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Old 07-16-2020, 07:44 PM   #1
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Wind/Snow Break

Hi all,
I haven't been on here in a while, but when i was on here i got such amazing advice from everyone.

(Back Story )

As of September 2019 a newbie full time RVer, trying to manage a Michigan winter for my first splash into this lifestyle...Thanks to all the advice, survived wonderfully.

Fast forward, July 2020.
Preparing for another Michigan winter (Thanks Rona for forcing my hand on that) Anyway...The rig "Miss Breezy" did well. I did well, although my furnace quit several times during the winter and due to my mad skills at insulation around the rig, i could not take it to be fixed. Mind you its a 2020 rig, bought at the end of 2019..Very frustrating... again, Rona shut down Dometic, making it hard to get parts. Anyway, planning ahead this year, and the biggest deficit for heat was the slide. I did put the 2 inch foam insulation board along the bottom, as well as the sides of the slide. The window area and front of the slide, were my problem.
I am thinking, i need some kind of windbreak, or something to keep that cold air out. I tried to put up plastic on the windows, but condensation made that a joke.

I would appreciate any input on a possible windbreak idea or any others... Doing this alone has its challenges, but loving this life...

Thanks in advance
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Old 07-16-2020, 08:01 PM   #2
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Get one of these and install it before winter. Diesel compact heater... Install it under the refer maybe? Or in my Bounder, I would have put it under the kitchen cabinets.

As far as window insulation, most of us use that double sided foil bubble wrap type stuff. Home Depot carries it in 3' X 50' rolls. It's like 1/4" thick. Works really well. I use it summer and winter. No condensation that I've found (but I have dual pane too).

But for the front windows, just get that 1" thick foam insulation in sheets and cover that entire area. Ceiling to floor or to dash. Drivers window too. That single pane window is where you lose most of your heat.

Wind break? If you have the space, maybe build a hay bale wall a few feet from the RV? I dunno, takes some thought on your side. You could also install plastic on the outside of the RV over the windows. There's some pretty spectacular double sided tape around these days that could hold it in the harshest of conditions.

Also, some people suffering those conditions recommend closing the slides, all winter.

Keep us posted, and take some pictures!
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Old 07-16-2020, 11:46 PM   #3
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Can you rig a tarp near that side for a windbreak?

Straw draws critters.

Can you just keep the slide closed on windy days?
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Old 07-17-2020, 05:06 PM   #4
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Windbreak

Great advice, as far as pulling in the slide, but the rig is tiny and the way I insulated makes it impossible to pull in slide 😞.
I attached some pictures to explain a bit better. Insulation got painted, as the pink was a bit redneck lol and the chickens pecked it like crazy!!

I have seen a 2 sided windbreak at Camping World, but unsure if they are worth the benjamins. Has anyone used them?

Would live to see pictures of ideas maybe some full timers have implemented

Thanks😏
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Old 07-17-2020, 06:00 PM   #5
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Reflectix is what you want.......and cuts with scissors......works good in the windows also...
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Old 07-17-2020, 06:05 PM   #6
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Okay, now that I see your rig, I am certain that with your mad skills that you can put 3 layers of plastic over those windows. I bought the Snow King brand of shrinking plastic for a cabin in Fairbanks, Alaska!

I ended up covering up hose horribly leaky windows, single pane, with 3 layers of that Frost King shrink type plastic. And that worked great! The first layer had frost on it the entire winter, the 2nd layer just a bit in the corners during the coldest part (-55 F), and the room layer, none at all. And I could see out of them like they were glass all winter too.

In your case, since you own the RV (right ?) you can build 1/2" X 1/2" wood strip frames, attach the shrink plastic, shrink it so it's nice and tight, then screw it to the walls around the windows on the inside. You'd have to remove the Day/Night shades and those thingies that are over them or down the sides. Not a big deal because they're easy to store.

Cardboard and wood make an easy to build storm window for the inside OR the outside. But for the outside, I'd put a shrink type storm window there too only I'd use 3M double sided tape around the edge of the window frame and stick the shrink plastic to that. With my style of windows (that look much like yours), that would give a 1/2"-1" gap between the plastic and the window, and that's important for storm windows.

So making your own storm windows would take half a day, plus you get to use your wood cutting tools and measure stuff.

And of course, if you didn't last year, now's the time to put thick plastic down UNDER the RV.
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Old 07-17-2020, 07:18 PM   #7
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How about putting that exterior foam board all around the outside, even covering the window during the coldest days. Even put a sheet on the roof. Ideally cover the foam board in black tar paper to absorb heat on sunny days. That's what we would do for bee hives that we tried to winter over in Mich.
Snow fence would make another good wind barrier, but you will have snow drifts to contend with, but that could be a good thing if the drifts are in the right place.
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Old 07-18-2020, 12:05 AM   #8
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You guys rock

This is why I so love this forum!! Thank you for all the great ideas! I am definitely going to try the storm window.

