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Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:32 pm

Does anyone have any experience with the Insulated Window Blanket Set from Bus Depot? (unfortunately I don't have the time to make an alternative)

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=J12747

Gearing up for some winter camping and wonder if they would help much. I see them in pics on the guys vans in Europe all the time so they must do some Insualting.

**EDIT** I should have mentioned that I plan to be camping with only my dog. Top down and I don't run any kind of a heater.
I just feel like when sleeping I feel the bitter cold coming straight off the windows all night.

-John

Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:46 pm

Yeah, I've had them for about 2 years and used them 3 or 4 times. They definitely keep the interior warmer, though it's not a night-and-day difference.

The suction cups hold tolerably well, but not great. Amusingly, they hold worse the colder they get, as the rubber stiffens up.

Worth it? I would say yes if you do a lot of cold weather camping. A pop-top wrap (inner or outer) from Fanchers is a good addition to this set.

Robyn

Wed Jan 05, 2011 8:47 pm

yes, i have them and love them. i have them both for insulating and for desert camping = sun reflective. i just got some from bus depot a couple months ago. they seem durable, like they'll last a while.

Wed Jan 05, 2011 9:51 pm

sounds like they would be good to keep heat out

I used mine once and sold them

It was at Taos Ski Area, overnight low was 6F, interior temp of the van was between 35 and 55F, I had a propex running part of the time..

I LOVE the Fanchers wrap, I had the one for the outside..discontinued, worth bringing back imo

the window pads did make it feel like the interior was warmer when the heater was on, it prevented the radiant cold from the windows from reaching me directly..

however after I turned the heater off, the van rapidly began dropping to outside temperature.. no magic heat retention when no heat being generated.. And, I had frozen windows, inside.. iow, the pads increase the deposit of condensation on the glass, by keeping it colder, away from house heat..

not worth carrying in my case..

I find closing the curtains is just about as effective overall, in cold.. for heat I have Limo tint..plus curtains too..
ymmv

Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:20 pm

I 2nd the poptop wrap....As I have Jons :D

we camped down in the single digits with only a 800watt heater, no window covers except curtians....I might be making some window inserts soon though!

Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:22 pm

Make 'em yourself from the same insulation stuff you can buy from Home Depot for about a quarter the price. I just 'tuck' them behind my curtains and forego the suction cups. For the front windows just crank up the windo on em!

Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:29 pm

You can get the Reflectux at the home depot as mentioned, add several brass grommets to them, appropriatly spaced & sized for suction cups.
If you made them a little wider & longer that the glass you could very well use sewed on Velcro to affix them to the winow area with no problems.

If you get a roll of the foil bubble insulation you could also sew on the prickly side of the velcro to to piece large enough for the inside of the pop top.
It's reflect the heat right back down at you below.
The stuff works very well, ad I think it radiates 90 % of the heat back you.
Good product, you'll just have to do some custom fitting to make it work inside of your Van.

Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:41 pm

They are the only curtains I use. Make the van dark and comfortable. they work great in summer and winter, but the suction cups are horrible. Especially in cold weather. The elastic bands on mine are of poor quality and I cut them off. That being said, I would buy them again.

I use the front one daily to protect the dash. It stays in place with the sun visors quite well.

Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:38 pm

How about holding them in place with magnets?

Cut your own and maybe somehow affix the magnets?

Would work, I think, since there is metal around the windows.

OR?

Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:48 pm

I don't know if the magnets would hold through the foil backing on the window insulation or be strong enough to grab the vinyl cover sheet metal inside of the Van---

Might be iffy.

The sewed on velcro would hold for sure.
The suction cups do give up the ghost pretty quick--I'll agree with that.

Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:56 pm

Terry Kay wrote: I don't know if the magnets would hold through the foil backing on the window insulation or be strong enough to grab the vinyl cover sheet metal inside of the Van---

Simply use a strong adhesive and glue the magnets to the window-side of the insulation.

