Staying Warm, and Cool Later

Our test run to Georgia in freezing temps showed us several problems that needed to be addressed. A leak in the faucet was resolved with a better plug of the hot water inlet. We considered adding a tankless water heater, but decided to forego it this year. Our water system is now complete for 2018.

We bought a thin area rug, then cut it to fit between the cabinets to keep the floor warmer. We brought in our other camping heaters to see if there was a better one than what we used in the Okefenokee. One we decided has no value, and will be recycled in some way. A third has a little louder fan than our initial choice, but puts out a similar amount of heat. We will pack them both for now, since they can run in tandem without tripping a breaker.

The next weak spot was our windows. They are tinted, but their two foot height stretches all around the van, creating a stripe of cold air flowing into our living space. We insulated the floor, walls and ceiling, but not the windows. So what to do? The solution we found is radiant foil insulation aka Reflectix. Our local Ace Hardware in Neptune Beach was the only store that had some on hand. The stuff is like silver cardboard: two surfaces separated by a corrugated center. The net effect is it should reflect the hot sun on warm days, and act as a barrier against the cold in the winter. (I've heard it's too effective in the summer, that it can harm the glass, so we'll have to be careful out West.) For now, we just hope it will keep the heat in and the cold out. We've cut pieces to fit the six side windows and two rear door windows. The windshield and front doors are already handled by our current sunshade, which is what gave us the idea.

The pieces for the front side windows store easily above the cabinet

The middle side windows get form fit pieces

So we spent two nights in White Springs, at Stephen Foster Nature Center and State Park. With Reflectix on all six side windows and the two rear door windows, and our felt area rug covering the vinyl floor, we broke out one of the ceramic heaters and watched as it quickly brought the living space up to a comfortable temperature. We had it on the floor, since heat rises, and it was impressive how much faster the whole van got warm, and then stayed warm. It actually got colder overnight than on our Georgia trip, but we stayed significantly warmer, and the heater was set to a much lower temperature. Ernie was retaining the heat, and the cold wasn't intruding nearly as quickly.

We will put tape magnets to the four panels covering the windows with screens. Packing tape worked after a fashion, but it's now really reusable. With a few small magnets they'll attach quickly to the metal window frame, and another little comfort problem will be addressed.