Today my welcome package shipped. I don’t have a mod figured out but I’ve decided to move forward with GFC and so we’re committed to attempting a mod that will vent the camper with panels closed, at some point.
I’ll know more when I get my camper but for starters I’m on the hunt for a remote temperature sensor that will allow me to monitor temp in the back when traveling. A slider window doesn’t seem very feasible based on the spacing and shape of the frame but we’ll see.
I went this route so that I can keep track of the temp in the back.
From my initial few weeks with the camper I am finding that the camper itself, while driving, will maintain a temperature around 5 degrees above ambient. While this is not enough for full summer here in northern California it has been fine so far with spring daytime highs in the 70s/80s.
I will need to work something out for while stopped and may end up cutting in windows into my side panels. The tough part is finding a slider that will fit between the supports. Additionally trying to find something that will mount to the 1/8 thick panels. Most windows I am coming across are designed for 1" and thicker walls.
Nice find! I can check dimensions when I get home. If i remember off the top of my head, that might just barely fit, however you would be running the window as low as you can go on your side panel. (I am a 3rd gen LB Tacoma).
@zwickt - heads up I have that same thing for my greenhouse and it is NOT good at pushing notifications of temp exceeding your thresholds. You basically have to check the app and refresh regularly if it’s for something important like dogs. It’s super irritating because they market it as notifying you instantly if it gets too hot, etc. definitely test it out before you rely on it.
@TearingOut55 Thanks for the info. I never used the push notifications. Its a bummer that things can’t just work as advertised, eh?
I just had it open and checked it every 10 or so while I was driving. I now feel pretty confident in knowing what the temperature is going to be doing depending on my orientation to the sun and what temperature is being displayed out side.
So I ended up just making a template that was 21 1/4 x 16 3/4 to see how it would fit. The actual hole that will be cut is 20x15 and it’s super close. I might just order one to see how it looks and if it would go.
I haven’t tried the window install yet. I just got my camper last week.
When I was scheduling my install I asked about the price of a new side panel for this purpose. I believe it was $600 per removable side panel. I could be mistaken because it’s been a couple months but at any rate, it is a part with a list price that was quoted to me. You should be able to email support to get a quote and verify the amount.
So are you going to go for it? This is something I’m following closely but don’t know if I want to be the first! Will definitely need a solution for next summer.
Since mine got damaged in shipping. I’ve been toying with the idea, if the insurance company lets me keep the old doors, then I can either try it out. Or, I could sell them to someone who might be interested.
Although, at this point I’m still waiting for the claim department and GFC for quotes to provide said claim department.
I expect the standoff to carry into 2022. With the cold temps here the pups are going to be fine riding in the back until next spring.
At that point, I’ll be forced to attempt something. I like to camp with my wife, two little boys and two dogs. Not only are the temps an issue but the camper is so air tight that I felt like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen when sleeping downstairs (we sleep two up, two down with the dogs. It felt so suffocating that I tip the panels open to rest on their latches when we sleep.
I don’t want to fan the flames because aside from the ventilation, I love the camper. I think GFC is a great company and I want to support them but for those of us out there with dogs that ride in the back, the lack of ventilation is a big deal.
I hope the @GFC team is at least experimenting with a solution on the panels. I’d shell out for another panel if it came with a slider or vent that could be sealed when not in use. I’d even pay to test out a prototype on my camper, knowing it might be a miss.
Maybe a crazy idea… but has anyone ever considered piping in A/C from the cab into the truck bed? Somewhat of drastic measure. But when I think about it, you could run some type of tubing from under the back seat vents (or any vent for that matter) into the cab and add some of those airplane style vents to blow some A/C to the back. I doubt it’d be as nice as it is in the cab, but it may be just enough to keep doggos from overheating. Then again, there’d most certainly be some cutting of holes into the truck to allow for this… Maybe some HVAC tech on here can chime in.
I cut in some vents on both sides. Used some 22 gauge steel and some left over gasket to clean up/hide the hole on the inside as well as provide an additional seal against water.
This looks good @CEM
I’m thinking of using these (which appear the same or similar):
I am considering mounting 1 or 2 vertically so they will also act as a positive pressure vent to minimize dust intrusion from our talcum-powder covered logging roads.
Was the panel cutting straightforward?
How do you find they seal against wet weather?
Do they seem sturdy enough to last?
