Bodywork and Glass Insulation - Revision history

Hacksawbob: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2011-10-09T00:31:57Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:31, 9 October 2011
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	My roof was already well insulated (Caravelle) but you may find you have the option to line roof and remaining floor with thermal wrap.		My roof was already well insulated (Caravelle) but you may find you have the option to line roof and remaining floor with thermal wrap.



			'''Skippymoss'''

			ith regard to insulation, the basic principle is that some materials resist passage of heat or reflect radiant heat. Metal is a very good conductor of heat therefore a poor insulant. Also our vans are quite draughty and let lots of cold air in through door gaps, fridge vents etc.

			The best type of insulation to use is debateable and depends on the application.

			For insulating the body of the van there are 3 choices – foil, wool or rigid boards.

			The shiny foil stuff works by reflecting/ not emitting radiant energy. I'm not sure how much heat radiates at ambient temperatures and I am a bit dubious about the benefits.

			It should always work best when next to an empty cavity provided that the air in that cavity is kept still. So if using it make sure at least one shiny surface is facing a clear cavity of 20mm+; i.e. don't install it and then cover it with wool type insulation or panels.

			Air is a poor conductor of heat (if kept still) and therefore a good insulant. Mineral Wool type insulation (like the stuff in your loft) works by keeping air still. The thicker it is the better the insulation.

			If there are gaps in the insulation it won’t work properly, so for insulating awkwardly shaped areas Mineral Wool insulation would be best in my view as it is cheap, easy to cut and fit around odd shapes.

			It's also non-combustible and gives sound deadening benefits. Look under the engine cover for an example.

			Can be a bit dusty and itchy though (more so with rock wool than glass wool I’d say) so wear some gloves when fitting, seal it in and try not to get it all over your internal panels, carpets, bed etc.

			It would be best to choose mineral wool with a water repellant additive like the stuff they use for insulating brick walls (Google 'DriTherm') as when/ if moisture forms somewhere it shouldn’t get wet through which would also spoil the insulation value.

			The lower the thermal conductivity, the better the insulation value for a given thickness.

			There are rigid board type insulations which have a very low thermal conductivity but these are hard to shape and fit inside panels. Gaps and holes will mean that the insulation is a waste of time, effort and money. They might be good for insulating the floor of the van though where you could use a thin insulation in one complete layer. (Google ‘Celotex’ or 'Tile Backer' or 'Underfloor Heating Insulation')

			For heating and ventilation systems, insulation formed into circular sections, flat sheets or bespoke covers could be the way to go.
			Mineral wool can also be bought in the form of pipe sections from an insulation specialist, (Google 'SIG Insulation' or 'Encon') which could be useful for insulating pipes and ductwork.

			A better choice might be foam stuff in sheets or pipe sections (Google 'Armacell') for this as it is flexible but a bit pricey I think.

			For heat exchangers etc. there are companies around who make bespoke valve covers for industrial purposes. These are generally full of insulation and come with lace up ties or velcro meaning they can be fitted and removed for maintenence etc. when needed. (Google 'valve covers' or 'thermal covers'). If given an example of the size and shape I reckon they could easily and reasonably cheaply knock up a bespoke cover.

			As for moisture and condensation, warm air carries a lot of moisture but it drops that moisture when it cools sufficiently or hits a cold surface (the 'dew point') and because you are insulating the external surface of the van this will be kept colder than before. Breathing and LPG heating systems produce a lot of water vapour.

			The rule is that there needs to be a vapour control layer to prevent moisture ingress as much as possible and somewhere for moisture to escape when it inevitably finds a way in.

			The VCL must be on the warm side of the insulation.

			That will mean without a VCL on the warm side of the insulation a lot of moisture will be deposited on the inside of the external panels potentially leading to corrosion. Anyone looked behind their fridge?

			Even with a VCL some moisture will still form I reckon because there are loads of holes in panels where moisture laden air can get in and loads of metal passing through the insulation creating cold spots.

			It would be wise to ensure all drain holes are unblocked, there is no bare metal visible and preferably a good coating of waxoyl/ dinitrol type stuff for protection.

	==Links - 80-90 Wiki==		==Links - 80-90 Wiki==

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-26T00:59:58Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:59, 26 November 2009
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	[[Image:Door_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Door_insulation.jpg]]

	The cab floor (as shown below) should be completely covered in thermal wrap as far up the front bulkhead as you can go, and under the front seats. It will fit nicely under mats or carpets. Harrymann's excellent article (further down this page) details specific measures that can be used to further reduce noise below the seats and its well worth doing if its within your budget and you want to be able to ~~hear~~ Debussy on your stereo.		The cab floor (as shown below) should be completely covered in thermal wrap as far up the front bulkhead as you can go, and under the front seats. It will fit nicely under mats or carpets. Harrymann's excellent article (further down this page) details specific measures that can be used to further reduce noise below the seats and its well worth doing if its within your budget and you want to be able to appreciate the subtle nuances of Debussy on your stereo. If you're listening to Lemmy, this may not apply.

	[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-26T00:58:25Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:58, 26 November 2009
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	[[Image:Door_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Door_insulation.jpg]]

	The cab floor should be completely covered in thermal wrap as far up the front bulkhead as you can go, and under the front seats. It will fit nicely under mats or carpets. Harrymann's excellent article (further down this page) details specific measures that can be used to further reduce noise below the seats and its well worth doing if its within your budget and you want to be able to hear Debussy on your stereo.		The cab floor (as shown below) should be completely covered in thermal wrap as far up the front bulkhead as you can go, and under the front seats. It will fit nicely under mats or carpets. Harrymann's excellent article (further down this page) details specific measures that can be used to further reduce noise below the seats and its well worth doing if its within your budget and you want to be able to hear Debussy on your stereo.

