How to Insulate your Van Part 1 - The facts you need!
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van Conversion - #vanlife Insulation.
Part 1 of 2 videos where we discuss the thermal properties of insulation, what are K value, R-Value and U-Value and how to calculate them.
My U-Value Calculation Results can be found here :-
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My free Heat Loss calculation sheet.
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Online U-Value Calculator
www.changeplan....
Earthwool Dritherm Mineral Wool Cavity Slab
www.knaufinsula...
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Kingspan Therma PIR Foil Faced Insulation
www.kingspan.c...
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Aluminium Foil Tape
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Disclosure - As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase using the above affiliate link. Thank you for supporting our channel.
Thermal Conductivity, R Values and U Values
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If you have found this information to be helpful to you and would like to make a donation to help fund future videos please visit www.paypal.me/G...
Thank you for watching. #gregvirgoe #vanlife #insulation
WOW! That is simply one of the best, if not THE best instructional/information videos EVER on YT. Perhaps as an electro-mechanical engineer some of this data and certainly the maths of the explanation is something very close to what I am used to, but actually I think that most people will be able to follow this due to the marvellous delivery from the presenter.
You have excelled (no pun intended) yourself again Greg. Really well done - especially for a potentially difficult subject.
Regards Mark in the UK
Hello Mark, I’m honoured by your high praise. Thank you very much. It’s a great feeling when my videos are received so well. It makes all the effort so worth while. Many thanks.
Agreed with thecorbies. I have both a science background and a construction background. It was nice to see the supporting numbers behind what I see, instinctively thru experience, to be proper choices in materials and applications. Thanks!
Thank you Marvin, really appreciate your feedback.
Very good video and yes, one of the best. I'm thinking about building my own van and what I´w been thinking a lot about is the insulation and ventilation. I want to get a good insulation so the van can handle both cold and warm climate, like Scandinavia and Spain / Portugal. I´m going the learn a lot.
Hello Paul, thank you for great feedback. Insulation works the same in both hot or cold environments. In the summer shade your windows as much as possible to prevent solar gain. Good luck with your build
Brilliant. Quite possibly the only actually useful video about van insulation on UA-cam. Thank you.
Hello, Thank you for those kind words.
I have just watched your intro video and your channel looks very interesting.
Similar jobs to tackle living a nomadic life.
I've subbed and will look forward to watching them.
Best wishes
Hello. Thanks for that and the sub. Agreed there are many similarities - indeed, I tweeted a link to your power audit video to my followers recently. I'm about to embark on a small-scale van conversion myself over winter so your updates are superbly well-timed. By the way, do you have an opinion on "aerogel" type materials? Cheers
Hi, as you will see from my chart at 0:16 Aerogel is the best insulator by far. I thought this space age material was only available to the likes of NASA? I would imagine it would be extremely expensive if you can get hold of it in large enough quantities to do a van conversion? Thank you for the recent tweets, really appreciate the support. Look forward to watching you van build series too.
Thanks. Sorry, must have missed that, watching on the ipad screen. It's available in the UK under the brand "Spacetherm" from phstore.co.uk and you're right - it's not cheap. But for a compact camper (Toyota Proace low height version) and just doing the floor and ceiling with it in a thin sheet due to lack of headroom, it might be my only option! Cheers
Hello, I looked at the website, wow, it is expensive. Here are some figures for comparison.
50mm PIR board (Celotex/Kingspan) 0.022W/mK an R-Value of 2.3, cost of 8' x 4' sheet £43
To achieve the same R-value you would need 2.3x0.014=0.032m of Aerogel or 32mm thick
A 30mm thick 8x4 sheet of Aerogel cost £437.00! 10 times as much for a saving of 20mm.
For me personally, I think that's a deal breaker, the benefits don't seem to outway the cost?
Greg as you know there are hundreds of videos of people insulating their vans, but this is the first I've seen one without even showing a van. It would seem we all now know why your video will been seen as the benchmark, SCIENCE! Great video and very educational, in particular your screen framing and text and graphic placement looked great. Thanks again.
I was wondering how well this type of theory video would be received.
Judging by the comments so far it's definitely been worth the effort.
Really appreciate your continued support Karl, cheers
Greg your videos seem to have the correct balance of down to earth reality and the engineering science to do it right. As you know it's always a please to watch people work when they are excelling in their craft. I'm not even a Sprinter owner and probably will never be but your videos have and will be relevant to the many aspects for me rebuilding my 1970's VW Kombi. This might come in handy for your 'moderate exercise' / heat calculation [101 kCal or 4.2 kCal/min in men and 69.1 kCal or 3.1 kCal/min in women] :P
Nice bus mate, they really do hold their money. Are you doing a full period restoration? I’d be interested to see any photos you have.
