Insulation in older 'van

[Chrissylizzie]

I keep reading that new vans are well insulated so enabling winter caravanning, but how new is new? Our caravan is 12 years old and sometimes doesn't feel that warm so is there a way of using these older caravans during the winter.

Thanks in advance

Chris

 

[gary]

At 12 years old it would be a 93 van and could have been built with excess ventilation which creates draughts and is therefore difficult to keep 'cosy' in winter

An expert would have to judge if this is so because of course to little is dangerous but strictly as a guide only, you need a minimum of 1500 square mm at floor level and 14000 at roof level in a 15/18 foot van.

As an example a standard 400x400mm skylight has the total required roof ventilation built in when closed!, but if the floor ventilation is to far in excess of the minimum in winter with the heating on, then the flow of cold air coming in at the bottom being heated and rising out the top will be to much for the heating to keep up with.

Some early 90's vans had four or five times the required floor ventilation and the resultant gale! produced was impossible to heat.

As I said to little ventilation is dangerous but if you suspect yours has to much then get an experts opinion.

 

[Chrissylizzie]

At 12 years old it would be a 93 van and could have been built with excess ventilation which creates draughts and is therefore difficult to keep 'cosy' in winter

An expert would have to judge if this is so because of course to little is dangerous but strictly as a guide only, you need a minimum of 1500 square mm at floor level and 14000 at roof level in a 15/18 foot van.

As an example a standard 400x400mm skylight has the total required roof ventilation built in when closed!, but if the floor ventilation is to far in excess of the minimum in winter with the heating on, then the flow of cold air coming in at the bottom being heated and rising out the top will be to much for the heating to keep up with.

Some early 90's vans had four or five times the required floor ventilation and the resultant gale! produced was impossible to heat.

As I said to little ventilation is dangerous but if you suspect yours has to much then get an experts opinion.

Thanks Gary, I will look into that. Are you by any chance the Gary who works at Harringtons, as if so we have met??!!