Painting skylight over the tub?

[vulcanwayne]

I have a 2020 Keystone Passport 3221BH unit which has a large skylight over the tub. With no ac outlet in the bathroom it gets extremely hot in there. I cannot find a insert to stuff in it so I temporarily cut cardboard to fit and taped it in place. I have read in the past that someone painted their skylight white. Are any of you familiar with this? If so what are the pros and cons and what type of paint should be used if I were to proceed.
Thanks in advance for your input.

[chuckster57]

The skylight is two pieces, you could change the outer one for a darker one. We just throw a beach towel over ours.

[travelin texans]

Take the inside dome down then use limo window tint or some of the stain glass looking window film to cover the top of that dome, the area between the 2 skylights, Or paint it if you'd rather.

[sourdough]

The skylights are pretty versatile as an experimenting space. Paint it, tint it or something in between. Remove the inner dome and you still have the outer. You can also install an outer dome that is a dark smoke color but that is rather expensive compared to all the things you can do to the inner dome.

In the past we've done several things primarily due to bright light. Heat mitigation might need a little different approach. We currently use mesh auto shades that we cut down to fit the inner dome (overt the top of it). It does what we want for cutting back the light but we still get some heat. Do they still make something like a spray on tint or reflective coating? Maybe that would be effective for you. You could also come up with some sort of "insulator" like the little vent pillows they make for the regular vents but you have to consider the large amount of moisture that collects there. I'm sure there is a way to accomplish your goal, it's just picking the way you want to do it :). Good luck.

[flybouy]

I took a reflective cover made for the door windows and used self sticking velcro to hold it up inside. I need the headroom so doing it that was inexpensive and has worked for about 8 years now.

[KRumm]

Remove the inner plastic dome and spray paint the inside top of it... You could also insert clear bubble wrap in between the two domes as insulation...

[vulcanwayne]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone gave. At this time I believe I will tint the inner section and bubble wrap insulate between. If that doesn't provide enough relief I will paint it. Again, thanks for all the replies

[LHaven]

I'm currently in the process of researching this very problem.

If I had to do it right now, I would get some of that shelf liner paper with Post-It adhesive on the bottom side, in a light color, and just rub it on the inside of the dome and trim it. The best part of this approach is that if turns out not to work for you, you just peel it off -- you haven't ruined anything nor wasted a lot of money. But I expect it will bunch and crease on the curved dome, so it's not my first choice.

What I'm actively pursuing is a solution related to 3M vinyl car graphics wrap. I've used the stuff for other projects and I know that it's really great in conforming to curves without bunching and wrinkling, and the adhesive also peels off very cleanly if you need to. It's also available in small swatches (around 3x dome size) relatively cheap. I'm trying to find a type that is translucent but not too transparent.

[sourdough]

Something you could look into, that we tried, is that insulated/perforated non stick rubberized drawer liner. Small perforations cut out a lot of light, the foam rubber has some insulation properties and it stretches to help cut out the creases.


edit: I will add that the above material does not like heat/sunlight long term.

[flybouy]

I'm currently in the process of researching this very problem.

If I had to do it right now, I would get some of that shelf liner paper with Post-It adhesive on the bottom side, in a light color, and just rub it on the inside of the dome and trim it. The best part of this approach is that if turns out not to work for you, you just peel it off -- you haven't ruined anything nor wasted a lot of money. But I expect it will bunch and crease on the curved dome, so it's not my first choice.

What I'm actively pursuing is a solution related to 3M vinyl car graphics wrap. I've used the stuff for other projects and I know that it's really great in conforming to curves without bunching and wrinkling, and the adhesive also peels off very cleanly if you need to. It's also available in small swatches (around 3x dome size) relatively cheap. I'm trying to find a type that is translucent but not too transparent.

That's an excellent idea. Let us know if you do it and share some pics.

[Customer1]

Plastic deteriorates from sun, ozone, and age. I would suspect that putting something on the inside to insulate or reflect heat would accelerate that deterioration.

Paint or some other coating on the outside would slow or stop that process.

[LHaven]

Plastic deteriorates from sun, ozone, and age. I would suspect that putting something on the inside to insulate or reflect heat would accelerate that deterioration.

Paint or some other coating on the outside would slow or stop that process.

True, but car wrap is... well, made to skin cars, so it's engineered for sun and heat. My main use of the stuff has been to camouflage bright white radio antennas -- many of my antennas are going on eight years on outdoor masts in the Arizona desert, and the only maintenance they have needed is to wash the white bird poop off them, which is now glaringly obvious at surprising distances.

EDIT: Oh, I get it, you're talking about the dome plastic itself. Well, it would probably be even simpler to apply the car wrap on the outside, where it's meant to go anyway.

[04ctd]

good post, we have had our 5ver a week, and already the wife can't sleep because the sun thru the shower skylight is right in her eyes around ten AM.

:(

LMK if you find something to velcro in?

[G Giroux]

We used two spring bars (sold to hold loose item inside shelves). Place the spring bars across the skylight frame. Then spread any type of material you want across the two support spring bars.
We were not comfortable with removing or obstructing the inner liner for fear that it would capture heat between the two layers to the point of creating heat damage to the plexiglass/plastic.
Using the spring bars allows for air flow while darkening the room.

[mikz86ta]

Interesting suggestions.

Been thinking about this myself.
I like the bubble wrap idea since it can insulate but fear it could melt and stick.

I thought about VHT Night Sade's paint. It's what I find at AutoZone, etc people tint their tail lights with. I've used it and as long as I prep the surface, it works well. Lasted years on tail lamps in Florida but can fade a little over time.

