Rich Lonardo of Valley Energy Solutions in Youngstown, Ohio responded to, “Winter Truck Camping With Tom Watson” with a list of ideas to improve the quality of truck campers for winter use. As a professional home energy auditor, Rich suggests applying the concepts and techniques used to make residences more efficient to truck campers.
We are particularly interested in the idea of using a portable thermal imaging camera in a truck camper to find air and water leaks. Why every truck camper dealer in the country doesn’t have one of these is a mystery as they could save a lot of time and bring in a lot of business. Black & Decker makes a very simple model (Black & Decker TLD100) that currently lists on Amazon.com for $28.70. Professional models with displays start at about $1,200 for the FLIR Systems model i3. Think of the time and money these devices could save.
Thanks Rich for sending this in. You have some great ideas.
An Energy Audit For Truck Campers by Rich Lonardo
I really enjoyed Tom Watson’s tips on winter camping. I hope the truck camper manufacturing companies listen. I camped extensively in the winter in both a slide-in pop-up camper and a Scotty Class C that was built in Irwin, Pennsylvania on a Dodge Diesel pickup chassis. I learned quite a bit from those experiences, especially when I lived full-time in the Scotty for a year in the New York Catskills area during an assignment at West Point.
There is no doubt camper owners are a big part of the winter camping solution and we must watch how we vent our campers, take care of the exterior, and monitor the temperature we should keep on the inside to prevent condensation from forming. But the rest is up to science and how we build campers. Take a moment to go to your library and read Fine Home Magazine to see the latest energy efficiency measures that are being incorporated today. Why not try some of these in a camper?
I was an energy auditor and solar installer for residential housing and light commercial work. I would like to offer these notes to stimulate discussion with the truck camper manufacturers.
To find a high quality winter truck camper, the first thing I would do is an energy audit on several quality truck campers to compare air leakage and insulation quality. Has anyone done an energy audit on a truck camper? I haven’t, but I would like to.
For example, I would like to stick a blower door in a truck camper door and measure the air leakage on quality truck campers, just like we do on homes. We would bring the camper to a vacuum using the blower door. Then we would read the air leakage as well as feel it via currents generated inside the camper as a result of gaps, holes and intrusions around windows, wiring, venting appliances, lighting, etc.
Moreover, the use of an infrared camera during the blower door test would show the air currents moving behind walls as well as water leaks and places where insulation is lacking.
A camper energy audit would be really interesting and maybe you should contact a local energy auditor to do one on your current camper or ask the various camper producers if they have ever done one. The results would be very telling! We don’t want a camper that has no air leakage, but rather a controlled amount of air leakage.
The second thing we should consider is the insertion of radiant floor heating versus forced air. Imagine a truck camper with a radiant register system or the quality aluminum warm board product on the floor and in the cabover. The fluid could be a non-toxic water-glycol mix that runs to a very small propane or diesel fired heater as well as a simple connection tied to a flat plate solar collector on the roof of the truck camper. When the sun is out, a very small solar panel will kick on a circulating pump and the fluid will either be further conditioned by the gas heater or just circulated throughout the camper via a low energy drag pump based on a thermostat. This would be quiet and much more energy efficient than a furnace fan pushing hot air around a camper out of the leaking shell. We do this on homes and it is a great energy reduction technique for domestic water tempering even in the winter.
Besides the energy efficient windows and toilet system Tom Watson mentioned, we need a reliable energy efficient refrigerator. As Tom mentioned, the compressor designs use so little energy compared to a low cost RV refrigerator on DC mode. We see some very nice campers on Truck Camper Magazine, but few if any combine these systems for customers wanting a really winter capable camper.
The basics for winter camping are straight forward. First, properly installed high R-value insulation (not styrofoam) in the floor, sidewalls, and ceiling with no moisture or condensation ability. You have to push that thermal envelope to ensure condensation doesn't form behind hidden surfaces! Secondly, minimize thermal bridging via frame members. Thirdly, add high performance windows with thermal shades. Fourth, air sealing should be done in all fixtures, door areas, battery compartments, and holding tank areas. Fifth, all exterior compartments should be insulated. Finally, the industry should look into more energy efficient heating alternatives such as the solar thermal water-glycol radiant heating. A good 200 watt solar panel, gel batteries and an all weather toilet are essential.
Can we do this? I bet we can if the market demand is there.
Gary Birenkott of NATCOA has announced their plans for the 2012 Northwest Truck Camper Spring Rally. The rally will be held on the weekend of April 13th at Rasar State Park in Concrete, Washington.
There is currently a post on the NATCOA forum about the event. If you have questions or would like more information, click here to go directly to the NATCOA post. You can also contact Gary Birenkott by
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.
There are six RV shows with truck campers this week in Colorado, New York, Ontario, North Carolina, and California.
All listed shows have been verified by the truck camper manufacturers to have truck campers on display. Please check prior to attenting a RV show for possible truck camper cancellations.
March 1 - 4, 2012 Colorado Boat & RV Show National Western Complex, Denver, CO Northstar, Adventurer, Eagle Cap, Northern Lite, Lance, Travel Lite
March 1 - 4, 2012 CNY RV and Camping Show New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY Travel Lite
March 1 - 4, 2012 Toronto International RV Show International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario Northern Lite, Palomino, Travel Lite
March 2 - 4, 2012 Eastern North Carolina RV Show Crown Expo Center, Fayetteville, NC Northstar, A&M Services, Travel Lite
March 2 - 4, 2012 Ottawa RV Show CE Centre, Ottawa, Ontario Northern Lite, Travel Lite, Lance
Gene Cronin, Palomino RV's National Sales Manager, recently contacted us to announce that Palomino truck campers are now available in Australia. Congratulations Palomino RV Australia!
Above: The first Australian Palomino Bronco pop-up truck camper sold in Australia
Bryan Wheat, President of Alaskan Campers, has discovered iMovie on his Macintosh computer and now he can't seem to help himself from making video, after video, after video. This is good news as Bryan and the team at Alaskan Campers are some of the most fun and funny people you'll ever meet. Let's just say we don't recommend drinking coffee while watching this video. And don't miss the outtakes!
The Truck Camper Magazine Dealer Inventory section features the current new and used truck camper inventory for our sponsoring dealerships. Each week we contact the dealers to ensure that our new and used camper listings are current and complete. New truck camper listings are marked with a red NEW LISTING. Campers that were recently sold are marked with a black SOLD.
Here is the Dealer Inventory Update for February 24, 2012:
Arizona Campers and Trailers, Phoenix, Arizona
2012 Lance 1191 [Stock#168825] Listing Link - NEW LISTING
The Lance 1191 is a hard side, single-slide, dry bath truck camper.
2012 Lance 865 [Stock#168827] Listing Link - NEW LISTING
The Lance 865 is a hard side, non-slide, wet bath truck camper.
Princess Craft, Pflugerville, Texas
2012 Lance 1191 [Stock#168785] Listing Link - NEW LISTING
The Lance 1191 is a hard side, single-slide, dry bath truck camper.
2012 Lance 950S [Stock#168794] Listing Link - NEW LISTING
The Lance 950S is a hard side, single-slide, wet bath truck camper.
2012 CampLite 6.8 [Stock#00167] Listing Link- NEW LISTING
The CampLite 6.8 is a hard side, non-slide, wet bath truck camper.
2012 CampLite 6.8 [Stock#00168] Listing Link- NEW LISTING
The CampLite 6.8 is a hard side, non-slide, wet bath truck camper.
2012 Wolf Creek 816 [Stock#109269] Listing Link - NEW LISTING
The Wolf Creek 816 is a hard side, non-slide, wet bath truck camper.
