Slideout Insulation

Joseph Carozzoni · 02-04-2013, 06:26 PM

We’ll be ordering a new Sunseeker in about 4 weeks and have narrowed our floorplan selection down to 3 different ones.

Forest River literature indicates 2" thick sidewalls with R-9.5, which is very good. Does anyone know if the top and sides of the slideouts (once out) are this insulated? Do the slideouts have a different R-value? Thanks.

RoadTrip · 02-04-2013, 07:00 PM

Insulating seems to be a hobby for some of us (we camp year 'round).

If you're new, you should take a look underneath your slide. There is a single rubber gasket under the slide itself - and that gasket is the only thing covering the hole the slide slides through.

However, that won't be the terrible leak you think. Probably the roof vents because heat rises and those also only have a single piece of plastic as insulation.

I just did this to my sunseeker - and do a search for insulation. Lots of helpful threads!

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...dyi-34074.html

**bclemens** · 02-05-2013, 09:29 AM

Slide out walls/roof/floor are laminated the same way as our regular sidewalls. You would get way more heat loss through slide seals/vents etc as RoadTrip mentioned.

I just spent 3 nights in a 2650 Sunseeker. 5 degrees for two of those nights. It stayed pretty warm, but we were skiing so we dropped the temp to 60 at night. We also closed off the entire cab area. It was a "winter" type blanket that went from wing wall to wing wall...that way we did not heat the cab area at all. We kept the slide in at night...out during the day.

Roof vents lose a decent amount of heat...as do the windows. The shades are actually pretty good at insulating...but RoadTrips mod WITH the shades down would really do the trick. Make sure you cover the frames...since the metal frames will frost.

RoadTrip · 02-05-2013, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bclemens

Slide out walls/roof/floor are laminated the same way as our regular sidewalls. You would get way more heat loss through slide seals/vents etc as RoadTrip mentioned.

I just spent 3 nights in a 2650 Sunseeker. 5 degrees for two of those nights. It stayed pretty warm, but we were skiing so we dropped the temp to 60 at night. We also closed off the entire cab area. It was a "winter" type blanket that went from wing wall to wing wall...that way we did not heat the cab area at all. We kept the slide in at night...out during the day.

Roof vents lose a decent amount of heat...as do the windows. The shades are actually pretty good at insulating...but RoadTrips mod WITH the shades down would really do the trick. Make sure you cover the frames...since the metal frames will frost.

woohoo - Those were on my list!

Joseph Carozzoni · 02-05-2013, 05:59 PM

Thank you both for the detailed replies. Great minds think alike! We're in upstate NY and don't want to be heating the outdoors. And the Sunseeker 2650S is currently on top of our list (which is now down to 2).

mwebber78 · 02-05-2013, 07:57 PM

I've used our Forester (same camper) many times in everything from 15 degrees to 100 degrees. It's actually a really well insulated unit. The underside of the slide has a very poor seal - so I have a pool noodle that I slit down the middle and it goes outside under the slide in cold weather. Works great for $2!

RoadTrip · 02-05-2013, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwebber78

I've used our Forester (same camper) many times in everything from 15 degrees to 100 degrees. It's actually a really well insulated unit. The underside of the slide has a very poor seal - so I have a pool noodle that I slit down the middle and it goes outside under the slide in cold weather. Works great for $2!

POOL NOODLE! BRILLIANT!

Sent DW to basement to search for our old ones....

garbonz · 03-09-2013, 09:35 AM

How about using the prodex stuff with magnetic strips on the outside of the flush mount windows? Would it hold up?

brookside · 03-09-2013, 09:59 AM

There's another member here who did extensive winter camping (can't find the thread) but I know he went so far as to FLIR test his sunseeker. There was far less insulation than advertised. He ended up having the underside of the coach spray foam insulated as well as having to buy extensive sheets of insulation to deal with the underside and nose of the cab over which had zero insulation. At a certain point his pipes froze but I'd have to dig up the topic. He also found the temperature delta of the coach and was able to determine just how hot it could get inside vs the outside based on the coach's furnace and its heating capacity.

Accurate observations about the vents - he made insulated block offs for them, however there were many other heat loss issues to contend with

Of course all of it depends on your application. He lived and camped for 6 months in various ski resorts at the top of several mountains.

Hope this helps.

**bclemens** · 03-09-2013, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brookside

There's another member here who did extensive winter camping (can't find the thread) but I know he went so far as to FLIR test his sunseeker. There was far less insulation than advertised.
Hope this helps.

He had an older model before we went to a block foam laminated floor and azdel in place of Lauan plywood in the sidewalks. New design has a way better R rating. Switched over in 2009 methinks.

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