Thinking about building a removable heated sleeping pad for my 2006 Jeep Unlimited. I like to go riding snowmobile in winter, and it's usually too spur of the moment to find lodging.
My Jeep has a soft top, and the cab heat doesn't get the back seat warm even. What I'm thinking right now is this:
Sandwich runs of in-floor heating tubing between two layers of plywood(3/8?) shaped to the floor layout, support the plywood with lumber, leaving 1 side open, and fill with expanding foam insulation. Cap the last side off, and terminate the tubing at the edge. Use flexible, cold weather hose to a propane-fired tankless hot water heater(like the kind available for hot showers while camping: propane feed, pilotless, battery-powered igniter, and in/out water connections), and a small electric water pump(how big?) for circulation, both of which will be set up outside the vehicle. Some type of low freeze point liquid(automotive coolant?) would be used of course, and a small tube above the tallest point, w/bleeder valve should be sufficient in case it needs purging? I would likely keep the system intact, just set the pump and heater inside when time to move.
Being a closed loop,it should be pretty efficient, but I have even thought of creating a quilted/insulated 'tent' with heat reflective material on the inside to keep heat from bleeding off from the roof, or sides.
Sorry for rambling, and the run-on sentences!
Any thoughts or suggestions?
My Jeep has a soft top, and the cab heat doesn't get the back seat warm even. What I'm thinking right now is this:
Sandwich runs of in-floor heating tubing between two layers of plywood(3/8?) shaped to the floor layout, support the plywood with lumber, leaving 1 side open, and fill with expanding foam insulation. Cap the last side off, and terminate the tubing at the edge. Use flexible, cold weather hose to a propane-fired tankless hot water heater(like the kind available for hot showers while camping: propane feed, pilotless, battery-powered igniter, and in/out water connections), and a small electric water pump(how big?) for circulation, both of which will be set up outside the vehicle. Some type of low freeze point liquid(automotive coolant?) would be used of course, and a small tube above the tallest point, w/bleeder valve should be sufficient in case it needs purging? I would likely keep the system intact, just set the pump and heater inside when time to move.
Being a closed loop,it should be pretty efficient, but I have even thought of creating a quilted/insulated 'tent' with heat reflective material on the inside to keep heat from bleeding off from the roof, or sides.
Sorry for rambling, and the run-on sentences!
Any thoughts or suggestions?
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