	[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]

	Here, we've covered the area under the front seat (remove one seat to get the shape then cut two layers of thermal wrap - mirroring, as it'll be the same for the other seat base). The wrap should run under the battery and if theres enough room, up the other side. Bear in mind this section is (underneath) wide open to the wind and rain.		Here (below), we've covered the area under the front seat (remove one seat to get the shape then cut two layers of thermal wrap - mirroring, as it'll be the same for the other seat base). The wrap should run under the battery and if theres enough room, up the other side. Bear in mind this section is (underneath) wide open to the wind and rain.

	[[Image:Batt_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Batt_insulation.jpg]]

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-26T00:57:36Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:57, 26 November 2009
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	[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]

			Here, we've covered the area under the front seat (remove one seat to get the shape then cut two layers of thermal wrap - mirroring, as it'll be the same for the other seat base). The wrap should run under the battery and if theres enough room, up the other side. Bear in mind this section is (underneath) wide open to the wind and rain.

	[[Image:Batt_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Batt_insulation.jpg]]

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-25T22:09:49Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:09, 25 November 2009
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	'''Rear Hatch'''		'''Rear Hatch'''

	Again, thermal wrap cut to fit then glass fibre in polythene.		Again, thermal wrap cut to fit then glass fibre in polythene. Always reseal panels with tough polythene to prevent any internal panel moisture warping trim panels.

			[[Image:Door_insulation2.jpg]]

	'''Roof & Floor'''		'''Roof & Floor'''

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-25T22:07:02Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:07, 25 November 2009
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	[[Image:Door_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Door_insulation.jpg]]

	The cab floor should be completely covered in thermal wrap as far up the front bulkhead as you can go, and under the front seats. It will fit nicely under mats or carpets. Harrymann (further down this page) details specific measures that can be used to further reduce noise below the seats and its well worth doing if its within your budget.		The cab floor should be completely covered in thermal wrap as far up the front bulkhead as you can go, and under the front seats. It will fit nicely under mats or carpets. Harrymann's excellent article (further down this page) details specific measures that can be used to further reduce noise below the seats and its well worth doing if its within your budget and you want to be able to hear Debussy on your stereo.

	[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-25T22:05:30Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:05, 25 November 2009
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	With many conversions, you may well find the vehicle already has some degree of insulation, but even where insulation has been fitted, its worth having a look to see what materials were used and whether you can improve things. It shouldn't cost much more than £40 - £50 maximum.		With many conversions, you may well find the vehicle already has some degree of insulation, but even where insulation has been fitted, its worth having a look to see what materials were used and whether you can improve things. It shouldn't cost much more than £40 - £50 maximum.

	You could throw a great deal of money at this including sound-deadening panels, but you can do much to retain heat and reduce noise relatively cheaply and without a great deal of work. Firstly, by far the most useful material is the alumninium-faced bubble wrap available in big DIY stores. For one thing it doesn't soak up moisture, and tends to reflect heat back. As an insulation barrier its good stuff, not too thick, reduces noise, and can easily be cut and put under carpets, into door cavities and so forth. If you pick the right week, many shops have two-for-one prices.		You could throw a great deal of money at this including sound-deadening panels (see 'links external' further down this page), but you can do much to retain heat and reduce noise relatively cheaply and without a great deal of work. Firstly, by far the most useful material is the alumninium-faced bubble wrap available in big DIY stores. For one thing it doesn't soak up moisture, and tends to reflect heat back. As an insulation barrier its good stuff, not too thick, reduces noise, and can easily be cut and put under carpets, into door cavities and so forth. If you pick the right week, many shops have two-for-one prices.

	'''Doors & Cab'''		'''Doors & Cab'''

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-25T22:04:14Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:04, 25 November 2009
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	[[Image:Sliding_insulate.jpg]]		[[Image:Sliding_insulate.jpg]]

			[[Image:Sliding_insulate2.jpg]]

	'''Rear Panels'''		'''Rear Panels'''

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-25T22:01:59Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:01, 25 November 2009
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	Again, cut and fit thermal roll. Heres your first opportunity to add glass fibre. I strongly recommend that you either use space blanket (glass fibre encased in a sleeve with both ends taped up), or at least put glass fibre in polythene. If you don't, any moisture within these panels (and T25 windows do appear to leak eventually either through poor design or corroded window rubbers), the fibre will act like a sponge. locking in the moisture and leaving you with panels full of wet fluff. If you encase it, any water should run down past the filling and out through the bottom. You may have to reduce the thickness of the glass fibre depending on the depth of the panel in some areas.		Again, cut and fit thermal roll. Heres your first opportunity to add glass fibre. I strongly recommend that you either use space blanket (glass fibre encased in a sleeve with both ends taped up), or at least put glass fibre in polythene. If you don't, any moisture within these panels (and T25 windows do appear to leak eventually either through poor design or corroded window rubbers), the fibre will act like a sponge. locking in the moisture and leaving you with panels full of wet fluff. If you encase it, any water should run down past the filling and out through the bottom. You may have to reduce the thickness of the glass fibre depending on the depth of the panel in some areas.

			[[Image:Sliding_insulate.jpg]]

	'''Rear Panels'''		'''Rear Panels'''

CovKid: /* Insulation - General - Covkid */

2009-11-25T21:59:19Z

Insulation - General - Covkid

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:59, 25 November 2009
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	[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]		[[Image:Floor_insulation.jpg]]

			[[Image:Batt_insulation.jpg]]

	'''Sliding Door & Opposite Panel'''		'''Sliding Door & Opposite Panel'''