Hot Bed?

Topic: Hot Bed? (Read 1169 times) previous topic - next topic

Hot Bed?

August 13, 2017, 11:50:52 am

So, being new to this adventure, I am a bit leary about driving all day and then falling into bed right on top of that HOT engine. I mean, the designers must have thought of this. Is it an issue? Any additional insulation or ventalation required?
Inquiring minds....

JimV
'89 GrandVilla OREG

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #1 – August 13, 2017, 12:42:04 pm

I replaced the muffler with a resonator with an insulating wrap and installed a turbo blanket. No more problems with the hot bed. Now, if I can only get rid of the ATS hum......

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #2 – August 13, 2017, 12:45:51 pm

Long ago I had a lot of coaches built with two Hayden automotive trans cooling fans installed in the rear upper grille. Switch on dash normally

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #3 – August 13, 2017, 12:51:26 pm

Quote from: Sven and Kristi – August 13, 2017, 12:42:04 pm

Now, if I can only get rid of the ATS hum......

May be all different for your coach, but when we bought this coach, it had "THAT HUM". Something happened and we fried the ATS, plus all the SP connections! After a CB++, all was well, and NO HUM.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #4 – August 13, 2017, 02:05:27 pm

Bed itself is 6" or more of insulating material. After ten hours at the wheel with no dash air, I did not notice. My 89 with a 1700 lb V-8 had most of the compartment insulation compromised , but has full exhaust blanket to the outlet of turbo.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #5 – August 13, 2017, 04:16:15 pm

On travel days, we roll the covers to the end of the bed rather than making it. Otherwise, we find the bed to be hot when we go to bed.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #6 – August 13, 2017, 04:26:31 pm

Look into the Froli Sleep System.

It is a polymer spring system used on platform beds between the platform and the mattress. It has air spaces all around the structure so air can circulate.. Keeps the mattress off the platform and gives you a box spring that allows you to adjust firmness levels in different areas.

Chris

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #7 – August 13, 2017, 04:43:38 pm

Thanks for all these tips!
We are putting a Select Sleep Number mattress in her. Might need to lower pressure on travel days?
Anyone else have one of these? We'll have to figure out the plugs and hoses.

JimV with Diane
1989 GrandVilla OREG

(Is there a signature form, or etiquette?)

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #8 – August 13, 2017, 04:47:28 pm

I've never considered it a problem. Warm bed, yes. But not really hot. But ever since installing the resonator, it's been barely warm at all.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #9 – August 13, 2017, 05:04:20 pm

Quote from: Sven and Kristi – August 13, 2017, 12:42:04 pm

I replaced the muffler with a resonator with an insulating wrap and installed a turbo blanket. No more problems with the hot bed. Now, if I can only get rid of the ATS hum......

Turbo insulation does it. All the room between the bed and the engine, seems to cool off the bed quickly. I would imagine our 12" pillow top mattress helps

Install this. Hum gone, zero, nada. Sold the old one on Ebay for $120.00. He didn't care about hum.
Got it in 2 days. Took 45 min. to install. Guy has best price, and 100% positive feedbacks:

50 AMP RV SHORELINE TO GENERATOR AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH LPT50BRD | eBay

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #10 – August 13, 2017, 07:41:09 pm

We are almost always landed by 3:00, so the engine compartment is at ambient air temperature by bedtime. The one time we actually arrived at the campground after dark the bed still wasn't warm.

I did replace the old factory insulation under the bed with some high temperature stuff from an HVAC contractor. I have enough to do the sides of the engine compartment but haven't gotten around to that yet.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #11 – August 13, 2017, 08:50:19 pm

Quote from: kb0zke – August 13, 2017, 07:41:09 pm

We are almost always landed by 3:00, so the engine compartment is at ambient air temperature by bedtime. The one time we actually arrived at the campground after dark the bed still wasn't warm.

I did replace the old factory insulation under the bed with some high temperature stuff from an HVAC contractor. I have enough to do the sides of the engine compartment but haven't gotten around to that yet.

