In order to keep the cold and the heat out, both winter insulation and summer insulation must be used. The choice of insulating material is very important in this process. It will make your van more comfortable, friendly, and pleasant if you choose the right methods to do so.
Here, I’ll talk about the different types of thermal insulation for camper vans so that you can choose which one is best for your needs.
In order to protect us from both the cold of winter and the extreme heat of summer, the cabin needs to be insulated.
If you have a camper van without a lot of windows you will find it a hell lot easier. Afterwards, you’ll need to get some thermal insulators for the crystals, so that I can keep them from getting too hot.
There are a lot of different types of thermal insulation materials out there, and each one has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Rock wool, reflective insulation, cork, polyester, and Armaflex are just some of the things you can use for insulation. I will be discussing those later on in this article.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife and Travel Essentials
Condensation.
All of us have condensation in the van, and it’s the one that is the hardest to get rid of. There are a lot of things that insulation can do to help prevent and reduce condensation. This can make the materials that insulate less effective and even cause them to become rusty if they get wet.
Why is condensation generated?
Condensation happens when the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the van gets close to the dew point. Temperatures at which dew starts to form is called “dew temperature.”
You must know that the amount of water vapour in the air changes based on the temperature and pressure of the air around you. Air carries more vapour when the temperature is higher than when the temperature is lower. It also has a better ability to hold on to it than it does when the temperature is lower. If the temperature drops a lot at night, the material’s ability to hold water vapour may be exceeded. This could cause the material to reach dew point temperature and condensation to happen.
When you are in your car, the same thing happens. Because you breathe, there is more water vapour in the air. There will be no condensation inside the van as long as the van is well insulated and the heat is on.
However, it is not enough to keep the air in the cabin warm. If a surface inside is cold and close to the dew point temperature, condensation will start (such as on furniture or windows). This means that when it’s cold outside, the sheet metal of the car cools down and can reach the dew point.
What is water vapor and how it affects your insulation?
As we said before, water vapour is common in the air. At high temperatures, there is more of it than at low temperatures. It can go through a wide range of materials, like rock wool, glass wool, plywood, and so on. It doesn’t matter how well you insulate the walls of your car. Water vapour will still be able to get through, causing condensation on cold nights.
In this case, because there is a lot of moisture around, the insulation doesn’t work as well as it should, and the sheet metal might rust when it comes into contact with the wet substance. Even on very cold nights, the temperature inside the insulation could fall to the dew point, which would cause moisture to form in the insulation.
As a result, dampness and corrosion can build up on the metal sheet because wet insulation isn’t very good at insulating.
This is why so many people have these problems: bad insulation or bad installation are the root causes of them all.
Solution: Vapor barrier.
To make sure that water vapour doesn’t get into the insulation and make the van humid, a vapour barrier is put in between it and the insulation. Mine is in the part of the insulation that is the hottest, which is the inside of the passenger compartment in this case. Because the heated air doesn’t get through the insulation, the water vapour in the air doesn’t get through.
Armaflex, for example, is a vapor barrier. A barrier that is still waterproof, like aluminium foil, must also be given to other people so that they can stay safe. Because the van is made of metal, it also stops the vapours from getting in.
Types of thermal insulators.
1.Rock wool.
It is possible that the substance that is the most well-known and used is also the least effective, even though it doesn’t work very well. With the help of a vapour barrier, rock wool may be a good thermal and acoustic insulator in a lot of different places.
Now, there is a type of rock wool on the market that has been covered with kraft paper or aluminium foil on one side. These sheets act as a vapour barrier in your home or office. They keep the air from getting in.
Because the rock wool sheds filaments as it is laid down, it might be a little hard to work with. You’ll need gloves and a face mask while you work because of this.
2.Glass wool.
Because it looks like rock wool, it is often confused with it. It is a lot like rock wool. Because the fibres of glass wool are smaller and lighter than those of other fibres, they are easy to get rid of as they fly around in the air.
3.Reflective insulation (Isoflex).
If you put aluminium foil between bubble wrap or polyethylene, you get reflective insulation, which is called Isoflex. It acts as a good vapour barrier, stopping condensation. It has the advantage that it already acts as a heat barrier because of how it is built.
There is a big drawback that many people don’t know about is it’s placement. In order to get the best performance and efficiency, it should be placed with two 2-4cm air chambers on each side. The space in a small van makes it hard to do a job.
With six layers, Isoflex is very strong. You can use it in your camper to make it more durable. You can put two layers of insulation in the holes of your van, but make sure to think about the inner tubes that the van makers say are best. A lot of people use this method to separate, but the results won’t always work out well. As a result, it is not recommended that you use it in your van. However, it can be used with another insulator (like rock wool) to make a heat barrier.
