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09-19-2019, 10:28 PM
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#1
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: A bus
Posts: 104
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: Cummins 5.9 + Allison 3060
Rated Cap: Full size
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Temporarily insulating windows for extremely cold weather
There's a chance that we are going to end up in central Alaska in the dead of winter. The average minimum temp that time of year is 40 below zero.
We don't want to do any window deletes. Any tips on insulation that can go over the windows to cover them for winter, but which can be removed in the summer?
We are thinking to pin a bunch of that R-60 pink stuff in between the layers of our curtains and put tape around the edges. (We will have a lot of wood for our stove and the rest of the bus is insulated well. We can also go to Mexico if it gets too cold.)
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09-19-2019, 11:06 PM
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#2
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 2,831
Year: 2007
Coachwork: Thomas Built
Chassis: Minotour
Engine: Chevy Express 3500 6.6l
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How about 2” rigid insulation applied with Velcro on the top
And bottom.
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09-20-2019, 01:55 AM
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#3
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Skoolie
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: BC Rockies
Posts: 125
Year: 93
Coachwork: Corbiel
Chassis: Ford
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 36 pass
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How bout start leisurely heading south now?
Winter travel is no picnic, you will be subjecting yourself and bus to weeks of abuse and white knuckles as you try to escape the frozen north.
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09-20-2019, 02:50 AM
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#4
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,860
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Thomas Built Bus
Chassis: Freightliner FS65
Engine: Caterpillar 3126E Diesel
Rated Cap: 71 Passenger- 30,000 lbs.
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You will also have to prepare your engine for that cold.
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09-20-2019, 07:51 AM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Weeki Wachee, FL
Posts: 3,056
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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I cut squares of 1" XPS foam board to fit each window, then cut a same-size piece of Reflectix. Attach the reflectic to one side of the XPS and shove it in the window hole, reflectix side against the glass. This has been working great for us for a long time.
We also use thermal curtains to separate the driver area from the house, and a sun shield in the windshield. Still major losses at the entry door and drivers window, and the sun shield only helps a little bit when you're talking about temperature rather than sun.
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09-20-2019, 08:29 AM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,402
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brokedown
I cut squares of 1" XPS foam board to fit each window, then cut a same-size piece of Reflectix. Attach the reflectic to one side of the XPS and shove it in the window hole, reflectix side against the glass. This has been working great for us for a long time.
We also use thermal curtains to separate the driver area from the house, and a sun shield in the windshield. Still major losses at the entry door and drivers window, and the sun shield only helps a little bit when you're talking about temperature rather than sun.
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I worked with a gent that did pretty much the same thing except he handed them off to his mother an she covered them very nicely with fabric that matched the interior. They looked and worked great.
However..... We were working comfortably in the bus while it was in the teens not -40.
Just thinking about -40 makes me want to head for Mexico. Brrrr!!!
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09-20-2019, 08:34 AM
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#7
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Weeki Wachee, FL
Posts: 3,056
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 FE
Engine: Cummins 5.9
Rated Cap: 72
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Clearly the best solution is to start driving south now.
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09-20-2019, 09:05 AM
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#8
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Bus Geek
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Eastern WA
Posts: 6,402
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE (A3RE)
Engine: Cummins ISC (8.3)
Rated Cap: 72
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brokedown
Clearly the best solution is to start driving south now.
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That is exactly what I bought a bus for.
"I wanna go where the weather suits my clothes"
Cargo shorts and a t-shirt.....
We should drag you and Hillary down to San Carlos Sonora sometime. I think you guys would enjoy it.
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09-20-2019, 09:21 AM
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#9
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,030
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brokedown
I cut squares of 1" XPS foam board to fit each window, then cut a same-size piece of Reflectix. Attach the reflectic to one side of the XPS and shove it in the window hole, reflectix side against the glass. This has been working great for us for a long time.
We also use thermal curtains to separate the driver area from the house, and a sun shield in the windshield. Still major losses at the entry door and drivers window, and the sun shield only helps a little bit when you're talking about temperature rather than sun.
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I'm going to build an insulated bulkhead wall a couple of feet behind the driver's seat and use the front for garage/storage space. It seems like it would be impossible to keep a bus warm and dry in northern winters with an uninsulated front end as part of the living space.
