Need Sprinter window insulation rec

[rolorun]

I hit hit the 5 Utah NPs the past couple of weeks. At 7 degrees my heater couldnt warm up the interior during the night any higher than 32 degrees. I need a recommendation for a good set of insulation cold/hot covers for all windows. Im also curious if there's anything for the rear doors (not windows) as the back area was the coldest. Thanks!

[1der]

What heater do you have?
Location of heater vent?
Location of thermostat?
Any insulation in doors, roof, floor?
Passenger or cargo?

Window coverings certainly help, no doubt, but the rest is important, too.

[rolorun]

Originally Posted by 1der

What heater do you have?
Location of heater vent?
Location of thermostat?
Any insulation in doors, roof, floor?
Passenger or cargo?

Window coverings certainly help, no doubt, but the rest is important, too.

I have a 2018 sprinter built out by SM. Danhard heater, vent near floor behind driver seat underneath bench, thermostat above heater near roof. It does a great job in cold weather, just not FREEZING weather, and I hope to do more traveling in winter so I want to get extra insulation on windows and something makeshift for back doors where my bed is. Original cargo van is totally built out by SM and insulated. Has a penthouse but I keep it down when cold.

[1der]

Danhard heater?? Electric ?? Not familiar with that. Most have an Espar or Webasto diesel fired heater.

Thermostat - I do not understand why up fitters place the heater thermostats up high, and why often near/above the heater vent. Hot air rises and collects near the thermostat. The heater shuts off and the floor is cold. Warm head and cold feet.

Consider relocating your thermostat. Or consider a couple of small fans to help distribute the warm air. Your heater vent is at the face of the bench, right?

If you are handy you can make your own window covers. Windshield sun shades (can be pieced/sewn together) or Reflectix work well. Have edges bound and cut the material to tightly fit to edges of the windows. If you want to get fancy, cover the inner face with some thin foam and fuzzy fabric. I do not like vinyls as they will collect moisture and drip. The fuzzy fabric is more moisture tolerant. Suction cups can be added to help hold the piece up against the windshield.

Under the dash is an area of lots of cold air. A material skirt attached to cover the foot wells helps a lot. A curtain can help contain warm air in the sleeping area. And a 12v mattress heating pad can help get the bed warm before you get in it.

Our van has a CCV pop top and we use it for skiing often in zero degree or less nights with the top up. Our heater is an Espar D4 and it keeps the inside very warm and often is on the low fan setting. The van is well insulated, the windows are covered but the insulated pop top is the largest heat loss. Our heater vent is centered in the van right at floor level and the thermostat is at chest level when seated.

I am interested in what the Danhard is. Maybe some pictures of your layout and a Danhard model #??

[rolorun]

My mistake, it's an Espar like yours, diesel fueled when not plugged in to shore. I never thought about using a fan, good idea. Yes, vent is at the face if the bench. Its beyond my capability to move the thermostat but hopefully with the curtains and window coverings it will help a lot. I still think I need to make some kind of partition to cover the rear doors where its the coldest. Im very surprised your van stays so warm in 0 degrees and mine wont heat up beyond 32 when its 7 degrees outside, even with the top down and the fan on high. I obviously lose a tremendous amount of heat. I really appreciate your suggestions. Do you have a picture of your window coverings and skirt? I dont know how to post a pic but you can see my van on instagram mindfulontheroad. Thanks!

[AndrewInSeattle]

SMB-West provided fuzzy window covers for the front, side, and rear windows with our 2017 Sprinter, plus a snap-on "privacy" curtain between the cab and the cargo area. We only use the latter in freezing weather, to reduce the volume that needs to be heated, and it works well for that. Anything else that reduces volume and/or buffers the daytime heat (close all cabinets, fill up cargo space, use lidded cargo boxes, etc) can help a bit. I guess SMB switched to Arctic window panels recently, does that mean you don't have any sort of partition?

Note that the Espar's power output, as installed by SMB in a Rixen comfort system, is less than a third when run in electric-only mode. You'll need to burn diesel to stay warm in super-cold weather, even if plugged in. And of course, make sure the Espar is in good shape -- check coolant levels, maybe get an inspection.

That said, I also sleep in the back, width-wise on a raised platform right against the rear doors, and totally agree that a lot of cold seeps in through the doors and curtained windows, even with the "extreme" insulation package. At the moment, I just shove an extra blanket up against the door, but hope that some better ideas will emerge on this thread!