Cold garage

[bjoseph]

Now that I have had my 2013 301 for over a year now, I have definitely noticed that there is a huge difference in the temperature of the coach and the garage when camping below 50 degrees. The little 1 1/2 inch heater vent does nothing back there. It actually blows cold air. Since air comes out, I know there are no obstructions, just a lack of engineering to run a small hose that much of a distance. Normally I would just tell the fellow campers that I stick in the garage to double their blankets but I have toddlers sleeping back there. This seems not to just be a Heartland issue either. People say they designed it to be a garage, yah whatever, there are two queen beds back there! To try to get it warmer back there, I made a couple of modifications.

• I lined the bottom of the garage with 1/2 inch rigid foam insulation boards. in some places, I liquid nailed them right to the plywood
• I put in a piece of carpet with carpet padding that I can roll up
• I found a huge empty void on the side corner of the ramp door n the steel beam. I filled this void with 2 inch insulation foam and spray foam.
• I also flipped the direction of the sliding glass door. Now there is a full size vent shooting into the garage

I am camping at the beach next week. I will update you with the results!

 

[TravelTiger]

Great improvements! Let us know the results!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BigJim45]

Let's hope that keeps the little ones warm. Keep us updated.

 

[firemedic97]

Great Ideas think I will add the foam under my 291, how hard was it to flip the sliding glass door?

 

[TravisJen]

I was pretty disappointed when I took my 321 back to the dealer for this issue and was told it was just a poor design and get use to it. We already have carpet back there and it definitely helps but I'll try flipping the patio door and see how that goes. Thanks for the idea.

 

[bjoseph]

*****Status update*****

After camping at the beach for four days, I noticed a drastic difference in the temp retention after the modifications. The outside temp only was in the 60's but the inside of the garage held at about 75 with three kids back there. Before I put in the foam and carpet pad, I could feel the coldness in the floor during the night. This was a worthy upgrade for anyone looking to have people sleeping in the garage

 

[bjoseph]

how hard was it to flip the sliding glass door?

Flipping the door only took about 30 minutes. The track the door is on is symetrical on both sides. You just have unscrew the brackets that hold the fixed panel of the sliding glass door and move it to the other side. You then need the take the rollers off the bottom of the moving panel and flip it. You then can screw the rollers back on the moving panel.

 

[firemedic97]

ok sounds good, I was looking at mine I think if i flip it, would make the register less useful to the garage. But I will be looking at the foam board, as it might even help keep that area cooler in summer. I will take pics of my mods after I do them if I can figure out how to post them, will be adding a wilson cell boster to the rig soon. Already did LED light strips under the awning and underbelly, upgraded all inside lights to leds.

 

[Sans1]

Good idea with the foam board (until I saw the pix, I was thinking you did it on the inside and was wondering how that was gonna work). I was the outcast with the grandkids taking over the bedroom and Gram being forced to 'sleep' on the couch cause two little girls take up a Queen size bed more than two adults. It was probably in the upper 40's during the night and I bet there was more than 15 degree difference between the garage rest of the RV. I kept the slider closed cause I wanted everyone else to be warm (I like to sleep in a cold room anyway). This won't be good when the grandkids graduate to their own bed. Might add to my winter project list. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Sans1]

So I looked under my rig since my last post and see there is a cloth wrap over the wood floor. From your pix, since I don't see the fabric, looks like you just added the insulation without disturbing the fabric, or did you actually remove the fabric? Just not sure the foam insulation with liquid nails will stay attached to the fabric. Pondering the options, I was thinking of cutting minimal slits into the fabric to allow me to slip the insulation in and attach directly to the wood and then glue the fabric to the insulation reseal the fabric. What is the purpose of the fabric? Can't see it really protecting the wood from moisture, is it just cosmetic? anyone know?

Another thought I had was to just add the foam, and see if I can find the corrugated plastic-like material under the main section of the RV to add under the garage, just leaving the gas tank uncovered. I can only assume there was fuel fume concerns is why the underside of the garage was not covered too. Or maybe it really was just like someone else said, it is a garage - by us making it true living space, we are on our own just like we'd do on our stick houses. Hoping to spark some thoughts here - this forum is going to have to scratch my camping itch since there is minimal, if any, camping planned for the next 6 months due to some family medical issues being 'fixed' this winter/spring.

 

[gtsum2]

Disappointing that most all toy hauler garages do not come insulated from the factory. I would gladly pay extra upfront to have that option

 

[bjoseph]

or did you actually remove the fabric? Just not sure the foam insulation with liquid nails will stay attached to the fabric.

Sorry for the late reply, I have not bee on the site in a while. I figured the liquid nails would not adhere to the fabric, so for each panel, I cut out a circle of fabric in the center of the square section where I was applying the liquid nails to the foam panel. I figured this would be ok unless I submerged the rig under water! The panels and the remaining fabric protect the plywood from underside water splashes.