I have to have sunlight, so covering up the windows with foam insulation would be detrimental for my sanity with Michigan’s gloomy winter, but one on the roof is something to think about.

Please explain more about the plastic underneath the rig!!
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Old 07-18-2020, 08:52 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Miss Breezy View Post
This is why I so love this forum!! Thank you for all the great ideas! I am definitely going to try the storm window.

I have to have sunlight, so covering up the windows with foam insulation would be detrimental for my sanity with Michigan’s gloomy winter, but one on the roof is something to think about.

Please explain more about the plastic underneath the rig!!
At any hardware store, they'll have rolls of thick black plastic. Typically called ground cover. And it's used to cover the ground under a home being built, in the crawl space. This cover has many uses, for instance it blocks radon gas, helps keep smells down, prevents plant growth, makes a less than desirable home for pests, and the #1 reason is it prevents moist air from seeping up from the ground accumulating under the home. Cold moist air seeping up into the living space takes a lot of energy to warm so the ground cover is an energy saver. (Not much, but enough to make it worth while to install the cover).

It works for RV'ers just like home owners as I've read on RV forums many times. Some of them report they put 1-2 electric heaters under there and the plastic helps keep the underside of the RV warmer in the dead of winter, so their pipes don't freeze, better than without the ground cover.

It can attract critters if it's heated under there so many forgo heating.

The ground cover is typically used with full skirting.
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Old 07-18-2020, 03:46 PM   #10
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I really like the “Jim Hi Tec” recommendations for you. I would like him to elaborate on the three layer concept he described. Was all three layers on the outside? Also, was it Frost King?

I would suggest covering the hole under the slinky seen in your pictures.

You now know the prevailing winter winds. Stacking high hay bales in the proper locations maybe a good thought. None close to the camper.

I hope there is some added insulation added to the top of the slide out.

I worked on my departed uncle’s single wide winterizing it once after he was gone. He had built a sort of man cave around where all the water and sewage connections were under the trailer going into the house. That area was insulated and heated with a single small electric heater in the northern Illinois winters for many years. Yes the entire perimeter of the trailer was closed up also.

Peace…
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Old 07-18-2020, 04:31 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NRR View Post
I really like the “Jim Hi Tec” recommendations for you. I would like him to elaborate on the three layer concept he described. Was all three layers on the outside? Also, was it Frost King?

Peace…
It was a very old cabin, had wood frame windows. Single pane with those up/down frames with the split in the middle and a window latch. Old time windows. So if you can imagine this log home with '50's style wooden window frames, than imagine a couple inches of freeboard on the inside of the cabin between the window pane and the window trim.

The Frost King shrink window kit comes with 1/2" wide cardboard that you wrap the plastic edge (after cutting it to size plus an inch or two), roll the plastic around the cardboard, than staple or double sticky tape (or both) it to the inside of the window frame...1/2" away from the glass pane. All the way around. Started at the top, did each side, then the bottom, than shrunk the plastic. I did prep the wood as best I could. Sand paper, fill a hole or two, level it as best as possible with wood filler. Old house, so you can imagine.

Then came another layer of plastic 1/2" away from the first. And finally, followed it with a 3rd layer of plastic but this time used the outside edge of the trim boards. Did this on 2 large and 2 smaller windows. I started the winter with just the 1 layer of plastic, and as the winter progressed, had to add another than another layer the colder it got.

Once I got to that 3rd layer (the glass panes were so leaky that I don't even count them as a layer), it was pretty comfortable inside. (I'd worked on the door too so that was nice and air tight). Ended up with no drafts and just used the tiny oil burning heater in the wall to keep the outside daily -40 F and the nightly -55 F temps at bay inside where it was 68 F to 74 F.

Once you shrink those plastic panes down with a hair dryer (for you bachelors, you can pick one up at any thrift shop for a buck or two), they are as clear as glass. In my case they ended up very tight and clear plus air tight for the most part. The Frost King kits are inexpensive too. And this type of storm window is for the inside of the house. A different method is used for the outside. Probably, maybe.

I've also used that thick clear-as-glass plastic you get off of big rolls from Home Depot. I had lots of fun building wooden storm windows using that plastic for the outside of an apartment I rented...attached by wood screws to the outside wall over the windows. Used them for 2 wet and cold years and left them for the new renters. Easily repaired with clear packing tape when needed...which wasn't often.

Also made a giant clear plastic and wood sliding glass door storm door. With a hinge so I could open it if necessary. Used that on the house I bought until I could afford a new vinyl dual pane sliding door. That also worked well over a winter.

The trick with making your own wood/plastic storm windows or doors is to lift both ends 1/2" to 3/4" before attaching the plastic. When you do that, and pick it up, it stretches the plastic so there's no wrinkles. Takes a bit of practice though.

None of this stuff took over a weekend to accomplish. Planning took longer.
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