Arctic pack questions

[chnlisle]

LaQuinta Les strikes again. Hey Les maybe you should just start your own projects page and we can suggest new ones I bet I could sell it to HGTV.

 

[erod]

claire and i are really starting to think about making out own...i had this very thin insulation in a yurt i lived in last winter...don't have any photos of it. its about 1/4" thick and has an metalic appearance. what if you used this material, lined with a soft, fleece? just a thought...good thread by the way.

 

[erod]

claire and i are really starting to think about making out own...i had this very thin insulation in a yurt i lived in last winter...don't have any photos of it. its about 1/4" thick and has an metalic appearance. what if you used this material, lined with a soft, fleece? just a thought...good thread by the way.

what about closing the camper with the liner still installed? windows? i am going to look into some material today...stay tuned...

bought some insulating material today...this stuff is relatively malable, i have used it before and it seems to work fairly well. it already creates a "dead air" space. i am going to sew a fleece liner to enclose it then install velcro on the top and bottom...ahhh, another project...

 

[lqhikers]

more liner input.

when we use liner we put it up when we make bed takes 10 seconds to install 10 seconds to take down maybe 30 seconds to stuff in sack if its damp our sleeping bags are also damp we normaly stop some time during day and hang things out while fixing lunch dinner whatever most of the time this works.if we have to go a couple of days with a little damp so be it,it's just temporary!it takes more time to tuck top in if you leave up than it takes to take down and stuff! if we get cranky we remember the self contained trips by bicycle that we had to stop every day unpack and dry everything out,makes the fwc seem like a hotel room! also we always sleep with roof vent open and side window cracked(even when we are in super cold area's) as this is the best way to reduce moisture,hope this adds more warmth to the discussion! drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

 

[davinski]

Erod:

That is the same insulation material that I used to close up the camper. Put it over the sliding window, big window, back window. It does keep it warmer when the top is down. But the pop up "canvas"still loses the most heat. I don't know how well it would work for an arctic pack...hard to fold down me thinks.

I was gonna use some of the leftover and make some insulation for the tie down covers. I note a lot of cool air coming in from them as well. Of course, would leave one open for air, but still it is cold. Also made one for the fantastic fan. I store them on the bed when not in use and have no problems closing the top. Velcro keeps then on.

I think for the canvas, a thin, foldable, insulating material that can form a dead air space is what is needed. I like the idea of felt or fleece or something that can fold down small.....I might make a trip to seattle fabrics next week and see what they might have...

dave

 

[lqhikers]

velcro screwups? (Ben) projects?(Jay)

reading Bens remarks about making sure to use correct pieces when installing i wonder what made him say this possibly experience? reminds me of the time i pulled trans and transfer case on jeep to replace throw out bearing,cleaned bearing to check part # matched to new bearing had lunch installed bearing your right i installed old bearing.so listen to what Ben or Stan says because i'm sure they have been there before! also Jay i'm always up for new projects why don't you come up with some and when we get back from our two weeks in saline valley we can get started!but its a good idea we need a good way to bring up projects that have been done on this sight,or at least make it easy for slow computer users like myself to find them,maybe on the order of the member list.drive slow and enjoy "its the journey"

 

[flinchlock]

The original artic packs are made out of the same material as a Wolf brand car cover. It is breathable and does not have a problem with moisture build up.
Does the factory Arctic Pack work leaving it on all year long AND putting the top up & down? The Arctic Pack does not need to be removed to lower the roof?

About how much weight does the Arctic Pack add to the top? What I am really asking, does it affect the effort to raise the top?

Mike

 

[erod]

thanks for the input guys! i think this stuff is pretty handy to have around...windows/doors/etc. the roll was like $26, we'll see...we were thinking of adding a "seam" of sorts similiar to the liner that would aid in the folding process, but for now we may just remove it and install it when necassary. seems like this could help with the dead air space moisure build up as well.

i am pretty sure you can leave the factory arctic pack (hence the d rings) on at all times, up down etc. pretty sure it wouldn't add much weight...its the stuff on the roof that really makes it difficult to lift...IMO. thanks again

 

[pvstoy]

Does the factory Arctic Pack work leaving it on all year long AND putting the top up & down? The Arctic Pack does not need to be removed to lower the roof?

About how much weight does the Arctic Pack add to the top? What I am really asking, does it affect the effort to raise the top?

Mike

Hi Mike,

Our 2002 FWC Ranger bought new has had the liner on all the time. I never take it off.

When you do put any kind of liner on and leave it you will need to adjust the turn buckles OPPS! ROOF LATCHES for the slight extra thickness.

