A vacation should be a place to relax and get away from it all, but unfortunately, many vacations are stressful. There's a lot of planning involved, and regardless of how much time you spend planning, some of it can be derailed by full airplanes, late trains or overbooked hotels. During the trip, there can also be budgetary pressures. Hi! My name is Miranda, and I've dealt with all of that. However, I've also found fun strategies for avoiding those issues and hassles. In this blog, I am going to share all the travel and tourism tips I've learned through the years, and I hope they help make your next vacation more fun.
If you have recently purchased a heavy truck or semi truck with a sleeper cab to move goods across the country, then you are probably getting ready to use your truck long term. While living in your semi truck may be comfortable while the weather is warm or relatively mild, you may start to feel a bit cold during the winter months. This is especially true since temperatures can reach well below 20 degrees Fahrenheit in many parts of the country during the coldest parts of January. Your cab heating system can allow you to pump heat into your sleeper cab. However, idling your engine overnight can cost you a great deal when it comes to your fuel. Also, some truck stops may not allow you to idle your engine for very long. To help reduce your costs and to keep warm in your sleeper cab, consider the following tips.
Invest in Warm Bedding
Most heavy truck sleeper cabs are fitted with relatively small beds with thin mattresses. Cotton sheets and a small blanket will work well during the spring and summer months, but they are not likely to keep you warm during the fall and winter. As it turns cold, purchase a sleeping bag instead to set on your bed. You should try to purchase a sleeping bag that is meant for some of the coldest outdoor winter temperatures to retain as much body heat as possible. A winter type of sleeping bag that is rated for temperatures at or below 10 degrees Fahrenheit is best.
Also, make sure the bag is the correct shape for heat retention. Mummy shaped bags that are more narrow than rectangular varieties are a good choice. Not only are these sleeping bags more constrictive to keep heat from escaping, but they are smaller so they take up less space within your truck during storage periods. If you are concerned about the comfort of the small sleeping bag, then opt for a goose down insulated product. This will provide you with optimal comfort.
If you do not think that a sleeping bag is ideal, then you can purchase an electric heating blanket for your truck instead. These blankets are the same kind that you can purchase for your home. However, you will need to look for and purchase a 12 volt blanket made specifically for campers or semi truck sleeper cabs. You will also need to buy and set up a battery-based electrical system that stores electricity as you drive throughout the day. These APU type systems provide electricity for a wide range of items like microwaves, televisions, and electric blankets. You may also be able to purchase and run a small heater. However, keep in mind that a device like this is likely to use much more power than an electric blanket. This means that you may not be able to run any appliances besides your heater or you may quickly drain the power from the battery.
Add Window Films
Another good way to make sure that your sleeper space remains warm throughout the night is to make sure that heat does not escape. Heat is most likely to escape through cold windows during a process called radiant heat loss. Basically, the semi truck windows become cold due to the outside air. Hot air in the sleeper cab comes into contact with the cold windows and heat is pulled out of the air and transferred to the windows. This process can be stopped with low emissivity window films. These films help to reflect heat back into the cab so it does not escape through the windows.
You can speak with a window film installation expert to have films permanently secured to the insides of the sleeper cab windows or you can purchase and install removable films yourself with the assistance of a squeegee device.
For further information about insulating sleeper cabs or to find a heavy truck, look for a company like Gerry's Truck Centre Ontario or another in your area.
Share19 February 2016
