Skylight Cover

We had to find a solution to eliminate the heat transfer from the intense sun through the skylight glass and into the bedroom area below. Closing the integral blind helped, but that trapped the heat inside the window box to such a degree that the release handles became too hot to touch.

The skylight manufacturer makes a metal safety cover, and we thought it also might be used for shade, but we did something a bit different. We made a fabric cover from boat canopy material and added a 6mm layer of closed cell foam rubber to the underside of the fabric. This rubber is the same size as the glass, and sits down on top of it.  The fabric cover snaps on to the window fiberglass around the perimeter.

The result was fantastic. There is almost no heat transfer. The white fabric repels the sun's rays, and the foam rubber insulates the glass. We are hoping this will also reduce condensation on the inside of the glass when using the truck in very cold winter conditions. The cover can be quickly un-snapped and removed if we want the ability to let in light. The advantage of using the fabric is that it rolls up for easy storage when not in use, and it doesn't add any weight to the window, so it is still easy to open.