Van Build | Insulating a Van
Perhaps the most debatable topic when it comes to a “DIY” Van build is whether to fully insulate or not bother at all.
We’re not going to go into the science behind insulation because we are definitely no experts on the subject. Nevertheless, hopefully, our views will assist in your decision-making process.
We live in Australia, so right off the bat, everyone knows that heat is the main issue. Let’s face it, Australian winter isn’t really winter. And that is the mentality we brought towards insulating our van.
The first problem you face is finding so many opinions out there! After researching this topic for weeks, we weren’t any closer to a decision. Consequently, just more knowledgeable on the subject of how insulation works. Delving a little closer, we found most of the van builds we researched were from overseas. In places such as Europe and Canada where winter is extreme. Maybe not the best examples for us to follow.
After second-guessing ourselves for weeks, we decided to take the knowledge learned on the subject and come up with our own design.
Don’t forget, a van is basically a tin box sitting in the sun all day. It’s going to get hot inside, no matter how good a job you do. What people don’t take into consideration is how long the heat will take to dissipate if you have done a next to perfect job?
Insulation not only keeps things out, but it also keeps things in, right…? Picture a 35-degree day, it’s bloody hot inside and you’re trying to sleep. How long do you think it will take for the heat to dissipate with perfect insulation? You have essentially created a Sauna!
On the other end of the spectrum, not insulating at all. The van may cool quicker at night, but what happens when the sun comes up at 6 am and you’re feeling a bit lazy that morning? You guessed it, your tin box will heat up rapidly and you’re back to square one.
For those reasons our final decision was to insulate but not go overboard, hoping to fall somewhere in the middle of these extremes. You may laugh at our thinking on this issue, but we have spent 6 months travelling in Percy and it is pretty damn comfortable… well as comfortable as you could expect.
As I stated earlier, winter had no impact on our decision. We figured if it’s cold enough, we will get an extra blanket and suck it up. Stay tuned after a winter of camping at Thredbo to see if we still agree with this decision!
Enough about us and the reasons behind our decisions, it’s time to explain our process, following along with some pretty pictures.
Guess it’s still about us huh?
Floor Insulation
Let’s start with the floor. We didn’t want to sacrifice headroom, however, while standing in the van we noticed a constant draft coming up through existing holes. This seemed unideal. Luckily we found a compromise in reflectix foil insulation. Reflectix is lightweight, cheap, and easy to install. As a result, we lost no extra headroom and completely stopped the draft.
The install process was straightforward and not time-consuming at all. Pieces were cut to fit in between the floor battens and over the wheel arches. And using Sikabond Sprayfix, securing the reflectix was a piece of cake. Spray the adhesive onto the van floor and stick the pre-cut pieces of reflectix to the steel.
The difference this made was astounding, we were left with no draft. And for an added bonus, the noise coming from under the van was reduced by half.
Ceiling Insulation
Second on the list was the roof. Sticking with our decision not to go overboard, we decided to insulate the spaces between the ribs with foil board and leave the inside of the ribs empty. Honestly, this was quicker, easier, and covered more space than fiddling around with expanding foam. Not to mention, trimming excess foam would be a painful and messy process.
Again, the process was simple. First, find the dimensions of the space using a tape measure. Then mark out and cut the foil board with a sharp knife, making sure to take care so your boards fit neatly. And finally, glue it on using one of many adhesive agents.
The board was made into two pieces to allow for the curve of the roof and while there are several tools that can be used, a sharp knife proved the best for cutting the foil board.
We attempted several methods to mount. First, it was a silicon sealing agent. However this took far too long to dry and to avoid standing there like a tool, Sikabond sprayfix was attempted. Certainly capable for the task and with the added bonus of quick-drying times, it allowed us to finish the installation quickly.
Wall Insulation
Here’s where it got tricky. The walls on a van are not straight or symmetrical. There are doors, windows, and little cavities everywhere. As a result, we’re here to tell you what not to do for this part.
This was the most frustrating and time-consuming part of the installation. Partly due to the reasons stated above, but mostly from the lack of planning on our behalf. By lack of planning, we mean no plan whatsoever. Leftover offcuts of the foil board were used and cut into random pieces before sticking them into the wall cavities. This method was solely used to save on costs. You may think it couldn’t be that bad but trust us on this, there are much better ways to go about it!
All in all, functionally the method works, but the process isn’t worth the hassle. We would recommend using Earthwool insulation or similar.
As you can see, the remaining reflectix was added to the upper walls, for no other reason than we had the time. Whether it has any insulating effect is above our heads but we doubt it. It does make for a nice bubble popping game with your toes when sleeping – you will understand this reference in sections to come.
Honestly, we are happy with the outcome of insulating our van. As we planned, the heat seems to dissipate quickly enough of an evening (with help from a fan) but doesn’t turn into a hotbox too early in the morning. Whether that be our professional design or not, we will let you be the judge.
To sum up, think about how you will use your van, what climate you will spend most of your time in, budget, and most importantly, are you more comfortable in dealing with the heat or the cold? Because in truth, we don’t think you could ever make a tin box with windows perfectly insulated!
The main advice we want to share is don’t spend weeks dwelling on what to do. You can get caught up in arguments and really confuse yourself. Instead, make an informed decision and stick with it.
This was quite a quick and cheap insulation experiment, taking roughly three full days to complete. Not including research and planning which was done prior to purchasing the van.
Equipment used:
- Reflectix
- FoilBoard
- Sikabond Sprayfix
- Natural cure Silicone Sealant
Tools used:
- Tape measure
- Knife
- Scissors