Cabin insulation for winter camping (1 Viewer)

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JDMark

JDMark

Joined
Apr 13, 2016
Threads
16
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Location
Everett, WA
Howdy ya'll,
I do a lot of camping with my 80 and sleep inside. I love snow camping but the cabin is horrible at retaining heat. I have a butane heater but once it's off it gets cold quickly. Does anyone have any tips on modifications I can do/parts to look into replacing to help contain some heat better? Weather stripping? Add some dynamat? I'm sleeping on a platform/drawer setup that is level with the 2nd row seats when folded if that matters. Interior is stock besides that, still have carpet etc. Any insight is appreciated.
 
retrofive said:
There was a thread somewhere about RTT blankets, etc.

Here is a couple ideas, but not the one was thinking of.

roof top tent in cold weather?
Electric Blanket Camping

I have power to rear quarter panel for 12v and dean style plugins to either use in truck or extend to the RTT.
Click to expand...

Thanks i'll do some reading. I have power to the back but only one battery (the largest duralast gold I could fit) - hopefully I won't wake up to a dead battery.

hvUci5S.jpg
 
If you run an electric blanket, figure that it'll pull 4A or more from 12V. Run it all night and you have a problem on your hands... I'd seriously not go out in that kind of weather with a single battery. At the very least I'd take along a quality li-ion jump start pack... unless you have other vehicles with you (that aren't also running electric blankets all night).

cheers,
george.
 
We do quite a bit of winter camping where I live and it gets ridiculously cold sometimes(the last time I went last winter it was -35F without the windchill factor and closer to -60F with it). We use canvas wall tents with little titanium woodstoves in them but you can use a good mountaineering tent if you don't have one of those. I would think sleeping the truck would be about the same as sleeping in the tent without a stove and in that case, your best bet is a really warm sleeping bag. I use a North Face Tundra as my winter bag and I think it's rated for -25F and I have never gotten cold in it. It's probably cheaper and easier to just get the right gear for yourself than it would be to modify the truck.
 
Use a heavier sleeping bag.
 
A good winter sleeping bag is pretty costly for something you may only use for a couple months out of the year.

I just take the down comforter along with me in winter.
 
This past winter my son and I used good quality sleeping bags rated to -30. And we rigged up space blankets to the inside of the sleeping space. The only night we stayed in our sleeping bags all night was when it was -6. Other than that we usually woke up too hot.

Sleep platform had 1/2" foam insulation with reflectix attic insulation over it then carpet.
 
I camp year-round in all conditions from -15 to 115.

My solution: Wiggy's sleeping bags -40* system (dual bag) and some Thermarest foam mats in a tent with the down-wind windows -open- to cut down on condensate.

Sleeping in your cruiser in sub zero conditions is going to result in serious frost/condensate -everywhere-, including inside the dash, carpets, headliner, etc... A few sub 20* outings sleeping in your cruiser will result in your cruiser smelling like a wet dog. The condensing moisture is from your breath and perspiration.

Alternatively, if you have to sleep in your truck, open the windows a bit to allow ventilation and double up the sleeping bags AND foam mats. Once you're in a good sleeping bag the highest heat transport from your body is to the ground where the insulation is compressed. One or more layers of closed cell foam mats makes a world of difference.

Don't use blow-up mats in the cold. PV=nRT. As the air in them gets colder (from ground contact), it's volume decreases, which results in your lying on the ground, which sucks heat from your body, which makes you cold.

Cold weather camping is a lot of fun - but can be dangerous if done wrong. The key is to use insulation to keep your own heat in. Heating your environment to be comfortable with less insulation is not a reliable solution. An unreliable solution is a dangerous solution.

IMHO YMMV
 
Dual pane windows would help. All that glass provides absolutely Zero insulation
 
Put in a system that starts and runs the motor whenever the temperature and/or battery voltage hits a set-point. Have it then run until you get up to a target temperature and voltage. Plug in your heated blanket and keep the set point as low as you comfortably can. Definitely need to crack the windows to allow humidity from your breathing to escape and fresh air to get in.

Just a thought. Not necessarily well thought out...
 
I used to freeze to death winter camping until I started sleeping with two 15 degree rated bags. One inside the other. Works great. Make sure you crack a window; you need fresh air.
 
The Take away's: the windows are the main source of heat loss, however, you need to keep them cracked anyway to cut down on condensation.

A proper mattress i.e. Not an air mattress in cold weather, is essential to insulate your body from your sleeping platform.

A proper sleeping bag/system is essential for your comfort. On that note, I don't know why people bother wearing full clothing in cold weather in their sleeping bag, sleeping bags are meant to sleep in with little/no clothing. The insulate and radiate body heat back onto you. If you're wearing clothes in a sleeping bag you're not accomplishing much.

12v blankets are awesome for cold weather camping....if you have dual batteries or a programmable remote start system.

And the winner in my opinion, Webasto or Eberspacher. This however is for those who will be doing a lot of camping because they're spendy and often require fuel system mods as well as cutting of the floorboard
 
Theres cold and there is COLD. I run a Webasto hydronic unit off an auxiliary battery. I rewired the fan for the rear heat exchanger to auxilliary so starting batteries are not involved unless i choose to connect. The block and oil pan are kept warm all night and, importanly, this heat store/sink stabilizes the hydronic cycling intervals - a benefit for service longevity, albeit with some loss in efficiency (if you just wanted hot air per Airtop type previously mentioned). My 100 amp hour auxilliary gives me plenty for 10 hours with some evening tunes - taking me down to about 50% depending on temps and fan speed (which i use to control heat)

Ditto the thick foam over the floor and a good winter bag - while I am comfortable with heat, I always plan that my Webasto could quit and at minus 30C you're in a serious situation fast.

I crack passenger windows for cross ventilation or just downwind side and have a 0.5V computer fan on the ceiling on a pwm speed switch. This keeps the warmth moving. All my windows have bubble plastic double foiled inserts cut to shape. Added bonus is privacy and darkness for sleeping. A friend suggested draping the sleeping area with silk. He is a military type and assures me its thermal benefits.

I've been thinking of insulating the body panels as well. I'm paranoid about moisture trapping inside panels so I'd probably just use same as on my windows and make it easily removeable. Like being in a spaceship though maybe a little too much silver going on - especially with the LED lights in there. Might be mistaken for a mobile grow op!


1990 HDJ81
Money pit and ongoing project
 
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