4.Armaflex.
Armaflex is a synthetic rubber that is made of elastomeric foam. It is used to insulate metal air conditioning ducts. It comes in a wide range of colors and sizes. Its closed-cell structure, which acts as a vapor barrier, stops condensation from forming because it doesn’t let air in. One of its features is that it can withstand flames and high temperatures. Because it is flexible, it is very easy to put in and fits very well into the weird shapes of the van’s interior. It has very good thermal and acoustic insulation qualities.
The fact that some Armaflex products are self-adhesive makes them very easy to put on. It is very important to use a special glue that can withstand high temperatures in order to attach them.
Cut the material with scissors or a cutter. It’s important to link the pieces together with aluminium tape to keep the cold from getting in.
If you want to insulate your camper van, this might be the best way to do it.
5.Cork.
It is a good thermal insulator in which fungi do not appear. Being porous, water vapor passes through it, making it necessary to use a vapor barrier. As it does not compress with weight, it is ideal for placing on the ground. In walls and other nooks it is not recommended to use it since it does not fit well in irregular areas.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife and Travel Essentials
6.Extruded polystyrene.
Because it doesn’t let water vapour through, it is one of the best thermal insulators on the market. Similar to cork, it’s not a good material to use on rough ground, but it can be used on the flat surfaces.
Extruded and expanded polystyrene are both combustible, emit hazardous fumes, can be damaged by certain chemicals like solvents, varnishes, and paint. This is one of the drawbacks of both types. They are made from petroleum derivatives, and the process of making them is very polluting.
7.Expanded polystyrene.
People often use the term “polyspan” (the white of all life). There are a lot of different features on the market, and you need to think carefully about which one is best for you. Because extruded polystyrene has the same problems as styrene, it’s not a good choice for many things.
How to measure insulation capacity?
Most of the time, the thermal conductivity [W / moC] of a material is measured instead of its thermal resistance [m2K / W] to figure out how good it is at insulating. A lot of manufacturers give us a number when we ask about thermal resistance. Often, if the number is more than 0.25, the material is thought to be insulating.
The thermal conductivity of the material in question is a good way to compare one material to the next. This is a list of general numbers that you can use as a starting point for your math:
- Expanded polystyrene 0.035 W / mºC.
- Extruded polystyrene 0.028 W / mºC.
- Polyurethane foam 0.023 W / mºC.
- Glass wool 0.035 W / mºC.
- Rock wool 0.037 W / mºC.
- Elastomeric foam 0.036 W / mºC.
- Cork 0.032 W / mºC.
Ok, but what things I need to insulate in a campervan?
Insulate the floor: As we have seen, it is best to use cork as it does not deform under compression. As the floors of our vans are usually uneven, it is best to put a first layer of Armaflex and on top of the cork. This way the Armaflex will be compressed filling the reliefs and will avoid the “drum effect”.
Insulate the walls: We have seen that a good option is rock wool together with a vapor barrier, but even better is Armaflex, easy to install, it comes into contact with the sheet metal and is flexible, adapting to the irregularities of the bodywork. .
Insulate the ceiling: It is a good place to combine two types of insulation material. A good option, as with flooring, is to combine Armaflex (glued to the roof sheet) with cork.
Insulate the windows: We have no choice but to do it using isothermal blinds (Isoflex).
Why insulate a camper van?
Due to the insulation, you can keep the temperature in your van much better and feel much more comfortable. This is the same thing that can be done in any home, too. In addition, it is thought that there will be less outside noise, which will give us more peace of mind.
Cold and heat can make you feel uncomfortable.
If you have enough insulation in your van, you won’t have to rely on good weather to drive it, no matter how hot or cold it is outside. Because your car is properly insulated, the temperature will stay the same, which will make you feel more comfortable and help the environment.
Being cold becomes a really terrible experience in the winter, while lengthy summer days are a torture in the summer. When you insulate a van, you can lessen the impact of high temperatures on the inside of your camper and make it a more pleasant place to stay.
Moisture and water condensation.
When we cook or breathe, we produce a lot of this humidity. It causes condensation to build up on the walls, which looks like small drops of water on the wall. It will be easier for us to keep the temperature in our van at a steady level if an insulating material is put in the van.
Reduce electricity consumption.
Because clean energy isn’t used, the best way to get the most out of it is to separate what you don’t use from what you do. Insulating a campervan helps the environment because it takes less energy to heat it, which saves energy.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife and Travel Essentials
