Heat in rear closet

[Rambling Man]

We are on our way home from our first real shakedown in our, new to us, 2010 Hr Scepter. After the first full day of travel, we drove from Baton Rouge to SAMs Town Tunica Mississippi resort, just below Memphis, we discovered the heat from the engine compartment had shriveled up our Crocs on the floor of the rear mounted closet. We folded a quilted mattress cover and covered the floor in the closet and reduced the heat the next day to a tolerable level on our clothes hanging above, but it stayed hot under the mattress cover for hours. I am thinking of fitting a windshield solar shield to the floor as insulation when we get home. Has anyone addressed this issue successfully?

I have a few other issues to ask about but will post them in seperate threads to minimize confusion.

Wiley

[2 Stroker]

Do you know your coolant temp, is the fan coming on, is it a rear radiator or side because it should not get that hot.
2 stroker

[William Willard]

Originally Posted by Rambling Man

We are on our way home from our first real shakedown in our, new to us, 2010 Hr Scepter. After the first full day of travel, we drove from Baton Rouge to SAMs Town Tunica Mississippi resort, just below Memphis, we discovered the heat from the engine compartment had shriveled up our Crocs on the floor of the rear mounted closet. We folded a quilted mattress cover and covered the floor in the closet and reduced the heat the next day to a tolerable level on our clothes hanging above, but it stayed hot under the mattress cover for hours. I am thinking of fitting a windshield solar shield to the floor as insulation when we get home. Has anyone addressed this issue success



I have a few other issues to ask about but will post them in seperate threads to minimize confusion.

Wiley

Yes, I have addressed the hot closet issue -- Bill Willard

[H. Miller]

You mention adding the flimsy windshield "shade" as though there is NO insulation now??? Our '04 Monaco product has 1" factory installed aluminum faced flexible insulation with only a very slight "closet heat problem". Doubt seriously the thin windshield shade would do much. Why not use the 1" thick insulating board (aluminum covered) available in 4X8' sheets at most any home repair store?

[Rambling Man]

Originally Posted by 2 Stroker

Do you know your coolant temp, is the fan coming on, is it a rear radiator or side because it should not get that hot.
2 stroker

I have a side radiator and VMSpc shows 195 to 201. 209 was max I saw once climbing an Arkansas hill.

Hal, great suggestion. I will look that way. Thanks

Wiley

[William Willard]

Originally Posted by William Willard

Yes, I have addressed the hot closet issue -- Bill Willard

The 1 1/2 inch foam board is what I used -- I then cut a piece of luan to cover the foam board -- Take the hatch covers off, & see if there are gaps in the gaskets -- If the gaskets are compressed, & not making a good seal, then you will need to replace them -- Bill Willard

[MSHappyCampers]

I cut pieces of Reflectix insulation from Lowes and covered the floor of the closet, then put carpet over that. It does a pretty good job!

[2 Stroker]

We just came back from a 350mi trip outside temps around 90degs. After reading and posting to this I place a digital outside temperature gauge
Amazon.com: Oregon Scientific BAR208HGA Advanced Weather Station with Atomic Time: Home & Kitchen
on the floor in the closet to see what it would be, doing 62mph the temps ran 84-85deg these sent to the main temp unit setting on the dash, I just had to see what I came up with, not bad.
2 stroker

[Dutch Star Don]

Rambling Man.....I believe the Scepter is the same level as the Camelot. Not having seen yours, I'm guessing that when you open your rear engine doors, your engine compartment is completely boxed in with the floor of the coach only a a foot or so above the engine.

On our friend's Camelot, they had the same situation. When the original Monaco was still around, they actually had a repair for this. There is a section above your rear doors that they cut out (about 8"-10" tall and the width of the doors). They installed a metal mesh material and nicely finished off the edges. They then mounted two electric radiator fans behind the mesh that were on a thermostat. This would draw the hot air out of that enclosed box they made for the engine.

They also had a very small person (no kidding on the size) crawl in on top of the engine and secure fire proof (reflective) foam board to the ceiling of the engine compartment. Our friends were past the warranty repair and their son did a very nice job adding the mesh vent and finishing the edges.

[super_rep]

I'd go to an auto wrecker and buy a 12V radiator cooling fan from one of the cars that use them for cooling, install it on the engine compartment grill and hook it up to run on a 20-30 minute timer every time the engine is shut down.

Had one on our '91 Beaver Marquis and it did wonders for dissipating the residual heat when we stopped. I also glued up "Refltex" insulation on the ceiling of the engine compartment. We never even noticed engine heat while traveling or upon arrival.

[Playtime III]

We have a rear bath so I set the Fantastic Fan to come on at 85 which helps.

I also open the engine compartment doors upon arrival at the CG. By the time I do my evening walk around it is cool enough to close.