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Insulate Windows on Your Truck Bed Camper Shell

Don’t lose heat through the windows in your truck bed camper shell.

If you have ever slept in a truck camper, you would have noticed the condensation that collects on the windows. The windows are another example of cold spots. You probably don’t want to cover the windows with carpet and lose your view of the outside world. If you created curtains, as we instructed you to do in one of our previous posts, then you know the fabric adds a little warmth to your setup. But when it drops below freezing, the curtains just don’t cut it. They may prevent some of the chill from coming in, but it doesn’t stop the heat from escaping. Enter Reflectix.

How to Make Reflectix Shades

If you have ever placed a metallic accordion shade on your dashboard to keep your car cool during the summertime, you have used Reflectix. For our purposes, we want to reverse this effect.

Reflectix has caused a lot of controversy in the message boards in the van life community. The arguments are due to a misunderstanding of what it does. In terms of insulation, Reflectix does not create warmth; it traps it. Face the shiny side out towards the window and it keeps heat out. Reverse it and it keeps the warmness inside. Using these will potentially add another 10 degrees to your truck bed camper.

Step One: Measure Your Windows

Measure all four windows. The length of each window is the most important thing to know. Reflectix is sold in long rolls so you will need to add up the length of all four windows to understand how long of a roll you’ll need.

Step Two: Cut Out the Pattern

Marking where to cut is the trickiest part of building these shades. You can use the measurements you took earlier and fashion the Reflectix into a rectangle that will cover the window area plus a little extra. I chose to go this route. However, I have found through use that making these shades bigger than the windows makes it awkward to set up in a tight space, especially when there are two of you sleeping in the camper.

To get a little more form-fitted shades, you’ll need your truck camper to have some windoors (side windows that flip up). Take the rectangles you previously cut and tape them to the inside of the camper where you want them to be. Now open the windoors from the outside and trace the shape of the window with a permanent marker. You can now remove the shades and use a razor blade to cut out the form. I would recommend extending that shape out an inch or two to make the next steps easier.

Step Three: Firm Up The Edges

This step isn’t necessary, but it will add longevity to the shades. Take Duct tape and fold it over the edges along the entirety of each shade. Strengthening the sides will help the shades last longer and maintain a more rigid form allowing them to stand up better on their own.

Step Four: Attaching Shades to Windows

The best way to key the shades up against the windows is Velcro. You can cut out little squares or line the whole top edge with the Velcro.

Hot Tip (obviously a funny pun): You can use the curtains and the shades at the same time to make your camper super warm. To do this, attach the Velcro for the curtains on top of the window’s edge. Then place the Velcro for the shades on the front of the window facing you. This setup allows you to set the sunshade on the window and have the curtains drape over the top.

Remember, Reflectix only traps heat; it does not create it. Your body heat will add a lot of warmth, but if it’s still too cold, you may need to add an additional heat source to your truck bed camper shell, like a heated blanket or heated sleeping bag.

Do you stay toasty in your truck bed camper shell using a different method? We would love to hear how! Leave Comment below or reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Truck Camper Conversion Guide List