I can attest that vinyl is no match for strong magnets... even when sewn inside two layers of thick fabric. :wink:

I thought about going the Reflectix route, but I want to carry as little as possible in my van. I redid the curtains (making front and side door window covers), and added fabric insulation on the glass side. They've worked out pretty well.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 12:05 am

For fall and spring camping we keep the roof down as I have no heater or wrap for the pop top. I also have a hard time drying out the tent in Fall, Winter and Spring in the Pacific North West.

I always seem to wake up around 2am as I feel the cold coming in from the windows as it sinks down onto the bed.

At least we have the fridge. It can be 32f outside but the fridge keeps the interior around 53f from the heat that is let off from behind.

I would imagine the window insulating should help and Home Depot make it your self without suction cups would be a good way to go.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:48 am

I can say they work great in summer for keeping heat out. The suction cups really, truly do suck though.

-Rob

Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:25 am

I should have mentioned that I plan to be camping with only my dog. Top down and I don't run any kind of a heater.
I just feel like when sleeping I feel the bitter cold coming straight off the windows all night.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:49 am

In my Euro-spec van, I have Iso-Thermal windows. The windscreen and front windows are glass, but the rest are double layered bubble plastic. Think the skylight with a second, flat, plastic window on the inside. We sleep top-down, and our front curtain (stock), is double thick. In the morning the back area is comfortable/cool, and the windscreen is frosty. This is with no heater running, in October, in Germany.

Just don't try to buy original Westy IT windows on eBay. I have had to replace two so far. 200 Euro each. Ouch!

So as to not hijack the thread, I'm thinking of getting vinyl window covers that match the paint color. They will have magnets sewn into the seams so it will stick on the outside of the van. I saw a page for them, but I can't find it now. Bummer.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:51 am

?good sleeping bag and a night cap (preferably with a tassle) :lol:

Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:17 am

You r ok down to abot 40F, any colder= get more dogs.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:18 am

Good post. I looked into the industrial strenght velcro products and ran some experiments of my own. I think velcro would work for awhile and if you don't mind the strips showing on your interior when not in use this is probably a good route.

Lately, I bought my Neodymium magnets from K&J Magnetics www.kjmagnetics.com though other suppliers are just as good and their prices are about the same.

If you have not tried these rare earth magnets before, don't let their smaller size fool you. I've tried an array of sizes with differnt pull strength while experimenting with methods for attching temporary sound/thermal insulationto the roof of the poptop. I settled on a magnet that comes pre-bored that is countersunk on one end that has about a 10lb. pull strength. Oh yeah, the magnet holds real well through one 1/4" layer of reflectix and is passable with two layers. I tried glueing the magnets to the plywood ine earlier trials but they pull away from the plywood. I intend to rivet the insulation magnet thin plywood sanwich together. Although it is possible to run a washer-machine screw-nut combo to hold it tightly. The poptop itself has metal washers glued to the underside for attachment points. I removed the flocking which was in poor shape and sprayed in about 3 gal. of Noxudol liquid sound deadener and added a couple of Damplifier pads then had it covered with a Tweed cloth. You have to look hard for the washer potrusions. Oh yeah, The skylight guy predrilled a replacement skylight for my solar-powered Nicro ventilation fan so no additional holes will be drilled in the poptop.

I intend to leverage what I am learning with my removable insulation panels for the poptop and use a riveted magnet insulation combo for the windows. They should have no problem attaching firmly to the interior metal sufaces and when they are removed my new custom interior will not have velcro strips glued around the windows.

Good luck.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:19 am

You r ok down to abot 40F, any colder= get more dogs.

Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:44 am

Nice timing for this post as I sold a spare set I had to Paul (hes got a go any where Syncro,alllllllll decked out :lol: ) last week.Let me add that the sets from Bus Depot have a much larger suction cup that holds the blanket to the window. That is a big improvement over the past design.
Having a clean inside window will allow the blanket to really stay put. Most of my camping is done in California and Id be interested in hearing from campers who use them in extreme conditions.