We also stop by 3:00 or the bed is too warm during the warmer months. We are adding a resonator in a couple of weeks so that should help. I considered a thermal blanket for the turbo/engine but it's expensive.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #12 – August 13, 2017, 08:56:25 pm

Most of the time when we were traveling I would start the generator and turn on the rear ac about 2 hours before we planned to stop for the night and turned down the covers on the bed and then at the campground keep the rear ac on and by the time for bed would be fine for sleeping.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #13 – August 13, 2017, 09:11:42 pm

So far (at least until I can afford a resonator install) just open the rear lift(engine access) gate to the engine compartment & hope for the best

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #14 – August 13, 2017, 10:19:39 pm

Our 96 U320 had the bed over the engine. Due to my wife's health we have to stop so she can take a nap and the bed was too hot to just pull over and sleep. We changed to a Sleep Number and that was significantly better. One reason we bought our 2005 is because the bed is not over the engine so no problem. A note about Sleep Number beds, if you drive to altitude you need to lower the air setting or you could rupture bladders. Our new Sleep Number R5 is much better than its predecessor.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #15 – August 13, 2017, 10:31:43 pm

Great to hear that a Sleep Number helped, as that is what we will be putting in. And thanks for the reminder about traveling at altitude... mental note to add deflating the bed to checklist!

JimV with Diane
1989 GV OREG

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #16 – August 14, 2017, 12:02:05 am

Quote from: saddlesore – August 13, 2017, 09:11:42 pm

So far (at least until I can afford a resonator install) just open the rear lift(engine access) gate to the engine compartment & hope for the best

actually this install can be done for a couple hundred $ if you are able to do it yourself. Nothing fancy to it and definitely a simple fix for a person. It also does get rid of the "hot bed syndrome" unless it is the other kind!!!
JohnH

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #17 – August 14, 2017, 07:47:08 am

Lots of turbo blankets out there...is there one that is better or a better value than others?

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #18 – August 14, 2017, 08:08:08 am

Quote from: sedelange – August 13, 2017, 10:19:39 pm

A note about Sleep Number beds, if you drive to altitude you need to lower the air setting or you could rupture bladders.

I wonder how altitude affects the slide-out bladders. HWH told me that maximum PSI's are 12lbs for old bladders and 16lbs for the new ones.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #19 – August 14, 2017, 08:43:46 am

Quote from: Travelin' Man – August 14, 2017, 08:08:08 am

I wonder how altitude affects the slide-out bladders. HWH told me that maximum PSI's are 12lbs for old bladders and 16lbs for the new ones.

When we used to live in CO at 8,400 ASL, it was fun to take a bag of chips to the house. The bag would be so puffed up that it looked like it would explode! Given a constant internal pressure (12 or 16 psi) but a reduced external ambient pressure, the bladder would expand somewhat more than usual it seems. When it's time to deflate the bladder, on my coach (an 03) there is a vacuum sensor so the system should continue to evacuate the bladder until the vacuum sensor signals it's done. On earlier coaches the vacuum to deflate the bladder is on a timer. I don't know how altitude would impact that system. Seems like HWH would have accounted for altitude changes during design.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #20 – August 14, 2017, 12:04:39 pm

To answer Jims question for now I would buy a sheet of insulation and cut it to fit between the mattress and plywood,would have
to help.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #21 – August 14, 2017, 07:30:17 pm

Quote from: John Haygarth – August 14, 2017, 12:02:05 am

It also does get rid of the "hot bed syndrome" unless it is the other kind!!!
JohnH

I have learned to back away slowly while tossing chocolate toward the heat source ...............

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #22 – August 14, 2017, 07:45:09 pm

We had a Tempurpedic mattress and then a deeper, firmer memory foam brand. When we stopped for the day, I would just turn back the comforter, use the rear AC and a small fan (that I used all night, anyway) to cool the bed down. I like to sleep "cool" and Jeff is the opposite. I managed just fine. Of course, in cooler weather, there is not an issue.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #23 – August 14, 2017, 07:53:37 pm

The bed gets hot when you stop and shut the engine off, not while driving. The engine block is a hunk of hot metal, and hot air rises. The space under the bed is a nice compartment that traps the hot air and doesn't allow it to go anywhere.

I wired a switch to run my Dash A/C condensor fan while parked. It blows in from the side into the engine compartment. It was a quick experiment....and it really doesn't help.

What is needed is to run a duct to suck out hot air from above the engine. It will make life better.

Re: Hot Bed?

Reply #24 – August 14, 2017, 08:31:15 pm

Jim,if the insulation has not been redone and you can do it yourself nows the time,plenty of write-ups and pictures here.

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