Insulation

[vannooch-HILO]

Ok, I gotta question. Since my Honey doesn't like to be cold, I had to nix my March trip twice. One of the reasons that I wanted to take it was to see how it did in the cold weather.
I got to thinking tonight and asked myself the question, How much insulation does my trailer have?
Does anyone know what the insulating values of the roof, walls and floor are?
I realize that the windows will have an impact, but only owning the trailer for six months, I'm still learning.

 

[Fireballsocal]

I know it's made out of styrofoam but I don't know how thick or the R value, sorry. My waste tanks are exposed (towlite) so I'm sure these aren't meant to get down into below freezing temps much.

 

[Charliek-HILO]

Not sure if this will help you but I rebuilt an old 63 Layton trailer and I used 1 inch foam board in the walls and I lived in it in Ashland Oregon while going to college for 2 years and it would get pretty cold at night. My trailer was only a 15 ft over all. However the part you are interested in is I used a De Longi oil filled radiator type heater to heat the trailer with and I kept is set on the low button which was I think 1000 btu. The only insulation on the floor was the floor itself. I could not turn the heater above 5 or else it would run me out of the trailer. Foam board is the same stuff they use in coolers for the walls. Well it is expansion type foam but it still has a pretty good insultation factor. I am not sure what it is but it works pretty good. More than one night I would get up to find my water hose frozen and I only slept with a light blanket and sheet and I was never cold. If I m correct the trailers come with at least a 12000 btu heater which is more than ample for its use. One thing you might keep in mind, these trailers were built in Ohio and they had to meet their specs which are better than say a camp trailer that might be built in a warmer climate. However trailers now days are built with comfort in mind so unless you are stuck in a snow blizzard without a way to heat your trailer you will find you are fairly comfortable. I think the term that might fit here is "snug as a bug in a rug"

Chuck

 

[vannooch-HILO]

I think that the walls and floor are one inch, but I wasn't sure about the roof. Or what kind of r value it gave the trailer. I know that the end caps on the top aren't insulated very well either, but that's an easy fix. I was adding speakers mid ship and had to get into the nosecone to run the wiring into the upper cabinets and there was very thin fiberglass batt insulation but not much, I can add to that though.

 

[PaulS-HILO]

Ah just find a big camper size quilt and wrap the camper in it...

 

[boater454]

I know it's a lot warmer than my old TrailManor.

 

[vannooch-HILO]

Ah just find a big camper size quilt and wrap the camper in it...

Oh, I like snuggling up! We have a Cabella's Adam and Eve double sleeping bag that cooks me. She worrys about during the day and not being able to play outside very long.

 

[vannooch-HILO]

I know it's a lot warmer than my old TrailManor.

I was considering a Trailmanor, by the tone in your post, I think that I am glad that I didn't....

 

[boater454]

I was considering a Trailmanor, by the tone in your post, I think that I am glad that I didn't....

Yeah it had very little insulation and the beds hang out in the air so there is cold air under them. Here's some more info I posted on the differences.

http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f17/coming-back-hi-lo-761/

TrailManors are very lightweight though.

 

[JMDoering]

David,
Our 1969 Bon Voyager has 1" fiberglass batting sandwiched between an outer aluminum skin and inside paneling.
I've wintered over in this trailer and stayed very comfortable... but at some cost as I went through lots of propane until: I installed a wall-to-wall piece of really thick shag carpet and and really thick carpet pad... And installed some home made acrylic storm windows on the leakiest sliders and the door window... And stuffed scrap foam rubber in the gap between to upper and lower halves... And bought an electric blanket that permitted me to turn the furnace down at night. Finally, I was given a REALLY good pair of down booties that I put on every time the boots came off!

Jim

 

[vannooch-HILO]

Thanks for the advice Jim.
I was planning on making either plexiglass or lexan interior storm windows for all of the windows. I also was planning to open up the end panels and add batt insulation to those, and possibly reflectix under the floor. I know that the floor is insulated in mine, when I was poking around under there when I first got it and saw what seemed to be vent holes (because they had a metal screen protecting them from critters) in the floor and there was an inch of foam insulation. I am planning to ultra heat the tanks and add reflectix over them as well. My freshwater tank has one inch of foam insulation over it, was suprised to see that.
Jeanine just doesn't like to be cold, like i stated earlier overnight won't be a problem, but just hangin out in there during the dalight hours could be an issue if she is frozen.
I was poking around on some of the other trailer manuffacturers websites and they are talking about four inches of foam in the roof and r-13 walls and r-19 floors, so I was curious about my HiLo.
I'll probably fab up something for the two vents in the roof and something for the A/C to help hold in heat. I recently read somewhere that some one is using foam pipe insulation between the two halves, thats an awesome idea. I was trying to think of something for the inside like the velcro flap that the Trailmanor has, but pipe insulation soulds like a better bet.
I'm booked up for tthe next two weekends but I may try to get it out on the 8th-10th.