You should always check the turn buckles anyway for not too tight and not too loose. The roof needs to float.

The factory liner is not too thick and does not weigh that much. I thought of making one out of fleece material but went with the factory liner.

 

[Sam]

Erod,

On my "to do" list is making a liner out of that foil/bubble/foil. I installed it in the walls of my house and I think it would be good for the camper. I think it would be a good idea to sew some fabric on the inside otherwide condensation would run down the foil like crazy? I planned on just taking it off and on everytime I raised/lowered the roof, it would be easy to just roll it up.

 

[benburnett]

Artic pack

To answer some of the questions.

The reason that I mention to make sure you use the loop on one side and the hook on the other side is that I can see someone making that mistake in sewing the Velcro on the home made artic pack and then wondering why it won't hold in place.

The factory artic pack can be left in place when you raise and lower the top. It has windows that you can open so that you can open the campers windows if you like. On the older artic packs you simply open the windows on the artic pack, hook up the cords to the d rings on the camper and close the top. On the newer ones that we are making now, we have incorporated Patrick's idea of the button holes into the artic packs now so that you don't even have to open the window to lower the top now. Here is a link to his great review of the artic pack and the button hole idea.

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=382&highlight=arctic+pack

The artic pack adds no weight to raising and lowering the roof. The entire artic pack and storage bag weigh less than a pound.

Patrick mentions that you have to adjust the turnbuckles with the artic pack in place. For some of you this may be a bit confusing. The turnbuckles hold the camper to the truck and are fine. What he is referring to are the roof clamps that you snap into place to hold the roof down while you are traveling.

The proper adjustment for these clamps should be that you start to feel tension on the clamp at the half way mark when you go to shut them. With all the clamps in place and closed you should be able to pull down on the roof at each clamp and have a little bit of movement, about an 1/8" or so. You do not want the roof clamp so tight that there is no movement at all. If you over tighten these clamps you can actually bend the roof. The clamps are designed to just hold the roof in place while you are traveling.

 

[chnlisle]

And as Steve Martin said in "My Blue Heaven" when putting in sod, "green side up".

 

[erod]

great tips and thought guys, thanks...i think this material will work well for the home made arctic pack. definately lining both side with fleece to prevent moisture build up/movement etc. i will update as i move along with the project. seems like the windows may be a little tricky and maybe not necassary...we'll see. also, i really like the idea of using this stuff to cover the slider, trap and back doors...good ideas, thanks again!

 

[pvstoy]

Thanks Ben for catching that Opps. It should say ROOF LATCHES.

One sugesstion on Velcro. On the camper put the smooth side and on the liner put the hook and loop. Why, because if you have the hook and loop on the camper you will attach alot of stuff to it when you raise the roof.

 

[erod]

Thanks Ben for catching that Opps. It should say ROOF LATCHES.

One sugesstion on Velcro. On the camper put the smooth side and on the liner put the hook and loop. Why, because if you have the hook and loop on the camper you will attach alot of stuff to it when you raise the roof.

good call!

 

[benburnett]

hook and loop

Hate to correct this and someone tell me if I am wrong, but when we buy Velcro we have to tell the vendor if we want hook or loop. From my understanding when you buy a roll if it is together, one side is the hook side and one side is the loop side.

I am not aware of a smooth side. Now as to which side Patrick is warning about that will pick things up, someone is going to need to chime in on that one. I am not sure which side picks up things on its own.

 

[erod]

just bought some, "heavy duty, black hook and loop adhesive strip velcro". as to what side is hook, loop or smooth, that i do not know...

 

[Sam]

I'll give it a try: The Hook is the stiff prickly side. The loop is the smooth fuzzy side. The hook is the part that will attract lint, hair, small dogs etc.

If I am remembering correctly I think the loop is the part attached to the camper (on mine anyway)

 

[pvstoy]

I'll give it a try: The Hook is the stiff prickly side. The loop is the smooth fuzzy side. The hook is the part that will attract lint, hair, small dogs etc.

If I am remembering correctly I think the loop is the part attached to the camper (on mine anyway)

Oh Man That's what you get when you try to post in a hurry going out the door...You don't even read what you wrote...But it sure sounded good in your head at the time

Sam got what I was tring to say. The smooth side that wont pick up small dogs is what is pre installed at the factory top and bottom. And the side that will pick up and grab everything under the sun put on the removable part.

Sorry for the misspost and thanks for calling me on it.

 

[benburnett]

hooks and loops

LOL, thanks for clearing that up for us. Now I know how to take care of that next kick me dog that bothers me, couple pieces of Velcro and hang it from a hook.