Visit our Popular Forums

katsix · 12-13-2007, 06:24 PM

Does anyone else have a lot of cold drafts. I just picked up a new 08 safari 23'. It seems their are a lot of cold drafts. Under the bathroom sink, behind the tolet, under the kitchen sink, etc. I'm thinking about putting insulaton under the bathroom sink and in the bathroom behind the tolet. etc. Anyone have suggestions? I'm getting ready for a trip to disney world and would like to get all the drafts stopped. Rob

Silvertwinkie · 12-13-2007, 06:42 PM

DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED...

I take it that you don't have the SE edition and have the windows that open only on the botton part? If so, check the seals...most don't seal properly, and on mine, the two front ones had no seal gaskets AT ALL!

The door does not totally seal and that too lets in cold air.

My fix was to simply replace or in the case of the front window add 1/8" seals. They can be bought at nearly any hardware store. To test, turn on the radio. If you can hear the radio fairly clearly with the window closed (no sounding somewhat muffled), then your gaskets are not sealing, or worse yet, there are no gaskets!

If you have the nice windows found on the CCD, SE or Classic, and your windows leak, you have maybe larger problems that what I'm thinkin' about.

I was totally floored to see that a $40k RV could have such piss poor windows...one of my biggest gripes with my Airstream....so much so that I may save up and pay the factory to replace them similar to what Rich L did with his bunkhouse.

**moosetags** · 12-13-2007, 06:47 PM

We have an '05 Safari 25 FB. We have done quite a bit of cold weather camping. We also had a number of drafts, especially around the bed. We fitted the bed board with pieces of that interlocking rubber flooring used for kids' playrooms. We also took some of the round foam weather strip and jammed it in every crack that we could find. We also fitted all of the windows with that silver bubble insulation. This also helps a bunch in hot weather, and prevents fadding in the interior during periods of storage.

Brian

Silvertwinkie · 12-13-2007, 06:52 PM

Brain...you have a non-se too? Standard HEHR windows?

Silvertwinkie · 12-13-2007, 06:55 PM

Here is a pic of the lower part of my front HEHR window...notice it's bare metal...not gasketing at all. I've since added some.

**moosetags** · 12-13-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Brain...you have a non-se too? Standard HEHR windows?

Ours is one of the earliest FB's with the rear-hinged door. I'm not sure what you are referring to by HEHR windows. We have the kind where the bottom third cranks open. We have not had any trouble with ours.

Brian

Silvertwinkie · 12-14-2007, 06:43 AM

The HEHR windows are the windows that only open on the bottom 3rd of the window. Though some windows seal ok, the majority of the windows are basically el cheapo POS. Functionally, they do physically open and close well, it's that they don't allow any real airflow unless you have fantasitc vents, then you can get a wind tunnel in the Airstream.

The other issue with the windows, which is particularly more noticiable when it's colder out, is the fact that a good number of these windows do not fully seat, leaving gaps where the moving part of the window meets the frame. In my case, the whole front window had zero gasketing at all. I was crashed on the front sofa one morning and heard birds as if the window was open, yet it was closed.

When I was at the factory, they gave me some rubber gasketing and they had to reglaze one of my windows because the non moving part of the window would move slightly within the frame.

The only way I know to test the windows, outside of it being cold out, is to turn on the stereo inside, with all the windows and doors closed. If you can hear sound clearly, unmuffled, then you don't have a good seal, which is a clear cause of draft, if not one of the primary cause. Out of 7 total windows in my Safari, 5 of them had little to no sealing.

Kistler · 12-14-2007, 07:40 AM

There is no insulation under our bathroom sink, apparently. I see the inside of the shell. Is it possible that there is an inner shell and outer shell with insulation between?

We never go where it is really cold; the air-conditioner takes care of the heat (and it does get hot where we are and go) well as long as the power supply is adequate. So, our trailer has not been tested in the really cold.

Ahab · 12-14-2007, 08:18 AM

Our '08 SS has ducting from the furnace to the various holding tanks (to keep them from freezing) and bathroom. We've been in some serious wind conditions with no drafts. Could your unit have the same system and the ducting became disconnected?

Mike Lewis · 12-14-2007, 09:41 AM

kat--We have had 3 Airstreams and have come to this conclusion. First and formost they are not insulated well! 2nd Aluminum is used in cookware because it's light weight and "transfers heat well" We have found this to be true on trailers also. No mater what R factor the company throws at you the fact is they are a cold coach in cold weather. Besides the fact they are not insulated well the single pane windows let heat out as fast as the the furnace can pump the warm in even if they are sealed well. I have felt the same drafts in the same areas you speak of and and convinced it's nothing more than the cold coming through the poorly insulated thin walls. While some people live in them during cold weather it's not without a LOT of prep for such. That said, I think the factory would tell you they are not desiged to to one , live in full time, and not designed to use long term in cold temps.----This isn't to discredit Airstream as a great travel trailer, but it is just that ,a "travel trailer" and like any product it has it's design limits. My advice if you're planing to do long term cold weather camping or Full timing as we are, be prepared to live ith some discomfort, do a lot of extra insulating, covering windows etc, and have several extra propane tanks.
pieman

Foiled Again · 12-14-2007, 09:54 AM

I lost a hairbrush when I tossed it into a bin under my bathroom sink (huh?).. Yes, then I got down and looked under there. The back of the cabinet only comes about half way up - then is open to the outside wall.

Now I figure this "design" was done so that the interior heat would keep the pipes in the sink from freezing in cold weather. However I think that design could also have had a SCREEN or NET to prevent you from losing stuff off of the bathroom shelves.

Yes there are little drafts here and there, but in a small space even with drafts it's not that hard to keep it warm and - more importantly in a small space it IS important to make sure you have fresh air circulating - because Oxygen depletion could happen really fast otherwise. Lets face it, when I'm sleeping in my 25 FB, my head is less than a foot from the outside wall, my feet are less than 2 feet from the outside wall and my fanny might be nudged up pretty close to yet another outside wall. We will feel the drafts much more, simply because every room IS on an outside wall.

Aluminum IS a great conductor of heat and cold.... but I wonder what would happen if someone doing the full monte were to decide to have his entire interior, frame and bottom of the floor sprayed with Line-X or Rhino Lining (while the inside walls/belly pan were off).... I think he might find that he'd created a hermetically sealed COFFIN.
A really cold draft down your neck (or up the wahzoo when you're seated on the throne) can be very unpleasant, but don't be too eager to make your place draft proof!

Paula

tpi · 12-14-2007, 10:41 AM

I'd be aware of any plumbing behind areas you want to insulate-knocking out those cold drafts may keep warm drafts from hitting the pipes. Just something to consider.

gotohatteras · 12-14-2007, 10:54 AM

Turn on the light in your outside storage compartment at night, and close the compartment door. If you can see the light from outside...you need to adjust the latch. I just carefully bent the flat bar on the door so that it pulls the door tighter against the gasket. You should have to push the door in while turning the thumblatch. If it latches without holding it in tightly...the door is leaking cold or hot air from outside right under your bed and over to the bath and kitchen under cabinet areas.