DIY thermal pop top wrap

So I thought that I would have a go at making a DIY thermal wrap for the pop top on my Hiace. My 2.5 year old daughter will be sleeping up there, and we're planning on getting away over the next few weeks all being well (IF the weather ever improves!), so I want her to be nice and cosy up there.

Two trains of thought went into what to do, an outside affair, or an internal one. Being as we're not planning on roughing it for too long at a time initially, I thought I would try an internal one as it was easier in terms of attaching it inside.

It cost me the princely sum of £25 and a few hours of my time.

£20 of the budget went on two rolls of Thermawrap from Homebase, £5 on a roll of Duct tape. My wife had some good Velcro in her sewing box so this would have cost me extra had I not have had it.



I then measured the inside of the tent and cut two pieces identically for each side, with the idea that they would meet and be joined in the centre of the front part of the canvas.



Then I added two triangular sections to the tops and taped it all together. Then I added several patches of the Velcro along the top of outside of the Thermawrap, and matched them up to the fixing points on the canvas and voila an internal thermal wrap. I've been up in the top with it fitted and the difference in temp is more than noticeable. The outside noise is a lot less also, and its now nice and dark so hopefully the little monkey won't be waking up with the wildlife



When not in use it sits nice and flat between the upper bed and the pop top roof, so it doesn't take up any downstairs space while not in use either which is good. I'm hoping it may also keep the upstairs cooler in summer but we'll have to wait and see. Takes all of two minutes to set up so a very pleasing result.

Cheers for posting this up. We frooze in the pop top at Easter, when we were down in the Gower, and I have been thinking about mocking up a thermal something or other in our pop top for a while. It's all well and good havign a diesel heater but with the top up it gets cold real quick.

Glad it helped

Just make sure you've got a nice clean large area to work in would be my best advice. Ours seem
to be holding up very well after having plenty of use this year so they seem to be a good investment if you're prepared to spend the time making them.

It certainly a bit raw on the Gower sometimes, I've spent a fair few wet and windy weekends there.

I like this idea- was about to use two big sheets of cardboard I have left over but will fork out for some thermal stuff. On another tack, I have thought of respraying the dark blue top of the van a silver colour to match the silver lower down on the bodywork. Being so dark, it really absorbs the heat when away on the continent. Anyone done this or would it be cheaper to get a big silver transfer/ wrap made?