I'm restoring it to an imaginary period of history when there was a sports version of the VW Kombi. It's a challenge to get 300% more go, handling and stopping power into it without looking like a wanker and getting fround apon by the VW purests. The other challenge is to have this beast tame enough to drive it daily and get my camp kitchen, fridge and Misses in it for fun and travel.
As a fellow engineer I appreciate your analytical and precise approach. Your comment, "its not just that I've seen somebody else do it on another UA-cam video and I'm just going to copy what they're doing," is very much appreciated and respected. I suspect there will be many who will copy you!
Hi John, my aim is to hopefully give clear advice with good foundations to help other doing their own builds.
I see lots of guys using the materials in the wrong application because they seen someone else do it.
Thank you for your support and great feedback.
It is good engendering practice to copy, but with improvements!!!
I agree John.. too many monkey see monkey do on UA-cam.
Having now read quite a number of the other comments on this video, it occurs to me that this series of videos will become THE definitive series to watch for anybody when converting their van. Totally excellent.
Regards Mark in the UK
Hello Mark,
It was always my aim to try and do a professional conversion but from a home DIY standpoint.
Of course, it's great to do a budget build as a weekend van and many of my friends have these.
My plan is to go longer distances and live in the van for weeks at a time so we wanted it to be comfortable.
I'm really aiming for a very high-end finish inside, high gloss furniture, top spec appliances and loads of gadgets.
It will still be a fraction of the cost of a commercial motorhome but with the same or better features.
Great to have you along this journey with us.
Couldn't agree more. This bloke is THE best. I should known cos I've been watching diy comper conversions for yrs!!!
It's safe to say that Greg has made by far the best video tutorials on UA-cam on how to do these things correctly and with knowledge.
Watching these videos is like being in the University of how to make a touring car.
I really like watching van conversion videos where the guy is playing his guitar over looking a mountain and he expresses how cool life can be but it is so refreshing to get a more academic look at the conversion process so I can start to understand the physics behind everything. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.
Really appreciate your comment, thank you
Thank you for this amazing video, you have taken away any doubt I had beforehand except for one thing. Over here in Canada we use a clear thin plastic vapour barrier called poly (6mm I think) for homes, yet you suggest reflectix. How much of a positive difference does reflectix have over poly?
As a retired Chemical Engineer who worked for a number of years doing heat transfer design and problem solving on chemical plants I was blown away by your explanation and especially your delivery of what is quite a complicated subject. It certainly brings the 'science' of how best to approach van insulation to the layman. Cracking job.
Makes my day to have the backing of fellow engineer, many thanks for such great feedback..
The tone of your voice and rhythm of your speech will make it far easier to understand for those who are not familiar with Thermodynamics (not my case). Good job. Cheers
What a wonderful comment Luís. Many thanks. What field of engineering are you in?
Dzięki Greg za polskie napisy .Super film .Pozdrawiam
Arja dziękuję, mam nadzieję, że podoba Ci się nowe napisy.
@@GregVirgoe super
Greg, this is FANTASTIC!! I'm so glad I discovered you! I am about to start my own van conversion and this is exactly what I want to see - clear, concise, informative information!
Quick question, when calculating the total heat loss, how come can you apply the U values to both areas and volumes, despite it being calculated Watts per square metre Kelvin?
Also, could you give me an idea of what 434W of heat loss looks like, i.e. at what rate would you need to heat your van in order to keep the temperature constant?
Thank you again for this great video!
Let's Try Something New the I value for volume deals with infiltration ventilation allowance. The I valise for the walls etc is by Sq m as it’s just surface area.
To give you some perspective a human gives off 140Watts of heat. So 3 people is approx 400watts of heat 😊 my calculation was just for the body. You can add the same again for the cab so in real terms about 1kw if heating would be plenty to keep the van nice and warm. 👍🏼
This chap called Greg is a bloody genius. After watching this video, I almost feel "I can fly". He should spend the rest of his life just teaching, teaching and more teaching...and for good measures, I hope he passed on those genes/skills to his children. It will be a shame if he didn't.
Great video, and so great to see some actual engineering and expertise involved in insulating vans for once. The 434W figure at the end, how does that apply over time? for example, is it 434W/hour needed to keep the van at the same temperature level assuming the outside temp as specified? Or how would that be calculated?
It's simply a measure of the energy you would need to maintain it at that temperature.
So a 500w heater running in the van would offset the losses and maintain the 21 deg inside.
The interesting thing to consider also is that a human gives off 100W so I guess Greg only needs to keep 4.34 humans in the van to keep its temperature stable.
