulation.

Steve


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