Cold air from front windshield

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megthered1

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Joined
Jun 4, 2017
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We have a Class A Monaco lapalma. This is our first long trip  and I was wondering if there is something wrong with our windshield. Currently, we are in Wyoming where it is 36 degrees.  I can feel cold air on my face but my husband has the heat up all the way.  He insists that the cold air is from the air hitting our windshield and I am feeling that. I think we need to check the insulation on the passenger side. Is this common on class a coaches with large winshields? Sorry if this sounds weird but I'm writing this under a blanket.
 
  Not an expert on a class a (or anything for that matter), but I'm assuming here... it's a "pusher". If that is the case, your heat source is from the engine at rear and your losing a lot of heat with the "long" trip the water must make to the heater core in the coach front. The windshield has a lot of square feet of surface area, and glass offers near nothing for insulation.

  I just guessing....but I'm sure there is some type of auxiliary heat system available for these type of units.
 
Most class A's do indeed have a lot of cold air. Try Defrost instead of heat or mixed upper/lower.

Now. do you hare a loud rushing noise or whistle when driving, If so inspect the seals around the windshield carefully.
 
By pusher I guess you mean diesel. We're gas. No rushing noise or whistle sound, but we will check the seals anyway. I don't feel any wind when it's warm outside.  Maybe my husband is right and it is just the large windshield and cold air. We're headed for New Mexico so I won't be cold for long.
 
That big windshield is just a very large non-insulated wall that gets cold. When it gets cold, it transfers that cold to the inside air. Of course when you're parked you can put a blanket or other insulation over it, but that obviously won't do much when you're driving, so the above suggestion about the defroster might help.

We're headed for New Mexico so I won't be cold for long.
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Mmmm... that depends on what part of New Mexico, and what time of year (and whether it's a "normal" year), because there are many parts of NM that get mighty cold at times, including snow and ice. I got trapped by a snow storm (roads closed) near T or C a few years back, and it got down to -6? F, along with the heavy snow -- this in an area that normally doesn't expect more than low 20s or so (and that rarely) during most winters.
 
The big windshield on these rigs are often a challenge to the dashboard heating & a/c systems. Also, cold air from back in the "house' may get sucked forward by the action of the dash fan and leave you uncomfortable. You might try warming the rest of the coach more, using either the propane furnace or an electric heater (use the genset for power).

That said, outside air leaks in the area below the windshield are not uncommon, and so are malfunctioning HVAC systems that leave fresh air intakes open when they should be closed. Both can be hard to find.  Openings to the outside can sometimes be found at night by placing a bright light under the dash and looking from the outside to spy the light. 

The suggestion about using defroster instead of heat is a good one - it  warms the huge cold windshield and often sends more air  to the passenger side than the heater does. However, you may then want to complain about cold feet!
 
megthered1 said:
By pusher I guess you mean diesel. We're gas. No rushing noise or whistle sound, but we will check the seals anyway. I don't feel any wind when it's warm outside.  Maybe my husband is right and it is just the large windshield and cold air. We're headed for New Mexico so I won't be cold for long.
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    "Pusher" means that the engine (gasoline or diesel) is in the rear of unit... hence "pusher"!
 
Memtb said:
    "Pusher" means that the engine (gasoline or diesel) is in the rear of unit... hence "pusher"!
Click to expand...

Of course "pushers" that run on gas are scarce, so most folks considers the two terms to be synonymous, even though they technically aren't.
 
The defroster suggestion worked. It was better. We are keeping an eye on the weather everywhere. You have to this time of year. I have been warned about New Mexico, we are trying to avoid cold and snow.  Weatherbug is my friend. Thanks to all of you.
 
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