Excellent! What's more interesting is that with a little light exercise two people could easy generate enough wattage on their own lol
Great comment Karl, made me laugh. Cheers
Greg Virgoe that’s why the double bed will be installed …!!… LOL
Marc’s Fx, I don't think I've got room for two yoga mats lol
Bardzo przydatne informacje . Good job.Regards from Poland :)
SmakoVanie thank you very much did you see the new Polish subtitles? 😀
@@GregVirgoe Yes of course it's translated very well :)
@@smakovanie7635 You must know Max :D lol
@@GregVirgoe :) Camper team
Thank you Greg for THE most informative video on van installation I've seen. I'm a complete novice to van building. I had planned out my instillation from an amateur point of view before finding this video. I'll make a few changes, but it's good to know I got good SWAG (Stupid Wild Ass Guess). I will put in a vapor barrier now. Thank you for explaining the need for one.
I have two questions if you have time.
#1- The ribs of the van, roof and sides, they transfer heat and cold even if you insulate around and inside them, correct?
#2- What are you concerns about mold growing in or on the insulation?
Thanks in advance,
Dave
I can't believe this series exists, thank you so much
No problem at all. Glad you are finding it useful. 👍🏼😁
Thank you very much for detailed explanations. I am really enjoying to watch your videos. You have a extraordinary ability for teaching. I am curious to watch your next video.
It makes me happy to receive such wonderful feedback.
I'm really pleased that you are enjoying this build series.
Thank you for your support.
Had this seen the 4 years ago. And looked it up since I'm getting serious on my build in the next month's. Still the best info on insulating!
Hi Greg,
Thanks for cutting through the "same-as" and free-spirit......stuff. As a Canadian mechanical engineer I was getting tired of seemingly unreasoned builds. We're building a 2014 Sprinter 2500 170 WB for a trip north in the summer of 2019. Keeep up the good work. Off to view the next video!
Thank you Chris, I wanted to put some factual information out there to help everyone as there is a lot of miss information too. The insulation workshop video is also very good to watch.
Hi,
I pushed the insulation analysis a bit further, combining it with the possibility to produce energy off the grid : eng.aurelienpierre.com/2018/05/05/analyse-the-heat-losses-and-design-the-heating-of-a-sprinter-van/
After your a.c./d.c Masterclass, you've topped it with another on insulation. -Brilliant.
ed
Thank you Ed, that's made my day.
Greg, you are the font of all knowledge! Thanks for this 😁 might be worth doing an addition about the water retention of the materials? I know you say about ventilation and vapour barriers, but there is a lot of ‘worrying youtubers’ over water retention and rust. I would also love to hear your thoughts on wool against mineral wool. Given it is more eco friendly people are opting for it 😁
Earthwool 3.5 is a real good product from Bunnings warehouse, in Australia. Thick, really good sound proofing and high in noise reduction.
Mo Hawk it is a great product. They do a mineral based version and glass based version. The mineral one is much nicer to use and less irritating 😊
Super film, teraz all clear 🙂
Jan Moto dziękuję, mam nadzieję, że podoba Ci się nowe napisy.
excellent , i forgoten all this but you refreshed my memory. i use to do this and more in calculating heat gain, lose in an air conditioning system in buildongs , hotels, hospotals, houses, in the seventies all in BTUs. thumbs up. good refresher.👍
Yes I’m old enough to remember doing them by hand in BTUs
Thank you for your exlpanations. I never really understood the r-value and now I not only finally get it, I can actually calculate.
That’s brilliant, I’m really glad you found it to be useful. Thank you for great feedback 👍🏼
What are your thoughts on closed cell spray foam? I have the same sprinter as you and that's what I'm planning to use
It's a good insulator, same thermal properties as the solid PIR board.
Only drawbacks, it's messy to apply, very permanent solution and be careful not to overfill the voids as it continues to expand over time and can separate the inner and outer sheet metal and bulge out your vans side panels.
Hey alright!!! Someone actually qualified to talk about insulation. Thank you for making this. There is a lot of misinformation by other amateur videos out there.
I thought exactly the same when I was doing my own research and wanted to give out some factual information to help others
I would prefer wool for all insulation, van or home, shed etc. Like the natural materials.
Nothing wrong with that John, it works for sheep right. :D
From a retired teacher, may I just say that was the best educational and informative video I’ve seen as I’ve gone down the journey to van conversion. Some of it was out of my area of expertise, but the different modalities you employed to get all the points across were spot on. I understood everything, and I am not an engineer or a maths person. Again, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I realised with this fast-growing community that there are a lot of people just copying others with no reason or theory.
So if I can pass on some knowledge to help others make informed decisions that makes me happy.
