Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community - View Single Post

10-13-2004, 10:15 PM

John I agree with many of your comments.

Last May I toured what I call the "big 5" truck conversion manufacturers in the Elkhart area. United Specialities, Renegade, Haulmark, NRC and Showhauler.

Insulation, including insulated and heated holding tanks is a big issue with me, especially because of where I live. I live at 9,100 feet in the Colorado mountains on the west side of the Continental Divide. To go almost anywhere from my house within 10 to 20 miles I have to go over a 10,000 foot to almost 12,000 foot mountain pass.

I toured a total of 9 RV and truck conversion plants. Most use beadboard insulation yet called it Styrofoam. They don't even know the materials they using.

Beadboard is R-4 per inch. Styrofoam is R-5. I would like to see polyiso used. Polyiso is R-7 to R-7.2 (foil faced). So 2 inches of Styrofoam would be R-10. 2 inches of polyiso would be R-14. Goef who posts a lot is knowledgeable on insulation. Perhaps he could post about any problems to using polyiso.

I have been disappointed with what I see in the motorhome, RV industry in how they insulate units. Few built anything resembling a four season unit. The insulation designs are so poor that the only way you can keep them warm is to constantly run the furnace.

Two weeks ago I looked at a $300,000 diesel pusher motorhome. The waste tank, dump valve area looked impressive. Seemed to be insulated. The door was insulated with at least 1 1/2 inches of beadboard. Fancy kitchen style faucet next to the dump valves for cleanup. Paper towel holder, soap dispensor, etc. Under the dump valves was this nice moulded fiberglass drain basin. Probably 1/8" thick, 12" deep by 18" wide. I reached underneath to see how it was insulated. No insulation. So no matter how much the walls, doors and ceiling were insulated you would probably freeze the valves unless the furnace was running.

10-13-2004, 10:15 PM	#3
Guest Posts: n/a	John I agree with many of your comments. Last May I toured what I call the "big 5" truck conversion manufacturers in the Elkhart area. United Specialities, Renegade, Haulmark, NRC and Showhauler. Insulation, including insulated and heated holding tanks is a big issue with me, especially because of where I live. I live at 9,100 feet in the Colorado mountains on the west side of the Continental Divide. To go almost anywhere from my house within 10 to 20 miles I have to go over a 10,000 foot to almost 12,000 foot mountain pass. I toured a total of 9 RV and truck conversion plants. Most use beadboard insulation yet called it Styrofoam. They don't even know the materials they using. Beadboard is R-4 per inch. Styrofoam is R-5. I would like to see polyiso used. Polyiso is R-7 to R-7.2 (foil faced). So 2 inches of Styrofoam would be R-10. 2 inches of polyiso would be R-14. Goef who posts a lot is knowledgeable on insulation. Perhaps he could post about any problems to using polyiso. I have been disappointed with what I see in the motorhome, RV industry in how they insulate units. Few built anything resembling a four season unit. The insulation designs are so poor that the only way you can keep them warm is to constantly run the furnace. Two weeks ago I looked at a $300,000 diesel pusher motorhome. The waste tank, dump valve area looked impressive. Seemed to be insulated. The door was insulated with at least 1 1/2 inches of beadboard. Fancy kitchen style faucet next to the dump valves for cleanup. Paper towel holder, soap dispensor, etc. Under the dump valves was this nice moulded fiberglass drain basin. Probably 1/8" thick, 12" deep by 18" wide. I reached underneath to see how it was insulated. No insulation. So no matter how much the walls, doors and ceiling were insulated you would probably freeze the valves unless the furnace was running.