[mikz86ta]

good post, we have had our 5ver a week, and already the wife can't sleep because the sun thru the shower skylight is right in her eyes around ten AM.

:(

LMK if you find something to velcro in?

Camco makes a velcro-on reflective shade for the entry door windows. May work on the smaller skylight frame as well. Or make your own

[wiredgeorge]

I broke my skylight outer shell (tree limb) and bought a lexan very dark replacement. It doesn't really cut down on the heat in our bathroom which is fairly small and gets no a/c flow. I considered a reflective thing on the inside of the inner shell but am concerned about all that heat reflecting on the lexan and plastic frame. I think some fabric material might be best.

[LHaven]

That's an excellent idea. Let us know if you do it and share some pics.

3M advised me not to do this because polycarbonate in the direct sun will outgas and bubble the film. I'm going to see how the Post-It shelf liners work, and if they don't, I guess I'll try the trick with the sponge rubber shelf liners.

[LHaven]

We used two spring bars (sold to hold loose item inside shelves). Place the spring bars across the skylight frame. Then spread any type of material you want across the two support spring bars.

I'd do that in a heartbeat and just slide a piece of corroplast through them for when the rig is in storage... but the radical slope of the shroud on our model allows for no purchase by any type of spring bar.

I suppose one option would be to fab two slim wood or wire bridges and use the existing shroud screws to fasten them positively to the ceiling... but again, I really don't trust that white Keystone shroud material. It seems every time I look at it, it's developing another stress crack in a new place on the rim, and it's not even two years old. :nonono:

[rlh1957]

Instead of painting use static cling acetate. You can get color designs like stained glass or block all light with reflective or dark tinted film.
The static cling doesn’t peel away and is easily taken down if needed.
Our stained glass look has been up for a year. Beautiful and does cut light.

[Preyou]

I took 2 layers of Styrofoam taped together wit 2 sided carpet tape, cut to shape and inserted into the cavity. Used spring pole to hold in place. Works great.

[Yamatime]

Google Camco RV Skylight insulator. That's what I use. Works well in the winter time also. Has a reflective surface that you point Towards the Sky light. Works awesome

[LHaven]

Google Camco RV Skylight insulator. That's what I use. Works well in the winter time also. Has a reflective surface that you point Towards the Sky light. Works awesome

Yeah, they work great on skylights with box edges. Absolutely useless on Cougar shower skylights, which are shaped like soup bowls -- not just way larger, but no vertical sides to grab.

[Keystoned]

I took a reflective cover made for the door windows and used self sticking velcro to hold it up inside. I need the headroom so doing it that was inexpensive and has worked for about 8 years now.

That's what I did...about $8 from amazon, IIRC. Turns out I don't need the head room in this 5W.
A bonus is that I can control how much light and heat comes in by pulling off various Velcro sections...

[Folkie]

Our fix was not elegant but we wanted to cut down on the glare and heat in the shower without making it too dark. Used some dog resistant screen I had squirreled away and my wife sowed some velcro tabs on it. Seems to help the intended purpose. You can probably find darker auto shade material. We will see how it works in practice the end of June.

[maddogrdhg]

I separated the 2 halves(inner/outer). I used a quality solar screen material. It lets some light in while blocking the heat. It won’t peel like solar film and is easy to change if you don’t like it.

[Upland111]

Our skylight in the living room allowed a lot of heat to enter the rig. I used spray paint made to be used on plastic to paint the rooftop surface. Really made a difference. Note: White paint does not make it appear white on the inside surface, somewhat tan in appearance but still allows some light but greatly reduced heat and glare.

[vulcanwayne]

I separated the 2 halves(inner/outer). I used a quality solar screen material. It lets some light in while blocking the heat. It won’t peel like solar film and is easy to change if you don’t like it.
Please tell me more about the solar screen-where you purchased it and how you applied it.
Thanks

[Roscommon48]

my wife made a curtain for the inside of the sunroof. it works pretty good.

here are some ideas
https://www.google.com/search?q=rv+sunroof+curtain&rlz=1C1PRFI_enUS903US903&oq=rv+sunroof+curtain&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.7132j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[LHaven]

Heh... you know, I forgot another option, from my youth in New England...

There's a product called Glass Wax that is made for cleaning glass, but at Christmas time it was a regional tradition to use a sponge to "paint" snowscapes and winter scenes on the inside of house windows, frosting them. After the season, you would just wash it off. There used to be a seasonal TV ad showing this family ritual every year.

I have a can of it somewhere. I suspect it may not survive many steamy showers, but it's worth a try.

[fatcatzzz]

Instead of painting use static cling acetate. You can get color designs like stained glass or block all light with reflective or dark tinted film.
The static cling doesn’t peel away and is easily taken down if needed.
Our stained glass look has been up for a year. Beautiful and does cut light.

This what we have done, cheap purchase a Home Depot and looks great. Took all of 15 min. to install. Planning on doing the same thing to our new rig.

[Bill-2020]

We used two spring bars (sold to hold loose item inside shelves). Place the spring bars across the skylight frame. Then spread any type of material you want across the two support spring bars.
We were not comfortable with removing or obstructing the inner liner for fear that it would capture heat between the two layers to the point of creating heat damage to the plexiglass/plastic.
Using the spring bars allows for air flow while darkening the room.

Something like this? Saw your post and I asked the DW to sew up a shade with specific dimensions and picked up two tension rods from wally world. It works like a charm.