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Skylight
Yahoo Message Number: 23091
Well, things are really heating up in the High Desert of Calif! We tried to take the LD out for a morning spin to an open riding area with friends and quads, but found the air cond. only brought the inside temp. down by 15 degrees. Not enough!

We have insulated our storage compartments and made insulated window covers after getting a ton of useful info about insulating various parts of the LD from Larry (lw5315us - message #22585 for those of you interested. Thanks Larry!) But we are still left with one burning (no pun intended) question...

How do you'all insulate the bathroom skylight, if you have one? Ours, in our RK, seems to let in enough heat to keep the bathroom very, very hot, which of course helps to keep the rest of the rig very, very warm...

Would a vent cover made of the insulated foil work? I hesitant to seal off the skylight entirely because I am arfaid it will get so hot between the skylight and the insulation that the skylight would be too strained by the heat build-up in the small space between it and the insulation.

We have two big skylights in our house, with pleated shades that I leave open all winter, and closed all summer. We still get filtered light, but barely any heat. I dont. want to do a pleated shade in the LD bathroom, but what should I do?

Sure would welcome any and all ideas from you brainiacs out there. Thanks in advance!

Linda 2001 RK in SUNNY Victorville

Re: Skylight
Reply #1
Yahoo Message Number: 23101
Quote
we are still left with one burning (no pun intended) question...

How do you'all insulate the bathroom skylight ...
We purchased a 1.5" thick sheet of styrofoam insulating material at a building supply store.  Buy the stuff with a skin on each face so it won't shed. I think the stuff we got had alumimum foil on one face and plastic on the other.

After carefully measuring the size of the skylight over the shower use a carpenter's square to guide the knife and cut a plug of the material just a bit larger than the hole (so it will be a pressure fit). Styrofoam sheds from its cut edges, so wrap tape over the edge, all the way around the plug.  The 2" wide clear plastic tape one uses to wrap packages works as does duct tape.

If you now press the plug into the hole, you will suddenly realize that there is no way to get it back out!  So grab a couple lengths of folded over duct tape and stick them to the plug.  Let them hang down from edge of the plug to serve as handles to pull the plug back out of the hole.
 We store it behind the clothes in the end of the wardrobe when it is out of the skylight.

Linley

Re: Skylight
Reply #2
Yahoo Message Number: 23108
"How do you'all insulate the bathroom skylight, if you have one? Ours, in our RK, seems to let in enough heat to keep the bathroom very, very hot, which of course helps to keep the rest of the rig very, very warm.."

Linda

Is the overheating a problem all the time or only when camping?

When we are camping in very hot conditions and using the A/C, we close the vents and cover them with insulated covers like the one shown below.  One side of the cover is an aluminized for reflecting the sunlight back toward the outside.
See `Solar Vent Shield' http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus/index.cfm? deptID=3&subOf=51,16&skunum=10933

When at home or camping, without using the A/C, we leave both vents open with the Fantastic Fan's thermostat set to run anytime the interior temperature exceeds 90 degrees.  Both of our vents do have MaxxAir covers, modified for much greater airflow. They provide some limited shade for the vent. I guess you could line the inside or outside of the cover with aluminum foil or white paint to improve their shading ability.  This would certainly help your situation.

A RV cover might also help. Our LD seems to stay cooler with the cover on. This summer I will have to measure the interior temp with the cover on and off for several days to see it this really true.
Once again, we always leave the vents open.  I leave them open year round when stored to prevent heat and moisture build-up.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze

Re: Skylight
Reply #3
Yahoo Message Number: 23135
I was reading this message, and wanted to share a related experience.
We were sailors for 15 years and spent many long hot humid days on the Bay here in MD.  I made a suspend bimini, to go over our cockpit out of a sun blocking curtain liner (fabric can be purchased where you buy drapery fabrics)  It is like a cotton with a rubbery backing.  It lowered the temp significantly in our cockpit or seating area.  If you could find a way to velcro this fabric under your skylight maybe that would help.  It would block the light and the sun.  Sharon

Re: Skylight
Reply #4
Yahoo Message Number: 23234
Linda, Other than the ideas already given regarding insulating the skylight in the bathroom you may want to check with Lazy Daze. I thought they had a specially made insulating cover for the shower skylight for sale and that may be the easiest way of getting yours insulated.

I'd also suggest you have the A/C unit serviced to make sure it's working within specs. You have a 2001 and the A/C should have been serviced annually to keep the warranty in force. If you haven't had that done at all since you bought the unit you should get it done! Even with high temps and the skylight not insulated a 15° difference between inside and outside temp sounds more like the A/C isn't working properly to me, unless you've been going in and out of it frequently. You may also want to invest in a fan or two to help it out in circulating the air better.

Mike R.

 
Re: Skylight
Reply #5
Yahoo Message Number: 23254
richmondmj829  wrote: Snippet:

Quote
I'd also suggest you have the A/C unit serviced to make sure
it's

Quote
working within specs.

Mike R.
******

Mike, Thank you for putting this in writing! I have been hinting to my better half that since we bought the unit used in April, perhaps a pro should look it over. He is very much a pro himself at many mechanical and technical things, but some things are left to the trained experts. I will print out your reply for him to see another man's opinion!

Linda