Insulation Values

[nickie]

I live fulltime in my 2018 Reflection 337RLS 5th wheel. When I bought it I didn't know enough to question whether it had the Artic 4 seasons package and it isn't. I live in Florida, lots of sunshine and very few trees. I'm trying to decide if I should if I should sell this one (new microwave, fireplace, awning) and purchase a GD Reflection with Artic 4 season package. I'm looking for some guidance as to how much of a difference the Artic package makes with electric bills & livability. Thanks in advance.

[ncitro]

I live fulltime in my 2018 Reflection 337RLS 5th wheel. When I bought it I didn't know enough to question whether it had the Artic 4 seasons package and it isn't. I live in Florida, lots of sunshine and very few trees. I'm trying to decide if I should if I should sell this one (new microwave, fireplace, awning) and purchase a GD Reflection with Artic 4 season package. I'm looking for some guidance as to how much of a difference the Artic package makes with electric bills & livability. Thanks in advance.

I don't think you'll find much difference. The wall thickness is what it is, and can't do more there. You'd be better served hunting down penetrations in the floor and sealing them with spray foam.

[Country Campers]

Your 2018 model does have the Arctic Package, mine does. The name is a misnomer that the RV manufactures like to use but in reality it is just a sales pitch.

Brian

[howson]

nickie

I agree with Neil and Brian (the two previous responders).

An example of an area where there's likely a large gap in the floor that can be filled is the island. Open up the doors and in the rear left side there's likely a false corner wall hiding the plumbing. If you can sneak a peak with a camera or mirror, look down where that plumbing goes through the floor. You'll likely find a huge hole that allows you to see right into the bowels of your camper. (Not exactly sure on your 5vr...on my trailer I could see the coroplast, i.e. the material that covers the bottom of the trailer.)

Other areas I've found: electrical wire run behind the fireplace; wire runs for the rear tail lights that come through the cabinets on both sides of the couch; and plumbing around the water heater.

Again, mine is a travel trailer so the areas in your 5vr will be different.

A thread on the topic that may be helpful is here: https://gdrvowners.com/forum/interio...plumbing-holes

Howard

[Canyonlight]

I live fulltime in my 2018 Reflection 337RLS 5th wheel. When I bought it I didn't know enough to question whether it had the Artic 4 seasons package and it isn't. I live in Florida, lots of sunshine and very few trees. I'm trying to decide if I should if I should sell this one (new microwave, fireplace, awning) and purchase a GD Reflection with Artic 4 season package. I'm looking for some guidance as to how much of a difference the Artic package makes with electric bills & livability. Thanks in advance.

Nickie - forum members Andi Andi and Mike Rudy also have a 2018 337 Reflection and are full timers. Maybe they will chime in with some feedback too. They are currently in Quartzsite AZ at the GDRV rally with poor internet if any at all. They are headed north tomorrow and I suspect better connectivity in the next few days.

Thanks Andi and Mike as always !

Dan

[Andi]

We don't stay in very hot climates in summer (or cold ones in winter - sorry Canyonlight ), but I think your enemy is going to be sun & heat. If you're stationary, you might want to invest in a carport and/or shade cloth to block heat coming in the windows and skylights. Many people use Reflectix in their windows as well. I don't think buying a different rig would change much for you. There is also an after-market product (which GD started adding in newer models) called RV Airflow that you install in your air conditioners to make them more efficient.

[Cate&Rob]

The R (insulation) values claimed by RV manufacturers don’t consider the aluminum wall framing thermally connecting the 3/16” outer wall surface to the 3/16” inner wall surface, or the single pane glass in the windows. The best advice is to create shade. Even slide toppers shading the tops of the slides make a significant difference. Selecting a site with the front of the trailer facing north will keep the “window side” of your 337 in the shade for the long sunny afternoon. Get your ACs (hopefully you have two) going by late morning or they will never catch up to afternoon heating.

Rob

[Canyonlight]

We don't stay in very hot climates in summer (or cold ones in winter - sorry Canyonlight ), .

Carol and I don't think that was very nice Andi ! Were boxing up some of our 2 feet of snow in our yard and sending it to you and Mike !

We know you guys are missing our South Dakota winters and nearly record snow this year SO MUCH !

Dan

[Yoda]

I live fulltime in my 2018 Reflection 337RLS 5th wheel. When I bought it I didn't know enough to question whether it had the Artic 4 seasons package and it isn't. I live in Florida, lots of sunshine and very few trees. I'm trying to decide if I should if I should sell this one (new microwave, fireplace, awning) and purchase a GD Reflection with Artic 4 season package. I'm looking for some guidance as to how much of a difference the Artic package makes with electric bills & livability. Thanks in advance.

A big area to insulate would be the belly, but would mean dropping sections of the coroplast to do it. Many have installed high density rigid foam board frame to frame - possibly R5 to R10. Don't know how much that would help. The other area to check is the attic insulation and see if there is room to blow in more. You can see by pulling the trim rings from the vents if more can be added. i have never heard of anyone doing that.

Hope this helps

[nickie]

Thank you all for your responses. I have a large site, but it is in the sun for most of the day. I think I'll request a shaded site, it will be smaller but much cooler. I'm pleased to hear no one thinks trading my RV for a different one would help much. I love the floorplan, storage and the look of her. If I could add one thing it would be full body paint. But $10K+ is a lot of $$. Thanks again.

[BR549]

Something I’ve noticed on our fifth wheel is that both ends of the pass through are significant pathways for outside air (and critters) into the living area.

The drop down plastic “boxes” just inside each door have an opening to the outside for hoses or extension cords. Plus the box area is just thin plastic and all of this is heated/cooled space.

I discovered that insects use the hose penetration as a route into the trailer when my DW had a VLR encounter this past summer. I’ve solved that entry point by keeping copper mesh in both of the hose openings. (VLR - very large roach).

I’m considering a couple of options for insulating the plastic boxes. A half inch of neoprene on the inside is one thought. Another is to use foam or foam board on the outside of the plastic.

[steveluannj]

I used to do HVAC sizing calculations, so I have some idea of what drives heat gain or loss. In my experience, which is residential, the largest single term was infiltration- the air that leaks in our out. You should address this first. It is the biggest bang/buck, since it involves sealing small air leaks, and making sure that the seals around doors and windows are doing their job. Next is windows. RV windows are pretty basic- single pane glass in an aluminum frame. On my model there are a lot of them. You can get much better than dual pane results by covering the windows with Reflectix, but you lose the view. Don't forget the vents and the skylight in the shower- there are pillows you can make or buy to significantly improve their insulation. I assume that if you are running A/C you have the vents closed anyway. Then anything you can do to shade the outside will reduce heat gain from solar. I figure my solar panels shade the roof somewhat. You can also increase comfort at the same temperature by dropping humidity, so a dehumidifier is a good thing to consider for Florida. Get a thermometer with humidity readout and see how good your A/C units are already doing to see how much this might help.