Popup Gizmos/ Bunk Cover questions???

[Gracy]

Gracy, I bought the survival blankets from Wal-mart for about $3.00 each. I have a kingsize bed on one end and a double on the other so I think I bought 3 for the king and 2 for the double. I also took some reflective duct tape also purchased at Wal-mart for about $4.00 a roll and I then cut my blankets to fit my bunkends and taped them together with the tape. I then secure the blankets to the top of my bunkends with heavy duty cloths pens.

I only use them in the summer to keep the sun from heating up the inside of the pup. They work great. I will warn you though, some of the reflective material can come off of the blanket and get on the vinyl of your bunkend. But that hasn't caused me any problems. I also find that I need to replace the blankets once a year, but for $15 or so it's worth it.

The other advantage is that the blankets can be folded up, placed in a ziplock bag and stored in a cabinet. They don't take up much room at all and I'm all about that.

CajunCamper

Awesome tip!  Thanks

[waterdoctor]

Gracy - I bought the Popup Gizmos a couple years ago and love them. I've got king beds on both ends and without the gizmos the bunks were just too hot :yikes: to be in during the summer.  They helped keep the bunks about 20 deg cooler than without them. Sure, they cost a bit, but it was worth it for me.  BTW, I keep them attached even when I pop down the PUP. I haven't had any trouble with them at all.  I asked the guy at Popup Gizmos about leaving them in place when I pop down and he said it was perfectly OK. :#  If I had the time and was able to get the materials here locally (fat chance of that here in the desert boonies) I might have tried to make them out of military surplus survival blankets since they're more robust and should last longer than the standard survival blankets you can get from Wally-world.  Just my thoughts, though.
 
Good luck and happy camping.
Steve

[Bicycle Campers]

These covers sound very interesting. On our first and so far only, trip in the PU we darn near crawled under each others skin we were so cold at night. The outside temperature was in the low 50's but it seemed colder inside than out. Would these covers help that? Is it a common thing for the bunk ends to be so cold? We slept on a thick air mattress to avoid the cold from below and had two very nice quilts on top. When we go camping this weekend DH is bringing along an electric blanket, sleeping bags, quilts and the two dogs! :eyecrazy:  bikerHen

[bud121156]

Here is a shot of ours  y'all.
 

[austinado16]

Low 50's is cold, don't kid yourself!

It would help somewhat to do as in the photo above:  Reflectix Insulation panels in the bunk windows, with the windows zipped closed, and then turn the "blanket" on the roof so that the foil is facing down.

You guys would like a 2" thick memory foam mattress topper placed on top of your existing bunk foam mattress, then go with normal flannel sheets and a couple heavy blankets.  Or in leiu of blankets, do a double sleeping bag, or left and right bags that zip together.

I installed a furnace in our camper, and also an Olympian Wave 6 Catalytic Heater, and we use one, or the other on cold nights.  The Wave 6 is fantastic.....silent, and doesn't use the camper battery or need electricity of any kind.  We stay toasty warm.

[coach]

then turn the "blanket" on the roof so that the foil is facing down.

How does that help? Should you turn it over in day and again at night?
Reflective insulation must have an air gap on both sides in order to function correctly.

misconception

[austinado16]

That's great and everything, but when you build a house, the foil side of the insulation is always faced toward the inside, and then right up against that, you place the sheet rock, or paneling, or whatever wall board you use.  So there is no air gap between it, and the interior space.

[coach]

Does this foil faced product claim radiant properties? Does it have a name/maker/link?
Every radiant barrier install specs call for air space.

Flipping suggest the reflective property is better than the low E property (they are one in the same!), do people flip low E windows?

[aw738]

Isn't the cover on insulation a vapor barrier.

[austinado16]

Isn't the cover on insulation a vapor barrier.

Probably, but it's foil too, so that's what got me thinking.  If you put it up in your ceiling, between the joists, it goes foil side down facing the living space.  If you put it in the floor between the joists, you give it a 2" gap and foil side facing upward toward the living space.

[JohnandLeann]

Went into Home DeepPockets as Austinado likes to refer to it for good reason.  Was looking at Relectix material for bunk windows and under the beds as well.  I saw that there was 4ft x 8ft sheets of Reflectix and also rolls of it 4ft wide by 25 ft long.  The sheets were about $12.00 for 1/2 inch thick, 4 x 8 sheets and $42.00 for the long roll of the stuff.  Which should I use if I were to go with this material?  I kinda like the roll for the convenience aspect but it seems kinda pricey.
Thoughts please.
Also am considering BEGizmo's
Thanks,
John

[austinado16]

Run over to Ochard Supply and you can buy it off their different size rolls, and get just as much as you actually need.  (I try to avoid the Home Deep Hole)

I guess how much you need depends on how you're going to use it.

If you were going to camp in the cool/cold then you'd probably want enough Reflectix to do all the windows......zipping it up into the windows.  You can use that aluminum tape that they sell to join pieces together if you need wider/longer.

If you only want it for sun protection, then maybe you only want enough to do one side of the camper?  Zipping it up into the sun exposed windows?

I think you'll like the reflective "blankets" on the bunk roofs, whether you guys go with PopUpGizmos, or make your own.  Makes a big difference.

[jwhite]

hello all, new to the site(well, actually, just got a log on) been using the site for a few years, just never registered.  I normally camp in the National Forest in PA for hunting season, where the temps are in the low teens during deer season. One thing we learned is to use propane lanterns in the camper, they produce alot of extra heat.  have stayed pretty warm but love the idea of the Gizmos and relex it. just wanted to throw in  a few cents.


john

[austinado16]

Hey, welcome John.  Glad you finally joined the fray!

I'm not sure a couple of lanterns could keep up with the heat loss that occurs through the canvas in a pop-up.  I remember camping as a kid in a pickup truck camper, and my folks using the dual mantle propane lantern on the wall to heat, but that was wood paneled interior, insulation, and aluminum skin on the outside.

[jwhite]

Hey, welcome John.  Glad you finally joined the fray!

I'm not sure a couple of lanterns could keep up with the heat loss that occurs through the canvas in a pop-up.  I remember camping as a kid in a pickup truck camper, and my folks using the dual mantle propane lantern on the wall to heat, but that was wood paneled interior, insulation, and aluminum skin on the outside.

i guess i should have been more specific, the lanterns are used to light the camper(save on battery) and it works out that the heat produced helps so the furnance isn't running non stop.  we also use the small fan/lights to push the air around.  But your right about the heat loss, we go thru a tank of propane within a day and a half.  My old skamper had a regular canvas and held heat alot better.