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09-20-2019, 09:22 AM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,030
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OlgaAK
There's a chance that we are going to end up in central Alaska in the dead of winter. The average minimum temp that time of year is 40 below zero.
We don't want to do any window deletes. Any tips on insulation that can go over the windows to cover them for winter, but which can be removed in the summer?
We are thinking to pin a bunch of that R-60 pink stuff in between the layers of our curtains and put tape around the edges. (We will have a lot of wood for our stove and the rest of the bus is insulated well. We can also go to Mexico if it gets too cold.)
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I would start in Mexico and then see how far north I could comfortably get. My guess would be the northern part of Mexico.
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09-20-2019, 09:30 AM
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#11
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
I'm going to build an insulated bulkhead wall a couple of feet behind the driver's seat and use the front for garage/storage space. It seems like it would be impossible to keep a bus warm and dry in northern winters with an uninsulated front end as part of the living space.
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The front bulkhead is a good idea. I was going to do that when we had a 40 footer. Insulate that bulkhead with roxull and you've got a nice sound proofed fire resistant barrier. And you can lock it so its more secure when you're in the back asleep.
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09-20-2019, 09:32 AM
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#12
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
I would start in Mexico and then see how far north I could comfortably get. My guess would be the northern part of Mexico.
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As a Floridian I like the weather down in the bahamas best.
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09-20-2019, 09:47 AM
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#13
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,030
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
As a Floridian I like the weather down in the bahamas best.
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Too soon, maybe? I don't think hurricane season is over yet.
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09-20-2019, 09:48 AM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eustis FLORIDA
Posts: 23,829
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freighliner FS65
Engine: Cat 3126
Rated Cap: 15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by musigenesis
Too soon, maybe? I don't think hurricane season is over yet.
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Well that part sucks. But the actual temperature and climate are second to none.
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09-20-2019, 09:50 AM
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#15
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,030
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EastCoastCB
The front bulkhead is a good idea. I was going to do that when we had a 40 footer. Insulate that bulkhead with roxull and you've got a nice sound proofed fire resistant barrier. And you can lock it so its more secure when you're in the back asleep.
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I'd be more worried about somebody stealing my bicycles from my "garage" than me getting molested.
Rock wool is really starting to loom as the way to go for me for many reasons.
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09-20-2019, 10:27 AM
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#16
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: A bus
Posts: 104
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: Cummins 5.9 + Allison 3060
Rated Cap: Full size
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The insulated wall is around mid-bus, with the rear half as the living space. During summer we like to use the bed up front to see the views in the morning. But for the cold we are going to make that area as our "garage."
We cannot start the trip in Mexico and then head north due to visas. Mexico would have to be via plane. US immigration laws are not friendly. My friend got interrogated so intensely when she was coming alone via air and said she would be traveling with me in a bus. Six hours later, she finally turned up and looked like she'd been waterboarded. We are trying very hard to minimize any more crossing of the US border.
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09-20-2019, 10:45 AM
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#17
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Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Manitoba Canada
Posts: 143
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Tomas
Engine: 7.3l
Rated Cap: 72
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Hmmm
Could you elaborate on the extreme cold part?
Exatly how cold? Northern Canada where I am or ll northern Russia?
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09-20-2019, 10:56 AM
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#18
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: A bus
Posts: 104
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: Cummins 5.9 + Allison 3060
Rated Cap: Full size
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Negative fourty
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09-20-2019, 11:16 AM
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#19
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: south east BC, close to the Canadian/US border
Posts: 2,265
Year: 1975
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: 8 window
Engine: 454 LS7
Rated Cap: 24,500
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spent two months in a poorly insulated holiday trailer up north - temps hovered around -35c ( -31F ) for the time - you took off your parka, fur hat, fur gloves and -100 sno-pac boots or Stieger Mukluks when you went to bed, but you didn't take off your long underwear, your flannel lined jeans, your Tshirt or quilted top shirt or your heavy socks - we survived quite well and had a successful racing season - if I were younger and fitter, I'd do it again in a heart beat
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09-20-2019, 11:33 AM
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#20
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: A bus
Posts: 104
Year: 2003
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: Cummins 5.9 + Allison 3060
Rated Cap: Full size
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Thank you for the clothing advice! We want to be comfortable leaving the bus also, so clothing is our first line of defense against the snow!
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