Winter cab insulation

[kenhaus]

Am doing first winter tour mid Jan hoping to pick up some skiing along the way. Dethleffs coachbuild on a Fiat base. Have the ubiquitous silver screen for the windscreen but was wondering if am going to experience cold spots in the cab, and are the thermal skirts/aprons worth investing in? Any experienced views and tips on this subject welcome!

 

[rosalan]

An external silver screen makes a huge difference but not an internal one which is cheaper and as far as I can tell, does not do anything in winter or summer.
In the summer, the heat is already inside the van when it meets the screen and the same in the winter, except it will produce enough condensation to fill a kettle.
Yes! You may experience cold spots in the cab area, to counter this many vans have a curtain on a rail that runs around the cab, isolating the non-double glazed windows at the front. Even on the coldest winter nights, with van heating on, you should be snug and comfortable.

 

[two]

The external covers need to extend around the side windows, too, if they are not double glazed. You may be able to get an internal skirt, to cover the footwell, and stop draughts from the various vents. I believe these can be more effective than external ones.

 

[Two on Tour]

Turn your cab heater controls to recycled rather than fresh air as this will help shut off cold air coming in via that route.

 

[Badknee]

Our external silver screens are the long version and cover the grills at the bottom of the windscreen.
On each door liner there are holes punched in the card, I have eased the cards away from the door and slid some plastic sheet in to stop draughts coming in that way.

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[WillH]

My wife made a quilted skirt that clips to the bottom of the dash, stops a lot of the draught when it's windy

 

[kenhaus]

Thanks for the responses. Simple things like turning heater controls to recycle could be handy. Am sure will learn a lot from my first Alpine motorhoming.

 

[138go]

Make sure you have the right tires as some countries insist you have the correct tires for winter weather.

 

[Guigsy]

How well insulated are the doors? My van was an after-market 'professional' conversion, but they didn't bother putting any insulation in the doors. It takes about 15 mins to get the inside door cards off and expose the metalwork. I've put about a square metre of into each of my doors. As an added bonus, it also reduces road noise, improves the sound from the speakers and makes the doors 'klumpf' rather than 'clang' when they are slammed closed.

 

[1ten]

makes the doors 'klumpf' rather than 'clang' when they are slammed closed.

Excellent description

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[Guigsy]

Excellent description

And I'm pretty sure 'klumpf' would be a German word too.

 

[Boringfrog]

I have externals + internals + Remis Blinds + a thick lined curtain blocking off the cab, oh and a fleece throw between the seats and going right to the floor to stop draughts....

 

[Blue Knight]

I have externals + internals + Remis Blinds + a thick lined curtain blocking off the cab, oh and a fleece throw between the seats and going right to the floor to stop draughts....

Crickey, we just turn the heating up a notch

 

[Boringfrog]

Crickey, we just turn the heating up a notch

Sitting at a steady 16°, oil radiator just clicked off, hat and woolly socks on...cozy.

 

[Blue Knight]

Sitting at a steady 16°, oil radiator just clicked off, hat and woolly socks on...cozy.

.....and a nice glass of red wine - perfect

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[Wildbill]

We made internal silver screens use a duvet to cover the dash I have bean camping for many years in the winter and in some of the coldest places on erth I have also worked everywhere Frome the arctic to the Antarctic Siberia and candida.
What I find works for me is the silver bubble wrap you use for radiators then spray glue the cheep silver screens then cut to size trim with silver duct tape same for the side door windows then a curtain on runner and its surprising how much it dose work.
I loved the pond shop cheep sun screens Rip pound land
also use it behind blinds and some good lined curtains were never could in our van
get out there use it with a bit of winterizing job done
bill

 

[Wildbill]

Am doing first winter tour mid Jan hoping to pick up some skiing along the way. Dethleffs coachbuild on a Fiat base. Have the ubiquitous silver screen for the windscreen but was wondering if am going to experience cold spots in the cab, and are the thermal skirts/aprons worth investing in? Any experienced views and tips on this subject welcome!

Our van is Dethleffs coachbuild on a Fiat base as well in the corners at the back in the over head cupboards could freeze up but just leave them open and they will be fine
there very well made vans stirafome insulation
bill

 

[Boringfrog]

.....and a nice glass of red wine - perfect

Or warm mulled wine...

 

[gus-lopez]

In the summer, the heat is already inside the van when it meets the screen

But it is only heating the small area between screen & windscreen
Even internal make a huge difference here. It may not stop it completely but if you park without facing sun the temperature will be well into the 40's here inside the cab in no time. The screens prevent the temperature rising as quickly, prevent it entering all the fabric of the dash/door panels /seats /etc; & so make it far better than nothing at all.

