How warm are Scamps with ensolite?

[Eddie Longest]

Julian
I have an older 5er with ensolite which I use for hunting in the mountains in the winter. I usually gets down to the low teens or below at night. I have a roll of reflectix which I unroll to cover the walls and windows. I use it in the upper sleeping area which also has a curtain. It tucks behind the cushions and I let the curtain rod holders stick through and I reinstall the curtain rods to hold the top of the reflectix. It really helps with heat retention and after hunting season I remove it, roll it up and store it in the garage until next winter.
Eddie

[Donna D.]

I think the windows and floor are the greatest areas for heat loss. If you can figure methods to insulate both, you'll be ahead of the game. For windows, reflectix works well. Some folks have locking foam pads (think childrens play areas) to insulate the floor.

[Steve and Rosemary]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Steve, are you SURE you've got Rat Fur glued over ensolite? I only ask, because my trailer is one year older than yours and it has Rat Fur glued over Reflectix.

No, I'm not sure what the material is underneath the rat fur. I'm going to go with your assessment and say it is Reflectix. Can you tell me what the differences are? Just curious.

[Jared J]

My 84' 19' scamp has ensolite and a small electric heater works fine down to freezing.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Steve and Rosemary

No, I'm not sure what the material is underneath the rat fur. I'm going to go with your assessment and say it is Reflectix. Can you tell me what the differences are? Just curious.

Reflectix is a silver-colored "bubble wrap." Ensolite is a closed-cell, vinyl covered "sponge." If you have Reflectix, like I have, if you push (gently) on the walls you'll hear it kinda make a crinkly noise. Not quiet like Ensolite. Hope this helps.

[JulianK]

My old trailer (which I built myself) has a 1 1/2" pink foam insulation from Home Depot on all walls and 2" white Styrofoam insulation on the floor. It has an ATWOOD 26,000 BTU furnace, which is an overkill for it being just a bit larger than the 16' Scamp. This furnace can make it hot inside in any weather, even the coldest Canadian winter. It can make it steaming hot at -15C (5F). The problem is it wastes a lot of propane and battery power. In spite of having so much insulation, that trailer looses heat fast, because of too many gaps between the foam pieces and a door that does not seal well. Still it is better insulated than a new "standard" non fiberglass trailer - I know this because we camp together with friends who have such trailers.

Now I am planning to install that same furnace on the Scamp. I have no doubt that it can make the Scamp steaming hot as well. My big question mark is - is it going to hold heat better or worse compared to my old trailer. I need to make it efficient for a number of reasons, one of them being comfort. If the trailer looses heat fast, there is too much temperature fluctuation, which feels unpleasant.

So I need a reference point comparing a Scamp to a standard non fiberglass trailer. If the Scamp is not as efficient as other trailers, I need to fix this now. This is what I am thinking based on your comments. The Scamp's insulation is only 1/8" thick Ensolite, but it has the advantage that it has no gaps. The whole shell is like one piece and is insulated everywhere (except floor and windows). It cannot be much worse compared to my old trailer, but it cannot be better I imagine.

But if I put Reflectix on top of the Ensolite and then headliner on top of the Reflectix, it will probably get better than my old trailer, which is the goal.

Based on your experiences does that sound correct?

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Steve and Rosemary

No, I'm not sure what the material is underneath the rat fur. I'm going to go with your assessment and say it is Reflectix. Can you tell me what the differences are? Just curious.

Ensolite is a rubber/foam while the Reflectix is made of foil with air bubbles in between the two layers of foil. If as you say you can push on the rat fur of your trailer and you can feel it give a little bit its most likely Reflectix or Foil Ray as Scamp calls it.

[Steve and Rosemary]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Ensolite is a rubber/foam while the Reflectix is made of foil with air bubbles in between the two layers of foil. If as you say you can push on the rat fur of your trailer and you can feel it give a little bit its most likely Reflectix or Foil Ray as Scamp calls it.

Reflectix/Foil Ray it is! It definitely isn't foam like at all. Thanks,