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Cargo van wall liners and insulation question

29K views 32 replies 21 participants last post by  perchancetodream 
#1 · (Edited)
I found what I think was a deal on the cargo van wall liners from van outfitters for 453.00. I have lined the walls with the Mylar aluminum waffle style insulation and am ready to install the wall liners. Would it hurt to fill the deep void behind the panels will fiberglass home style insulation. I want to only do this one time and am hoping some one will comment either way as to if this is a good or bad idea.
The Panels lare really well made and came with the attaching hardware and I have Wenesday off and was planning to install the liners then. Thanks for any and all help. Steve

2015 148 mid roof 3.7
 
#2 ·
I have used R13 pink attic bats in the lower cavities mostly, and for stuffing in the higher cavities. I think your plan to use them behind the plastic panels is fine. There are some who believe it should never be used because of water retention issues. Others have reported success with it. I will keep an eye on the possibility of water saturation but don't expect that here in Arizona.

My vehicle still warms up inside when left standing in 80 degree heat. More insulation is good, just don't pack it in tight.
 
#3 ·
I used two layers of 1" closed cell foam in the openings above and below the window indents. Covered those with Reflectix. Left about a 1 1/2" air gap between the Reflectix and the painted 1/4" plywood wall covering. Put 1/8" closed cell foam on back of the plywood and used nylon plastic bolts. Van is grey so painted panels same color.

The openings above and below the rear window indents were easy as was the bottom opening below the front window indent on driver's side. If I did it again I would probably use Thinsulate above the slider and the high opening on the driver's side. There is a structural tube inside those two openings that makes it more difficult.
 
#4 · (Edited)
For insulation, we recommend and supply 3M Thinsulate(TM) sound thermal insulation for vehicles. We stock SM600L which is the thickest grade engineered for vehicles and passes FMVSS 302 flammability test that is required for all materials within 1/2 inch of the occupant space.

We advise against fiberglass since it can release airborne fibers due to vibration. These can collect in the bottom of the wall, trap moisture and possibly block the OEM drain locations.

Thinsulate will provide both sound and thermal insulation in addition to reducing resonance in panels it is in contact with. The fibers are hydrophobic which means they will not absorb moisture. It is easy to install, cuts with ordinary (large) scissors. There is no need to wear a dust mask or protective gear.

Thinsulate(TM) is used by OEMs like Honda and others.

Please PM, email or call for more information or to request a sample. This has been a popular material for DIY and professional van builders.

All the best,

Hein
Impact, Inc
54l 49O 5O98
 
#5 ·
Hein, during the process of stuffing the pink batting into my lower panels I had to subject it to much folding and manipulation. I saw no visible debris even after this process. I have also owned previous stick and tin rvs using pink with no sign of debris.

I did leave a 2" gap at the bottom to ensure no wicking or collection of debris would go unnoticed.

Do you have any hard data to support you theory of airborne particles escaping from a contained cavity? I would hate to have to take it all out.
 
#6 ·
I used the pink fiberglass on my previous Econoline and can confirm the stuff broke down and would drift around. That being said, I didn't have any sort of barrier other than paneling to keep it from doing that and I drove on bumpy gravel roads quite a bit.
I've got Thinsulate on the Transit and it's a dream to work with by comparison. Great sound insulator too.
JP
 
#8 ·
Has anybody used the recycled denim insulation?

The R rating is pretty good, it doesn't itch, and is priced reasonably.

You can get it in R6.7 or R30 depending on thickness.

In addition, is there a site where the R values area compared to various insulation materials? I see little mentioned of ratings on most.

I'm thinking of using various materials in different locations. Maybe Thinsulate for the roof and then dynamat on the outer panels backed by the denim material in the lower/larger cavities. Depending on the R rating comparison I might even opt for the denim for the roof.
 
#10 ·
The pink stuff retaining moisture would be a no go for me.

Roxul is a brand you see advertised as safe and sound, or such. Their composition doesn't retain water. Contractors will use it in basements that get wet with no worry about mould as water passes right thru.

Anyhow if you are picking something like a home insulation I would skip the pink and buy the roxul.
 
#17 ·
You are right about asbestos, the particles are so fine they can remain suspended and are a well documented health hazard. Not quite the same thing with Pink.

I am personally comfortable using pink home insulation in a mobile application. The stories I have read on this forum claiming fibers and dust everywhere, leave me puzzled. Only very careless and vigorous handling, in my experience, would result in such a mess. When installed with care, and covered in properly, I have good confidence it does not present a health hazard to me. I am much more concerned about breathing city air!




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#20 ·
Even when using a product like Denim, the fine particle dust gets everywhere. I used Reflectix to seal it up and lots of foil tape to make sure it was sealed as best as possible. In my opinion, the Reflectix does add some sound deadening and seems to work well as a moisture barrier. When I removed it after the first build, there were no signs of condensation in the walls. As for it being a radiant barrier, in this type of install, it's difficult to tell if it's doing anything or not. I have noticed that the interior seems to stay warmer now that I've re-installed it. However, no matter what you use to insulate, you do need a moisture barrier of some sort. My theory is, as long as that's got to happen, you might as well see if you can get any other gains too. I'm sure there are other product that will work equally well as a moisture barrier and will keep the fuzzy stuff contained in the walls.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Another product that is not affected by moisture (unlike fiberglass pink) is polyester quilt stuffing. It is inexpensive and available at your local discount fabric store. I used it to fill the upper and lower wall cavities and the lower door cavities. It's nicer/easier to use than Roxul.
 
#23 · (Edited)
IMO, giving the "all clear" signal to a newbie asking about fiberglass insulation is doing them a disservice. Many will say, "sure go ahead and use it (and leave off the "sucka!")" but once you burrow down into the subject, you'll find strong sentiment against it. What it has going for it is that it is cheap. Even Van Specialties uses it in the custom vans they build but they are in the business to make money. Here is a worthwhile link to read with an excerpt on their take about fiber glass.

http://www.buildagreenrv.com/design-and-build-information-for-camper-vans/install-insulation/




Fiberglass:
Batt style fiberglass is used quite a bit for conversion van insulation (even by commercial converters). *On the plus side, it’s very available and cheap, and fairly easy to install, and its also easy to remove. *On the negative side, it readily allows water vapor to pass through it and this promotes condensation on the cold van walls and potentially leads to rust and corrosion. *It is also not viewed as a particularly healthy product to install, or to live with long term — all the bouncing around that a camper van does may lead to fibers in the air for a long time.

I have also read stories by people updating a conversion done on an older van in which they removed old fiberglass insulation to find quite a bit of rust on the van sidewalls. *I don’t think that this is common, but it does happen.
Most people who have looked into insulation for vans reject fiberglass as a choice, and I agree — I’d go with something else.
 
#25 ·
Another item that I never seem to see mentioned about fiberglass insulation is the stated R-value is compromised if you "stuff it" into spaces. Fiberglass R-value is decreased if its width is compressed.

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#33 ·
I found what I think was a deal on the cargo van wall liners from van outfitters for 453.00.
<snip>
The Panels lare really well made and came with the attaching hardware and I have Wenesday off and was planning to install the liners then. Thanks for any and all help. Steve
Please tell us more about the wall liners:
Vendor?
Material and thickness?
Pictures?
 
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