How well does your insulation work ?

Converting Cargo Trailers into TTTs

How well does your insulation work ?

Postby OverTheTopCargoTrailer » Thu Dec 05, 2013 2:27 pm

Last night it got down to 30 deg F.... Inside my trailer this morning it was almost 56 deg F

I only used my tv, fridge , sat recorder & body heat - inside a 7 x 18 x 6 ft tall trailer
No other source of heat - gas or propane was used
my trailer is still mostly empty & the side 32" x 72" door is not insulated.
I'm hoping when loaded & door is complete to pick up 35 deg..... vs about 26 deg now...
with a 2nd person I pick up another 5 deg I have noticed...

This would allow me to camp in 20 deg F .... no heater required

What is your experience , if you go without a heater ?


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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby MtnDon » Thu Dec 05, 2013 4:04 pm

That does sound like you are winning the insulation vs cold weather game.

I don't yet have my/our project* going so I depend dearly on my snuggle bunny to keep me warm. :) That and a really good sleeping bag.



* The project may be started soon though :) as we are having a sit down face to face talk with a local CT source this afternoon. :D :D Details to come if we sign the deal.
Our 6x12 deep vee nose cargo trailer camper conversion... viewtopic.php?f=42&t=58336

We have a small off grid cabin we built ourselves in the NM mountains; small PV solar system; 624 watts PV, Outback CC & inverter/charger ... http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2335.0
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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby roadinspector » Thu Dec 05, 2013 9:42 pm

Very pleased. I'd say it prob got down into the low 40's a couple of night. My forced air furnace is on the fritz so I used an oil bath heater. It worked great at keep us very comfortable.

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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby Westcliffe01 » Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:24 pm

There are a few factors that play into this that we do not know.
How warm was it outside and inside when the sun went down ? That determines how much heat is stored inside (your heat battery).
So at the coldest point, there was a 26 F differential. Heat transfer slows pretty drastically once the temperature differential gets down to about 10F but you were not there yet. Our home in winter typically has a temp differential of 50-100F depending on a mild winter 20F to a severe one -30F with an indoor 70F temp. Thats with 2x4 walls and at the upper end the wood stove would be cranking...

As long as the inside surfaces stay above dew point, it will be fine. Once you get condensation, it will be a lot less pleasant. I assume you have your windows covered with bubblewrap or white eps foam ? Otherwise the windows will always be dripping.
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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby frolickingdirtchild » Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:28 am

so I did this with my trailer this last summer.
it was 90 degrees out at 9 am and the exterior skin temp was 110
inside the trailer it was 60 air temp and the wall temp was 70
it stayed constant at 70 until 11 and then rose ten degrees on the walls to 80
air temp changed to 70 as well.
by 4 o clock the inside temp was 95 on the walls
there was no AC and going in and out was just to check internal temperatures
the side insulation is 1 inch pink foam board between the studs with wall board screwed over
the roof is 1 inch foam between the rails with a half inch white foam perpendicular
to the pink foam pressed between half inch furring strips
the trailer is 7x14 and aside from my lack of finishing things it works great.
all in all I think my insulation works pretty damn good
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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby Treeview » Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:28 am

I grew up in Minneapolis and lived there until '04.

My Dad told me that our unheated/uninsulated garage would always be 10 degrees warmer than outside temp. That held true for all of the garage shops that I've ever worked in.
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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby OverTheTopCargoTrailer » Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:52 am

Westcliffe01

I don't have any windows, walls are 3" foam, floor is 2.25" ? Ceiling is R19 denium insulation.
Cargo door is 1.5" foam. Side door is unfinished- still pending.
I have a wood frame trailer -alum exterior skin.

Generally it was about 55-60 during the day outside, night is 30 deg.

With a steel trailer the inside & outside temp is generally EQUAL , with a small
15-30 min time lag.
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Re: How well does your insulation work ?

Postby OverTheTopCargoTrailer » Fri Dec 06, 2013 11:57 am

MtnDon wrote:That does sound like you are winning the insulation vs cold weather game.

* The project may be started soon though :) as we are having a sit down face to face talk with a local CT source this afternoon. :D :D Details to come if we sign the deal.


MtnDon WHAT ? Your not getting a CarMate Trailer of the year 2013 :cry: :cry: :cry:
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