Camco 45197 RV Skylight Insulator, 14 x 22 Domed

If your RV has a domed skylight over the shower or galley, you already know how much heat pours through that little bubble on a hot afternoon. And how much warmth escapes through it once the temperature drops at night. The Camco 45197 Skylight Insulator is a simple fix for both. It's a shaped foam plug that tucks up into a standard 14 inch by 22 inch domed skylight and closes off that heat path, so your rig stays more comfortable and your AC or furnace doesn't have to fight the sky.

Here's what sets it apart from a flat vent cushion. Most RV skylights aren't flat. They bubble up into a dome so you get headroom and daylight in the shower or over the sink. A flat insulator just sits below that dome and leaves an air gap full of hot, radiant air. The 45197 is molded to follow the dome, so the 4-1/2 inch foam actually fills the skylight cavity instead of bridging under it. That contact is what does the real work.

The foam carries a reflective backing on the outward face. That side bounces the sun's radiant heat back out through the acrylic before it can soak into your living space. In summer that keeps the bathroom or galley from turning into an oven by mid-day. Come winter, the benefit flips: the same foam slows the heat leaking up and out through the thin skylight dome, which is one of the coldest spots in most campers.

Installing it is about as easy as RV mods get. No tools, no adhesive, no drilling. The insulator tucks up into the skylight opening and two adjustable straps hold it against the frame so it won't sag or drop on you in the shower. Snug the straps to fit your opening and you're done. When you want the daylight back, or you're storing the rig for the season, you just pull it right out.

The cover is removable, and that matters more than it sounds. Skylights over a shower see steam and the occasional splash, and a galley skylight catches cooking grime over time. Being able to slip the cover off and clean it keeps the insulator from getting funky after a few seasons. It also means the foam core stays protected instead of soaking up moisture and grime directly. A quick wipe now and then is really all the upkeep it asks for, and a clean cover looks a lot better from inside the coach than a stained one.

The foam itself is light, so handling it overhead in a tight bathroom isn't a wrestling match, and it won't scratch the acrylic dome the way a rigid panel might. When it's out, store it flat or loosely rolled and keep it away from anything sharp. Treated that way it'll hold its shape season after season.

Who's this for? Anybody parked somewhere with real weather. Full-timers fighting desert heat, snowbirds chasing the sun, weekend campers who don't want the bathroom skylight glaring at them at 6 AM. It's a small, inexpensive upgrade that punches above its price, and it's one of those things you install once and forget about until you notice the rig holds temperature better than it used to.

A couple of honest notes. This one's built for the 14 inch by 22 inch domed skylight, which is the common size over RV showers and galley areas. It's not for the smaller 14 inch by 14 inch roof vents, Camco makes a separate insulator sized for those. Measure your opening before you order if you aren't sure which you've got. And the packaging is bilingual English and French, so it's the same part you'll see at both US and Canadian dealers.