2008 8.5x18 Full timer project -> begin!

[Rainier70]

Innovative solution to a tough problem.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Hey chilly willy

If you gonna do -50C you better get a BUTT LOAD more insulation bro
Because with 1.5" white foam ur gonna freeze your chilly willies off
Unless your kicking out 75,000+ Btu per hour.

I have 3" solid inches of blue board and wouldn't DARE TRY TO do -50C
At that temp I'd wanna have 3 chambers inside of each other.
I did my ceiling with 2 x 3" and R19 denium & 3/4" blue board over 4" thick.

Cheers OTTCT

[Chilly Willy]

Hey chilly willy

If you gonna do -50C you better get a BUTT LOAD more insulation bro
Because with 1.5" white foam ur gonna freeze your chilly willies off
Unless your kicking out 75,000+ Btu per hour.

I have 3" solid inches of blue board and wouldn't DARE TRY TO do -50C
At that temp I'd wanna have 3 chambers inside of each other.
I did my ceiling with 2 x 3" and R19 denium & 3/4" blue board over 4" thick.

Cheers OTTCT

Don't get me wrong, minus 50C is pretty serious... but you're from California right? The inside of your fridge probably feels pretty serious to you lol
It doesn'nt stay that cold for long (these days). When things go south of minus 30C I'll likely need to keep my truck idling anyhow (diesels really dont like starting at those temps) so adding an inverter to run an extra space heater is a possibility... or just sleep in the idling truck.
As was pointed out in that one thread, if you add enough heavy breathers so a small confined space, the majority of heat loss is actually from circulating in freash air, diminishing the benifit of adding more insulation. This is a living experiment... to guide how I build a bigger unit... or to steer clear altogether.

[Chilly Willy]

As things are going, the floor has 1.5'' white foam minus where the 2x4s sit, plus I think 3/4 plywood under, another 1 inch for subloor and plywood on top, and will get a thick underpad and thick carpet over that. Wood isnt a bad insulator... far superior to metal anyhow.
Roof has 1.5 ''white foam minus where the metal beams sit, plus 2'' of that pink insulation board (with only the hanger wires sinking heat) plus 1/8'' wallboard.
Walls I think are 1/2'' plywood, plus I'm addind 3'' styrofoam minus where the 2x4s will be, plus 1/8'' wallboard. A decent propane furnace should easily get that warm... juzt a question of how fast I burn through fuel.

[Rainier70]

If you don't have to move it much, a skirt would probably help a lot. The less air movement around you, the better.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

I'd like to do -50C just once to get some heating data
I think three inches everywhere would be the min, if you did 3" blue board on the floor and 3/8" plywood would work

Guess I'll have pray you come through for me.......
Since we won't get -50C in Cali

[Rainier70]

I don't remember if you mentioned what your plans are for heat. ?????

Do you have more than the one air vent?

[Chilly Willy]

I'm not certain on heat, but I plan to shop for a propane furnace, and have 3 x 40 lb propane bottles. Wanted the 100 lb ones which I was using occasionally last winter, but a bit of research revealed you need TDG placards etc to haul those. I'm going to wait till I buy one before roughing in the front wall of the bedroom so I can work to its specs. Also want to keep the chimney away from my polystyrene.

Plan to find a unit that doesnt need electricity (so no blower) and which vents its exhaust out a chimney. Also want to place the in use bottle inside the cold room so I dont need to heat it. Trying to keep my electricity needs to a bare minimum.

[Chilly Willy]

Oh and just the one air vent up top, but going to plug that up soon. Trying to devise a way to block airflow but let daylight in. For fresh air I'll add something at the base of the front bedroom wall, and likely something through the floor in the front to avoid cutting the skin.

[HsPaap72]

Could be difficult to stealth camp in this thing, the color doesn't blend with anything.

You should be able to make a comfy little house out of that! Although with all the insulation you'll need you might not have much space left!

The insulation was the reason behind going with max width, space disappears quick.

Given both the CT's and TV's age, they look in very good shape. That is from what I can see in these photos.
Good luck with your project.

They are in surprisingly good shape. Combination of patience, research, luck, and lazt minute panic payed off.

my 8.5 cargo now measures at 7'10' on the interior with walls buck up... it really disappears quick.

[Rainier70]

I would put that propane cylinder in a propane locker that has a vent in the floor. Just to be on the safe side.

[Chilly Willy]

I would put that propane cylinder in a propane locker that has a vent in the floor. Just to be on the safe side.

Hey, yeah, I appreciate the sentiment

The indoor bottle has been on my mind. Going to ask the dealer I buy a furnace from for advice too.

Ice fishermen bring the bottle into their shacks... though I'm not sure if there's any data on their mortality rate.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Chilly Willy

Don't worry I break all the RULES too !! -
its just that you should REMEMBER if you get a leak of gas and blow up & are unlucky enough not to die
while burned to a crisp over 90% of your body - its a bitch !!

Besides that it may only be LEO crawling up your butt with a ticket if he's inspecting your rig on the road

[Chilly Willy]

Chilly Willy

Don't worry I break all the RULES too !! -
its just that you should REMEMBER if you get a leak of gas and blow up & are unlucky enough not to die
while burned to a crisp over 90% of your body - its a bitch !!

Besides that it may only be LEO crawling up your butt with a ticket if he's inspecting your rig on the road

There is that.

[Chilly Willy]

Wall one up.
Might seem strange to add all that lumber when its not even a structural wall. However it'll be holdind 3'' of insulation, pushes up nicely on my ceiling panel edges, and will give lots of mounting options for items later.