Build without insulation

[JWA]

Insulation is something I'd never build out and leave out---its benefits just too numerous to not do something. Noise is greatly reduced, heating/cooling becomes far, far more efficient which directly affects the operating cost of any SMB-like vehicle.

There are many different approaches to materials used where its applied. We can and do use common house building materials which is fine after we've dealt with the issue of bare inner steel walls. I use a radiant barrier foil-PVC sandwich glued to the inner walls, foil-side to the metal. This step alone kills a lot of sound and has an added benefit of keeping condensation away from the inside surfaces. In fact if this were the only step taken it makes a huge difference.

Floors are another issue, insulation there isn't needed and should be avoided. A nice layer of 3/4" plywood fitted in place over the floor ribs is best, no insulation or padding whatsoever, IMHO anyway. This allows air to flow into and out of the spaces this installation creates; humidity-soaked
floor coverings of any type (especially the factory-type rubber mats) do create rust problems that form and advance without notice until it becomes a costly project to rectify.

Another good part of insulation is its a one-time project---done correctly it works as designed and doesn't need maintained over the life of your van.

I'm on my 4th of 5th build out now and have not regretted any time, effort or money spent insulating---here in Ohio its pretty much imperative for a comfortable ride winter or summer.

HTH

[Van-essa]

I want to tell you all thank you. I had a really long (and well written) response typed out and when I hit "post" the site said I was not allowed to post and made me sign in again. So I will be writing a response when I'm not annoyed.... But in the mean time I wanted to make sure you all knew that I am reading all the advise that has been given and that I am thankful.

[Van-essa]

It looks like insulation is now going to be a part of our master plan. I think we got excited about finally having a van and wanted to do as little as possible to get on the road! We also started getting worried about eating up space but adding inches of insulation.

I think that our initial plan is going to be: finish stripping the interior, deep clean it (so much dirt and dust), put a simple bed in place, add curtains (probably with magnets to start) and then take a trip to the coast! I think after we get everything cleaned out and the first trip out of the way then we can revisit the master plan.

We live in the central valley of California and plan on taking many trips to the beach. But ultimately we want to be able to go everywhere in CA from the beach, to the dessert, to the mountains. Then if the van proves to be tougher then she looks we would love to take her out of California.

Another thing that I am realizing I need to consider is how to handle the windows. Right now we are going to try and keep all the windows unobstructed (but we are already kicking around the idea that one or more windows might be completely covered by storage units in the future). One idea I am considering is to use a heavy/thick material for the curtain and have the side facing the window be lined with reflectix. Later I might consider building panels that can push into the window space that would maybe provide more insulation for trips to colder climates.

[Flux]

Insulation kills noise too.

[Van-essa]

So we are for sure going with insulation now. We are in the assessing options phase now. We are looking at a temporary roof insulation of 1/2" foil backed styrofoam between the "ribs" of the ceiling and covering it with fabric for now. This ultimately leaves a small air gap between the foam and the ceiling. Initially I thought that there would be enough room for a layer of reflectix to go between the foam and the ceiling with an air gap but I was wrong, so its just the foam with the foil side up for now.
I think that we will be using something inside the wall spaces. We will be reusing some of the side plastics(not all) and on those pieces I think I will be gluing reflection to the inside of the panel since it will sit of the wall providing an air gap.

But.... for now I have run into other issues that will require our attention... I'll be posting a new question shortly =)

Homemade headliner - attached with extra strong magnets


head liner above future bed area


Foam before being cut

[86Scotty]

Try posting your pics through Tapatalk (smartphone app) or using something like Flickr or the like. This will solve the sideways problem.