Dirty Door

[murr]

As I patiently wait for my Bobcat shell, I was wondering: has anyone come with a plan to keep the back door clean on dusty roads? Yes, one drawback of a slide in. I was toying with either 1) sewing Velcro on to a door size piece of material on the hinge side then tucking the other edges of the material in the door's remaining 3 sides as it is closed. That would mean gluing Velcro to the aluminum door surround on the one side. The material would have to be firm enough so it wouldn't beat itself to death. or 2) fastening awning rail track (?) beside the vertical door frames and sliding cord with material around it in the cavity then gluing Velcro top and bottom to seal it. Maybe carrying a big brush and washing it is just as easy - but a waste of water in a dry area I'm sure.

Also there has been a discussion about alternatives to or additions to the 4" sleeping foam. Both the Froli system and Thermarests were mentioned but how could these work with the limited height? I've heard that there isn't room for even a couple of extra blankets on top of the foam, let alone the additional 1 3/4" for the Froli. Our Theremarests are 2 " thick. Is there more height up there in the newer campers? Has anyone tried either system and how did it work out?

 

[pods8]

Why are you concerned about the dirt on the outside of the door?

As for the bed part, I'd think ~2" mattress is about the most you'd be able to use with that froli system, not sure if that is enough mattress. You could see about getting a bit thicker bed section built into your camper perhaps if you wanted to use it?

Personally for my new build I'm thinking of trying out a dual layer Ikea foam mattress as a starting point, SULTAN FLORVAG is 4" thick. Definitely not as firm as our stock mattress is. Real test will be laying on one on a hard surface (I haven't bothered to pick one up yet since I have a ways to go on the build still and don't want to have to store it). We'll see, but just the froli system for a queen size area (which is what my build's bed will be) is about $350 so I'm inclined to see how well foam alone works.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60139749/

 

[MarkBC]

Why are you concerned about the dirt on the outside of the door?

That's what I was wondering

...thought maybe he's asking about, "how to keep the backdoor window clean so you can see out when you reach camp" ??
But I decided I'd wait until somebody else asked.

 

[murr]

No need to ask. I was hoping to keep the whole door clean as that would be easier than just part of it. When you see the build up of either mud or dirt that gets caked on the back of vehicles from miles of dirt roads- in some cases hundreds of miles- then you start thinking about how to avoid the mess. I plan to attach a removable table to the back of the camper and was hoping to keep that area clean as well if I could. Trying to wash off caked road dirt with little water isn't great. If some think that it is too much trouble to prevent the build up then that's an opinion I want to hear. If someone has a workable solution- then even better.

Good comments on the sleeping possibilities. thanks.

 

[pods8]

I'd say keep the table inside and brush off the loose stuff on the back of the rig. What doesn't brush off isn't going to make a mess as you jump in/out of the rig unless you're trying to lean against your camper or something. Dirt on the back of my camper has never cause me concern/problems.

 

[craig333]

One more option.

http://www.tempflowrv.com/tempflow_mattress_collection.htm

 

[ntsqd]

Some sort of air deflector that will route air over the rear surface, from the top or the sides, but probably not both at the same time, can do wonders for keeping the rear of a vehicle clean. Obviously this depends on vehicle speed and it's effectiveness is directly related.

 

[Lighthawk]

Sure dusty roads will want to come home with you
I don't think there's much you can do about it. We have hit a car wash, after a few days of heavy dust, while still on a trip. Usually we just brush off the back door and bumper with a nylon whisk-broom we keep in the camper.

 

[knobbytracks]

What about carrying a 1 or 2 gallon sprayer (like those for fertilizer or pesticides that pump up for pressure) filled with water to clean the back door?

 

[Barko1]

That dirt and mud is a badge of honor to be proudly displayed
I never worry or think much about it and when I get back from a trip I usually hit the whole mess with my pressure washer set on fan spray. As for mattresses my older Grandby comes with a thicker and thinner mattress on top, I add a thermarest that stays below when traveling.

 

[busboy66]

Murr, is it possible for you cover the table (I'm thinking along the lines of a BBQ cover) and then mount it to the camper?

 

[murr]

Hi Busboy
My post wasn't very clear and I'm sorry about trying to ask about too many things at the same time. I'm planning on making a cooking table that will attach to the back of the camper when we want to cook outside. So the table will stay clean while inside and traveling but setting it up against a really dirty back wall doesn't sound so great if we've been on a muddy back road for many miles or on a wet Dempster Highway for days on end. There is no practical way to keep that rear wall mud or dust free but there might be a way to keep the door and the handle somewhat clean in those extreme conditions and it could be worth experimenting with.