** that's today ,in winter,
In the summer direct sun I usually have temps in the 70's c in cars without screens on.& so in all the interior fabric.

 

[NorwayNeil]

How well insulated are the doors? My van was an after-market 'professional' conversion, but they didn't bother putting any insulation in the doors. It takes about 15 mins to get the inside door cards off and expose the metalwork. I've put about a square metre of into each of my doors. As an added bonus, it also reduces road noise, improves the sound from the speakers and makes the doors 'klumpf' rather than 'clang' when they are slammed closed.

Did you stick the CCF to the metal of the door or to the back of the card? My 2003 Ducato has clear plastic glued between metal and card.

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[Two on Tour]

I fitted sticky backed foil/closed cell neoprene sound deadening/insulation material to the inside of the cab door skins which also stops the door skins drumming.

 

[NorwayNeil]

I fitted sticky backed foil/closed cell neoprene sound deadening/insulation material to the inside of the cab door skins which also stops the door skins drumming.

View attachment 563280

Thanks for that, neat job. Looks like I'll have to remove the clear plastic just behind the door card & glued onto the door itself; maybe that was put there by a previous owner (there's been a few since 2003!).

 

[Guigsy]

Did you stick the CCF to the metal of the door or to the back of the card? My 2003 Ducato has clear plastic glued between metal and card.

There's often a plastic membrane stuck with tape or glue between the metalwork and the door card. I'm not sure if it's for thermal, sound or maybe just to reduce draughts. Mine was already ripped as someone had been in the door before. I did attempt to stick it back together with duct tape when I was done.

I stuck the insulation to the inside of the door skin. I ended up cutting quite odd shaped pieces and squeezing them into through the holes on the inner metalwork. For sound insulation, I don't think you actually need much, you just need to weight the sheet metal. I tried to get as much in as possible as it made a reasonable difference to thermal insulation, much like Two on Tour .

 

[deleted79651]

Our external silver screens are the long version and cover the grills at the bottom of the windscreen.
On each door liner there are holes punched in the card, I have eased the cards away from the door and slid some plastic sheet in to stop draughts coming in that way.

+1 for the long external screen cover; also keeps the autumn leaves out of the drain holes ...

Steve

 

[599]

hi guys . just make some of these & shut the cab off .val

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[NorwayNeil]

There's often a plastic membrane stuck with tape or glue between the metalwork and the door card. I'm not sure if it's for thermal, sound or maybe just to reduce draughts. Mine was already ripped as someone had been in the door before. I did attempt to stick it back together with duct tape when I was done.

I stuck the insulation to the inside of the door skin. I ended up cutting quite odd shaped pieces and squeezing them into through the holes on the inner metalwork. For sound insulation, I don't think you actually need much, you just need to weight the sheet metal. I tried to get as much in as possible as it made a reasonable difference to thermal insulation, much like Two on Tour .

Sounds like the way to go when the weather gets a bit more friendly, I'll break all the plastic clips otherwise. I've taped over the grill-like vents on the rear of the doors, 2 minute job.

 

[David BW]

The plastic membrane is there to act as a pour barrier to avoid warm moist air from the cab condensing on the inside of the door and cold surfaces in your locks/ window winders etc. It's a good idea to replace it when the job's done.

 

[rickwiggans]

We ski off hook for about two months each winter. As well as the external insulated screen cover, we have a bonnet skirt which is wrap around, and reaches down to the floor. Makes a huge difference. Minster Products custom made both for us

 

[davida71uk]

Nice thread, some useful tips. I was sure I read on MHF that there are air vents under the x250 Ducato cab seats that let out air as the doors are shut, when the chassis is used as a panel van with a bulkhead. Has anyone found these vents under the cab and sealed them off? The external Fiamma screen and skirt make a huge amount of difference but there is still a large amount of cold air coming up into the floor and it seems to be at the cab seat bases. I like the curtain idea and we don't bother with the captains chairs as they don't fully turn 180 anyway. Thanks.

 

[POH]

Nice thread, some useful tips. I was sure I read on MHF that there are air vents under the x250 Ducato cab seats that let out air as the doors are shut, when the chassis is used as a panel van with a bulkhead. Has anyone found these vents under the cab and sealed them off? The external Fiamma screen and skirt make a huge amount of difference but there is still a large amount of cold air coming up into the floor and it seems to be at the cab seat bases. I like the curtain idea and we don't bother with the captains chairs as they don't fully turn 180 anyway. Thanks.

Yes I have replaced those vents underneath the last van ( autotrail imala) made little difference ( did stop some coming through the seat belt opening) but still got draughts around the bottom of the dash/cup holders .