12v bunk pad added to RTT to try winter camping next year

[Corey]

Washed the r(p)ig Saturday, got the gunk off the tent top.
Sunday I opened the tent and after a very wet winter with snow, ice, and tons or rain, the Maggiolina AirLand was bone dry inside.

Took out the sheets and laundered them, and shook out the comforter.
The 12v pad comes with safety pins to pin it down to the mattress.
no need for the mattress to be up under the pillow, so I pulled it down all the way towards the foot area.

Since they no longer offer the 54x60, the biggest choice I had was the 42x60, so it does not cover the whole bed.
It is a shame they no longer have the wider one, it would have covered the whole bed width wise.

I also took out the two small pillows that are supplied (came with three, but I only used two) from Autohome, and I replaced them with Serta full/queen size pillow in firm.
This will be a lot better, as the stock pillows were a little to small for me.
This makes it even more like sleeping in my bed at home now.

Unfortunately I was not able to plug the pad in, I need a 12v extension cord.
Also since both of my 12v outlets in the rear of the FJ will be supplying juice to the tents 12v light and the ARB fridge, I will get some clips put on the 12v extension cord and run them right to the aux. battery under the hood to power the 12v heated pad.

Link to the pad I got.
http://cozywinters.com/shop/ew-rvhmp.html
I talked with the guy who gets these in and then ships them to Cozy Winters.
I wish I had ordered earlier when they had the 54x60s in stock.

Probably will not need to turn on the pad at all during the summer, as the comforter is a winter Ultra Warmth weight one with 35 oz of down sized in a twin.
I slept plenty warm last year with just the sheets and comforter.
http://www.thecompanystore.com/parent/Comforters+Down/3101/CX22X/

 

[washington taco]

Winter heat.

I use a propane Mr. Heater Buddy Heater in my canopie all winter. Works well and has a low oxygen sensor even though I keep a window cracked all night.

 

[kb7our]

Corey you will love the pad...I was able to obtain the larger one just a few months ago and you are right - it does fit the entire mattress width. I use a similar down comforter and a sheet on top to retain the warmth and it works VERY well. Just a top fitted sheet over the pad and it is quite comfortable. Enjoy!

Wade

 

[DaveM]

Should be warm. You'll probably not need it unless it gets very cold out. I've spent a few nights in our old Maggiolina in snowy weather with no heater and was toasty warm!

My solution for extra power to the tent was to run a dedicated fused line from the batt to the rear of the LC up to a bulkhead plug in the floor of the RTT. Inside the tent that line was split into two separate fused lines of lighter awg. One for the tent light the other to a aux 12v plug for whatever. No pics, sorry.

Love those tents, I miss mine.

 

[mountainclimber8]

Corey,

I've used those pads throughout winters before.

They work just fine. The low settings worked best for me. I didn't want to be broiled.

You should be very pleased with results that you will get. You have a great setup for it.

 

[Corey]

I use a propane Mr. Heater Buddy Heater in my canopie all winter. Works well and has a low oxygen sensor even though I keep a window cracked all night.

I bought the smaller one a month back, but it is really to big for a RTT, and to easy to tip over.
Will be using it for power outages at home instead during the winter.

Corey you will love the pad...I was able to obtain the larger one just a few months ago and you are right - it does fit the entire matress width. I use a similar down comforter and a sheet on top to retain the warmth and it works VERY well. Just a top fitted sheet over the pad and it is quite confortable. Enjoy!

Wade

Thanks Wade, wish I was able to secure the bigger one.

Should be warm. You'll probably not need it unless it gets very cold out. I've spent a few nights in our old Maggiolina in snowy weather with no heater and was toasty warm!

Dave, nice setup you had.
Yes, I noticed last summer even as the temps got way low overnight up at Mt. Rainier, the tent was still pretty warm.

Corey,

I've used those pads throughout winters before.

They work just fine. The low settings worked best for me. I didn't want to be broiled.

You should be very pleased with results that you will get. You have a great setup for it.

Thanks, I hope to get a lot of use out of the setup.

 

[Mike S]

Corey...

An option would be to tap into the factory 12V line where it enters the headliner, and fasten a socket to the inside ceiling. When I installed the folding fan in my Maggiolina Extreme I just tapped into the factory wire. It didn't draw much (maybe one amp?) and worked well. Do you know the amerage draw on the bunk pad?

Mike S

 

[Corey]

Thanks Mike, that sounds like a great idea.
Unfortunately I do not know the power drain.
No information about it on the packaging.
It is probably on the tag on the pad itself, but I will not be able to view that until the next time I get a chance to pop the tent open.

 

[Corey]

Here is a thought, this idea came to me today at work.
Right now my dual 12v outlets in the rear of my rig are for the ARB fridge and I ran the Airland light there too.

What I could do is get one of these dual or triple 12v outlets.

Either run the plug from it to inside of my rig to the other 12v outlet, or put battery clips on the end and run it to one of the batteries under the hood.

There may be a way even to hard mount the dual or triple outlet box in the tent.
Then the tents light and the heating pad could plug into the new outlet box.

Just thinking out loud here

 

[targa88]

Thanks Mike, that sounds like a great idea.
Unfortunately I do not know the power drain.
No information about it on the packaging.
It is probably on the tag on the pad itself, but I will not be able to view that until the next time I get a chance to pop the tent open.

According to their website:
Average current usage is 3amps.

 

[FlyNdrive]

I used an RV style 12 volt for my RTT. You can change all the 12 volts to use 'electric guitar' style pin and use a lot less space.

-Ben