Vacuum Insulated Composite Panels
- Thread starter DzlToy
- Start date
SkiFreak
Crazy Person
Heat's one thing, but I would be even more concerned about the condensation build up on the frame inside when it's cold.
The frame getting hot is unlikely to cause any issues, apart from discomfort from a warmer than desired inside temperature, but moisture can lead to issues like mould, which is a much bigger problem, in my opinion.
LeishaShannon
Adventurer
Another one to watch out for is "RV" doors that are vented at the bottom, here I have turned on the AC inside and you can see the cool air flowing out the vent. They're a legal requirement in Australia if you have gas installed, we're all electric so I've added blocking that vent to my somewhat never ending list.
gait
Explorer
I added some foam (camping sleeping mat closed cell) to the inside of the my standard Camec Al door as well as blocking the vent. Longer term plan is to rebuild the door with foam sandwich panel, same as body. I'll replace the handle / lock as well, I'm nearly at the end of the second handle and the hinges don't last forever.
What's the camera you are using?
What's the camera you are using?
LeishaShannon
Adventurer
Leisha bought me a FLIR One thermal camera for my birthday. Argh. That means its been 2 years since we got the truck, so much for having it finished in 18 months 
It doesn't have the thermal resolution of the professional ($3000+) models but it has "MSX technology" where it combines a normal image with the thermal data so you can workout whats going on pretty easily.
Handy for:
Checking tyre inflation
Hunting down thermal leaks/bridges
Checking electrical connectors for bad joints under load
Finding wet patches / leaks
Choosing the freshest sushi on the sushi train or bread in the super market....
Its not officially supported but it works fine with the FLIR Tools app on mac/pc , which makes it easy to clean up the images and produce reports like :
For $349USD its hard to beat, Seek Thermal have a higher thermal resolution model for $199 but without MSX
Gait / anyone else nearby , feel free to pop over if you have something you want to look at
It doesn't have the thermal resolution of the professional ($3000+) models but it has "MSX technology" where it combines a normal image with the thermal data so you can workout whats going on pretty easily.
Handy for:
Checking tyre inflation
Hunting down thermal leaks/bridges
Checking electrical connectors for bad joints under load
Finding wet patches / leaks
Choosing the freshest sushi on the sushi train or bread in the super market....
Its not officially supported but it works fine with the FLIR Tools app on mac/pc , which makes it easy to clean up the images and produce reports like :
For $349USD its hard to beat, Seek Thermal have a higher thermal resolution model for $199 but without MSX
Gait / anyone else nearby , feel free to pop over if you have something you want to look at
gait
Explorer
thanks Shannon - nice pressie - the last time I had access to horribly expensive industrial IR camera was about 1988 when reducing industrial furnace fuel oil consumption. Had to write a capital request for the accountants.
We like sushi. It would also have saved a bit of the effort tracing a small gas leak for a fellow traveler. Last time I looked a few years ago they were still a bit exy for home use.
I made my own using vacuum insulated panels (see somewhere near beginning of this thread). 150 litre fridge freezer with energy consumption about 300 Wh/day (25Ah/day at nominal 12v) at ambient 25 degC. Separate compressor / condenser and deep fridge under sink with drawers so back of fridge is against outside wall with extra 20mm of foam where refrigerant pipes are.
My interior carcass is food grade PP but I had some 4mm Dibond around at the time I built which I briefly considered. It has an Al skin of about 0.2mm which would have been enough of a thermal bridge across the door seal to double the energy consumption. In relative terms the effect of an Al bridge can be very high - not as high as copper for thermal and electrical conductivity but still relatively high.
I haven't checked energy consumption since I returned but I do wonder how well the panels stood up to 3+ years of rough roads and thermal image would be useful.
We like sushi. It would also have saved a bit of the effort tracing a small gas leak for a fellow traveler. Last time I looked a few years ago they were still a bit exy for home use.
I made my own using vacuum insulated panels (see somewhere near beginning of this thread). 150 litre fridge freezer with energy consumption about 300 Wh/day (25Ah/day at nominal 12v) at ambient 25 degC. Separate compressor / condenser and deep fridge under sink with drawers so back of fridge is against outside wall with extra 20mm of foam where refrigerant pipes are.
My interior carcass is food grade PP but I had some 4mm Dibond around at the time I built which I briefly considered. It has an Al skin of about 0.2mm which would have been enough of a thermal bridge across the door seal to double the energy consumption. In relative terms the effect of an Al bridge can be very high - not as high as copper for thermal and electrical conductivity but still relatively high.
I haven't checked energy consumption since I returned but I do wonder how well the panels stood up to 3+ years of rough roads and thermal image would be useful.