I have listened to Lazy Daze RV folks for close to 7 years now… especially this past year since I now  have my own Lazy Daze. Living in the rig is an additional insightful experience.  Many tips, conversations over pros and cons on doing pretty much everything regarding this RV, plus the additional discoveries that can’t be found in book or online but that one trips across as one encounters it – to learn – Oh yea! I’ve been there, this is what I did on that situation! And so the saga continues… the learning curve just keeps going and going and going….

I finished changing all the screws to snaps on the Fantastic Vents, and got the covers on – one is bigger than the other, but that’s ok, if I stuck foam or styrofoam up in the vent it might handle it better.  For now, I’ve just left the new vent covers on without the additional filling.  I have always wondered why my fellow Lazy Daze folks felt the need to do all this – vent covers, styrofoam, reflectix, etc.  I had cold issues in May back in AK when I first got into the rig, but I figured out how to survive in the cold temperatures (we still had 2 feet of snow on the ground in May), but I hadn’t done any of these little details.  One of the biggest issues I had back then was condensation – boy I’ve learned how to deal with that problem.  Cleaning out weep holes is a big helper on that, but there’s more to it such as a need to use exhaust fan on hood when boiling water, cooking soups, etc. really cuts down on the condensation. And recently learned, not using propane heat at night (or even the evening) once the rig is closed up – as that adds a huge volume of moisture to the rig.  Like I said, the learning curve continues…

Another tidbit I just figured out yesterday!  I need to make a habit when I park the rig anywhere for a night or more, to turn off the vent and close the vents. Amazing transformation inside my rig!  I vaguely remember someone mentioning this online or at a gathering, but I didn’t quiz them about it.  My or my what a world of difference this makes in cold weather and I suspect it would be equally good in hot weather.  This is why my bedding was so frigid, why I was freezing my bums off at the dinette. No more!  It was real nice last night!

I have heard folks say they had used stiff foam strips (stuff found in packages for electronic equipment and such) in the door wells.  I don’t have any of that, but I have found my outdoor mat (I have one extra) which lays over the door well and completely cuts off the cold air. Now I might not need that once I get the Reflectix in place, but not sure on that and it doesn’t help at all on the cab door wells – that will be adjusted later. The cab is not insulated!  One of the neatest fixes for the cab I’ve seen was in October. This person cut and fitted styrofoam into the space behind the driver and passenger seats and completely sealed off the cab. They went one additional step and covered the styrofoam with cloth and used it as an creative ideas pin board. Awesome what they did with this concept.  Knowing now that my cats eat styrofoam, I can’t do that and besides, I’d have to change where I’d put the kitty litter box.  Although, there might be another solution for that yet… will think on that. The next option, which I’ve sorted of used, is to hang a blanket down over this area. It helps, but I need something with a little better insulation factor and somehow make it easier for the cats to get to their litter box. Andy Baird’s web page suggest a quilt and put a slit into it for cats. Well, I don’t have a sewing machine with me and I’m not willing to cut my blanket. So that is a task I will tend to when I get home next summer. Right now, just closing the vents was a huge help, but realize it could be better.