Insulating under bed in 171
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3425
Printed Date: 27 May 2025 at 2:52pm
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Topic: Insulating under bed in 171
Posted By: P&M
Subject: Insulating under bed in 171
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 6:57pm
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With the 171 our bed is over the exterior access bay in the back of the Pod. I sleep on the inside and M sleeps closer to the outside wall, and she is complaining in the colder weather that the whole side over there is much colder. I tested it this past weekend and it certainly is. Switching sides for us is a no-go for a few different reasons, so I looked underneath and it looks like it would be possible to glue in some rigid insulation panels to the top of the storage bay, which is right under the bed.
Has anyone tried or done this yet? I'd lose some headspace in the storage area but I wouldn't think it would take much. ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Replies:
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 9:55pm
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Sounds feasible. Do you have a memory foam mattress? We do, I sleep against the back wall in our 171 and haven't noticed any difference, I can only wonder if that mattress helps. Something that may help you is to leave the access door under the bed open overnight to allow warmer air to circulate under there.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 22 Apr 2013 at 10:06pm
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P&M that's a good idea, Donna and I use the dinette short queen to sleep on in our 172, the rear pass through storage is right below us. Early spring, late fall Donna will complain that it seems cold in the middle of the night. She sleeps toward the rear wall. We have a 3 inch memory foam between us and the factory cushions. I think the coolness may come from the back, outside wall. I think that's a good idea to glue some ridged foam on the upper ceiling of the rear storage area to help. its light , cheap and wont hurt anything. I still think most of the cold comes from (in our case) the rear single glass on the back of the pod. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 9:39am
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I have also thought about this but not because of the cold in the spring, it's the heat in the summer when we camp. What I did do was insulate the short walls behind the refrig because of the heat that radiates from them on the inside. There is only the thin paneling and nothing else to keep the heat out. It has made a big difference. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 6:25pm
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To help with the heat in the summer I did like Goose did and put aluminum foil up on the back window. Provides a complete blackout for naps and reflects all heat back out before it comes in.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 6:43pm
Doh! Now why didn't I think of that!  ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 6:47pm
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Nope, we don't have a memory foam mattress yet ... on the wish list but kind of spendy. I agree that would probably help a lot with the issue as well.
We haven't had our Pod long enough to actually use it in the summer, so I am thankful for the responses about dealing with the heat. Though I live in the Southeast I am a Northwest born'n'bred boy who likes it colder, and I don't do well with trying to sleep when it is too hot. That has been a concern of mine, and these ideas to keep the heat out are fantastic! ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 23 Apr 2013 at 7:19pm
 I would recommend picking up a roll of mylar/mirror/bubble wrap. It is usually available in the building section of the big box stores. It looks like bubble wrap but the plastic is coated with a mirror-like surface. The bubbles act as thermal insulation and the mirrored surface reflects heat.So it works great to keep hot sunlight out and reflects IR heat in the interior. I cut it to fit the shape of my Pod's windows and use the blinds/curtains to keep it from falling out of the window frames. I finally added a couple of industrial strength sticky-back Velcro to each sheet to help keep the panels from falling down. The bubble sheets really work well...they stop most of the condensation/frost when nights get nippy. My bed is located beneath the rear window and there is never any cold drafts when the sheets are installed. I also use the inserts on the sunny side windows if I know that it is going to be a scorcher and I want to prevent the temp from building up too fast from sun shining through the windows. ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2013 at 12:45pm
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How about using Reflectix under the bed and up the wall to just below the top of the mattress?
I can also highly recommend a heated mattress pad if you've got hookups. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 24 Apr 2013 at 7:02pm
| I've noticed cold air getting sucked into the 171 between the plywood for the bed and the back wall which leads down to the storage area. Make sure the storage doors are closed and consider a bead of silicone between the wall and plywood. You can add insulation after the airflow is stopped. I'm going to try this as well. |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2013 at 11:29am
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This is the mylar/bubble wrap/ foil that I used to insulate the short walls behind the refrig. I used 3 layers of foam baseplate seal cut and glued in between the framing and then added the bubble wrap over the top held in place by 1/4 inch screws. I used the baseplate seal because it was flexible enough to work into that small space.
I also have two layers of bubble wrap in the back window that really cuts the heat in the back. For the life of me I can't think of the name of this stuff, only that they had it one year at the local Home Depot and then last summer they did not and had buy it out in Casa Grande when we got there. Like Outbound I have a bunk heater on the mattress in the truck and on a cold morning you never want to get up, it works great. Goose uploads/648/DSC03039.jpg - DSC03039.jpg ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2013 at 7:38pm
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The proper name for it is "radiant barrier". Its best known by the trade name Reflectix.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2013 at 7:39pm
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Anthony, great idea! Thanks for the suggestion ... going to be doing some caulking on it this weekend so adding this to the list.
Goose, I'll see if I can find that somewhere around here for the frig area. We have a small electric heater with a thermostat we are using for really cold nights, but M's definition of really cold and my definition of it vary greatly! ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 02 May 2013 at 9:13am
| So I sealed the edges of the plywood with silicone and took it out last weekend. We had one cold night and I didn't feel any cold air blowing in from that area - much improved. I was also sure to keep the storage doors closed tight. I noticed some condensation along the seal between the roof and walls, so there's probably air leaking there as well. Where else have people sealed their Pods? |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 02 May 2013 at 10:23am
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Anthony the moisture that you are seeing is more than likely the result of your breathing while you sleep. The POD is built very tight and with out cracking the fan vent and a window to have a flow of air the moisture in your breath condensates on the windows and up on the roof. We all have seen this when camping in the colder times of the year. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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