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I want to add insulation to the ceiling, walls, and floor of my van as a first step to convert it.
What are the recommended/available materials for that aim?
By "convert" I mean to turn a regular vehicle into a something one can live in. Like this sweet Mercedes Sprinter below :)
Answering my own question as I did quite a lot of online research on that topic.
I did this across different languages (English, French & German) which was interesting: habits/technics seem to vary from one country to another.
Eco-friendliness values:
Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.043W/(m K)
Price: in France, suber-spray.com sells a bucket of 12Kg for 215€ which can cover around 6 square meters if applying 2 layers (recommended). So a cost of 36€ per square meter if applying 2 layers (without adding the cost of renting/buying the gear to apply it).
Pros:
Cons:
Example of usage on vans: suber-spray.com/spip.php?rubrique10
Tip: it's expensive, so you might want to use a cheaper isolating material for the flat parts to be isolated, and this for the smaller hard-to-reach/hard-to-insulate parts.
Note: This insulating material is often use in sailing boats.
Buy sprayed cork:
Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.043W/(m K)
Exists in different thicknesses, but the ticker the less flexible.
Price: 2 mm thickness, 150 x 50 cm = 10€
Pros:
Cons:
Thermal conductivity: 0,020 - 0,034 W/mK (maybe around 0.03 at 0°C?).
Made of expanded polyethylene.
Sold as roll.
A product of Reimo, a German shop specialized in converted vehicles.
Data sheet - ihr-business-im-internet.de/anwendungen/ms-visucom/bilder/firma70/EN/zubehoerprofi/276.pdf
Price: 15€ per sq meter of 20mm thick - on campingshopwagner.de/product_info.php?info=p4340
Pros:
Cons:
Buy Reimo X Trem isolator:
Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: 0,034 W/mK
Sold as roll.
Data sheet: aeroflex.nl/en/products/aeroflex-firo.
Price: usually around 10€ per square meter when 19mm thick.
Pros:
Cons:
Tip: buy self gluing version to make things simpler.
Example usage on a Ford Transit : verpiss-dich-von-meiner-veranda.de/post/188/wohnmobil-isolierung/
Buy Aeroflex FIRO:
Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: 0,036 W/mK
Price: 10€ per square meter - ebay.de/itm/like/271583864528
Sold as roll.
Pros:
Cons:
Armaflex "AF series" - armaflex.com/www/armacell/INETFAQ.nsf/IDP/478F84DCC0A98ED6C1256CD700600264
Buy Armaflex:
Thermal conductivity at 0 °C: around 0.025W/(m K)
Pros:
Cons:
Price: 5 à 15€ per square meter, according to number of layers & materials used.
Pros: very thin.
Cons: - poor sound insulation - fragile, so must covered by something almost straight away to avoid damaging it
Example usage: isere-evasion.com/isolation.htm
Example product: castorama.fr/store/Isolant-mince-multicouche-17-prod250073.html
Which country use it in converted van:
France, no idea why. There are big debates on French van conversion forum about the actual effectiveness of this material.
USA, I think they use something similar called "Refletix".
Pros: eco-friendly.
I just came across that material & thought it probably was worth mentioning it as it's very eco-friendly. Further research on its characteristics is needed though.
hurriedyear.com/2016/02/10/insulating-a-sprinter-van/
ecohabitation.com/actualite/nouvelles/isolation-coton-recycle-choix-ecolo
I think the best is to use Reimo X Trem isolator (or Armaflex or Aeroflex FIRO) and afterwards add some sprayed cork in the parts you could not cover.
By adding sprayed cork on these parts that couldn't be covered, you'll reduce the thermal bridges, or completely eliminate them if you put enough layers.
Given that the main criterior for insulating a van are going to be weight and thickness (so that you don't lose too much space inside), I'd suggest you want the higest insulation-density you can get - so something like Celotex or Kingspan or other similar brands of rigid foam-board insulation.
They'll be more expensive than other types, but also get you a lot more insulation for the same thickness (or less thickness, and weight, for the same amount of insulation)
