[Ramsel Ruiz]

I just got a van a few weeks ago and am eager to get some work going. Decided to go with Thinsulate and spray foam for insulation. I'm not seeking advice on the actual insulation work, as there are a number of posts on that.

I am seeking advice on other stuff to think about before I insulate:

- My main concern is how much of the electric wiring do I need to consider before insulation? Is this an issue? Or should I just lay the insulation down without concern for the wiring and the wiring will go in between the insulation layer and my wall/ceiling panels? -- I plan to do the wood cladding of the walls/ceiling a few months on the future.

- I am thinking about cutting some windows in, but have no idea if/when that will happen. So although I'd like to plan for that I'm just going to cover those spots with insulation and then cut through it at a future time.

- Anything else I should be thinking about before the insulation install?


This is my first conversion and I haven't done much building otherwise, so everything is pretty new to me. Very excited though, and want to do this right.

 

[EddieZ]

You can run 1 pair (maybe 2 pairs) of wires in split loom protector, for short distances... and tuck that along the edge of insulation. If you need to run more pairs and/or over more distance, flex conduit may be your best choice. (There are other options, and opinion varies.) That conduit would need to be run before insulation. I had 4 pairs to run in a trunk line, from my battery/distribution center. There's a photo in this post that shows almost the entire run of blue conduit: http://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/...50-project-minimalist-kayak-2.html#post165506

And, of course, the wire had to be pulled with an electrician's tape. I pulled THHN stranded wire. Regular automotive stranded wire has finer copper strands, and softer insulation, for greater flexibility. I'm not sure whether automotive wire could take the abuse of pulling through conduit.

 

[orton]

One choice is not to put the wiring in the walls. I use "SO" rubber covered cords and have run the cords inside the cabinets and in the floor. Built a box above the rear doors so I can get cords from one side of van to the other. Also built a raised insulated floor to be able to get cords from one side to the other. The floor has a layer of 1" rigid polyiso insulation. Just cut a slot in the polyiso for the cords. Have 4 cords in the floor. Three 14/3 AC and one 12/2 DC.

The only buried electrical is the 14/2 for the Maxxair fan which is in the ceiling.

http://www.ortontransit.info/testfloor.php

 

[skagitstan]

My build order has been to get the core utility systems installed and running first (electrics, solar, water storage, propane systems, insulation, etc.). There is a bit of order mixing as I built out the utilities, mainly in getting the floor (and it's insulation) installed.
Then build the cabinetry and finish work (bathroom, walls, counters, cabinets, etc.). I'm sort of doing this in a system based modular fashion. Hopefully that will allow one module to be done and tested before moving on to the next. The utility systems are all installed.
Right now, I'm framing in the bathless bathroom. I'll try to finish that up before moving onto the next system. My cabinetry, wood framed, is mostly being built in my shop, and will be installed later in the process.

As a core utility, I opted to do just about all my wiring in the walls, before the wall insulation, and after the ceiling insulation (but before the ceiling bead-board panels). My floor-to-ceiling runs are in the pillars. It took a bit of snaking to find through holes all the way up.
My wall insulation is a mix of thinsulate and expanding foam. It would have been hard to snake wiring through that stuff. One function of the insulation, especially the foam) is to keep the wire bundles from moving or rubbing on corners or sharp edges.
The majority of my D.C. runs are twisted pair 12GA THHN stranded. Since I'm running a star power distribution system, the runs all terminate back at a fuse/distribution box.
One exception is the 2GA fused run between the house and car battery systems. They are tied at a BlueSea ML-ACR.
I have no runs under my floor.
Since I'm not running a dual inverter system, I have two short A.C. runs from the fuse box (plus the hookups to my MS2012). One goes off to the bathroom, the other across the ceiling to where the upper kitchen cabinetry will live. That one will feed the built-in microwave and a GFI outlet. All my A.C. is 14/3 SO.


Lots of detail (and 8x10 glossy photos) in the blog, and a fair amount of discussion about wiring in the forum thread. Both links below.

Stan

 

[swellguy]

All DC build here. I went all Thinsulate and did the wiring afterwards before installing the paneling. I can't think of what I shoulda wired without the insulation. I had to pull it out and re-install in a couple spots (pillars) to snake wire, but putting it back wasn't a problem since in those spots I didn't use glue. I figured I'd want to change the wiring at some point, so needed access behind the paneling. Used split loom everywhere, no conduit, though that seems like a good idea. I suppose if I were doing AC, I might do conduit first, but doubt it. I'd always be paranoid about access after the insulation is glued in.

 

[Ramsel Ruiz]

Stan - Looking over your blog this fine Saturday afternoon. I'm in awe like when I watch Tommy Caldwell climb. =0

I think I can get away with putting in the Thinsulate before wiring. Will take some time to get my wiring plan set, and I'm eager to get something done. I'll just spray the foam at a later time.

 

[MaximusStimulus]

Advice

I just got a van a few weeks ago and am eager to get some work going. Decided to go with Thinsulate and spray foam for insulation. I'm not seeking advice on the actual insulation work, as there are a number of posts on that.

I am seeking advice on other stuff to think about before I insulate:

- My main concern is how much of the electric wiring do I need to consider before insulation? Is this an issue? Or should I just lay the insulation down without concern for the wiring and the wiring will go in between the insulation layer and my wall/ceiling panels? -- I plan to do the wood cladding of the walls/ceiling a few months on the future.

- I am thinking about cutting some windows in, but have no idea if/when that will happen. So although I'd like to plan for that I'm just going to cover those spots with insulation and then cut through it at a future time.

- Anything else I should be thinking about before the insulation install?


This is my first conversion and I haven't done much building otherwise, so everything is pretty new to me. Very excited though, and want to do this right.

Don't use the spray can expanding foam in your van. It will attract moisture and where ever your use it. You will have rust issues in a very short time ! !

 

[skagitstan]

Don't use the spray can expanding foam in your van. It will attract moisture and where ever your use it. You will have rust issues in a very short time ! !

I have seen no documentation or evidence that this is true.

My understanding is that while expanding foam requires moisture to cure, once it is cured, it forms a closed cell foam.
A closed cell foam cannot absorb water unless the the cell walls dissolve or break down.
As far as I've ever read, the cured foam is waterproof. That implies that the cell walls don't dissolve or break down in the presence of water.

If there is documented evidence otherwise, I'd sure like some links!

Stan

 

[orton]

Don't use the spray can expanding foam in your van. It will attract moisture and where ever your use it. You will have rust issues in a very short time ! !

This was discussed before in another post. Great Stuff is a closed cell foam. I have used it in two conversions and have not seen any rust. Apparently the foam does use the moisture in the air to cure.