Your knowledge and detailing is awesome. I need your help with my project. Just received my 2018 Ram promaster today with it will be use for extended weekend-vacations only. I’m not going to put a permanent bathroom-kitchen other than a small portable ones. My question:
can I get away with wool insulation for floor and walls and a sound barrier material?
For subfloor, I heard I’m ok with 1/8, 1/4 of an inch play wood?
Can you recommend a more flexible material for the main floor like maybe cork or rubber?
Don’t like vinyls wood looking materials. Thanks and Can’t wait and can’t wait to hear from you
Hello, thank you for watching.
I would not use wool for the floor and you need something more substantial to stand on.
Lowes do a range of foil faced PIR insulating board in 8x4 sheets 1" thick which is ideal for floors
The minimum thickness of plywood for your floor would be 1/2" or 12mm.
Anything less than that and it will bend and sag.
You can use wool for the walls, just apply a vapour barrier over everything before you line the van with your finish cladding.
Hope that helps
I love the sprinter videos you're making, really well done. I'm glad you include so much technical detail.
Thank you so much for such great comment, really appreciated.
At last - someone that really knows about insulation and sound deadening !!! I learn so much from all of your videos. What are your thought on using XPS in the walls instead of polyiso ?
It has good insulation values and is lightweight so is a good alternative. It may be a little more messy to install with all the little XPS balls. Hope that helps 😃
@@GregVirgoe You may be thinking of EPS (much like the white stuff those cheap coolers are made from). The reason I ask is at least here in the states, polyiso is a little more difficult to get in a thicker (greater than 1/2" sheets) than XPS.
I plan on using your system of foam board (love the stick pins !!) bats, and a reflectix as a vapor barrier.
Much thanks for all the videos.
I can't watch this too many times. It's simply brilliant. I'm just beginning my campervan conversion, though I began watching/sharing your videos months ago.😊
Fierce Facts if you like that one I’m sure you might find my insulation workshop video interesting too. ua-cam.com/video/_6eWGp14TL4/v-deo.html
Thank you for sharing my videos, much appreciated
Thank you for posting the best series of video that i have ever seen. I and my husband has planning to visit more than seventeen thousand islands in Indonesia with a van after retiring. I really love sprinter's videos you are making. Thank you so much.
This is the best by far of any vid I've ever seen, & I've watched thou's, usually from USA but this one is English, as am I, very well done Greg!Thanku, Alan, Norwich. My Sprinter will be the new FWD.
I'm still shocked at how well this video is being received and can't thank you enough for such great feedback.
New 4WD sprinter, wow that will look very smart indeed. What are your travel plans Alan?
As Popeye would say in that few minutes I'm after getting Edumacated.. 👍
You sir are a star .
I've watched countless "experts" on here giving advice (prior to building my l4 h3 transit camper/race van this winter)
In a few minutes you've made an (apparently) complicated headache an extremely easy to understand , well explained route to most people's van insulation issues .
Sound deaden , insulate , vapour barrier and clad .
Warm , dry , cosy and affordable.
Thanks mate , add 1 sub
Hello Peter, i'm really pleased that was useful to you. Thanks very much for the great feedback and for your support. :D
Hi Greg, sorry if you've been asked this a dozen times already but did you use Kingspan Thermawall TW55 or was it another variety? Also can you use this for the floor and ceiling or is it better to stick with Celotex TB3025 on those two areas?
Thanks
Hello Stephanos, I have used two types of PIR board. 50mm Kingspan Thermboard for the roof large side panels and rear doors. 25mm Celotex for the floor. It’s basically the same material just different brand and thickness. Then Earthwool in all the awkward crevices. Hope that helps.
Greg, helped massively as I was going to go for 25mm thickness, in fact, if anyone calls you unhelpful I would question their sanity. Thanks for that.
No problem anytime 👍🏼
Wonderful! Finally someone actually understands insulation! Watched tons of other videos ,but non of the methods they used made sense to me as an engineering student. This is the only video on youtube explains insulation very well. Well Done!
Many thanks and good luck with your studies.
How thick would you need to have closed cell foam insulation on a DAF 45 box truck ? Some say 25mm thick and some say as much as possible.
If you can spare 50mm of thickness that would be an excellent level. I have that amount in my walls and ceiling. I have 25mm in my sub floor.
Why reflection rather than some kind of thick plastic? I definitely be sharing this with my viewers
Nothing wrong with using thick plastic as a vapour barrier.
Best to get one that designed to be a vapour barrier.
Some are very slightly permeable to moisture.
The PIR board comes foil faced so it makes sense to continue with that
Greg Virgoe thank you for the reply. Here is a link my video calling for more experts to get involved in the discussion if you’d like to be part of the conversation: Help Me Solve The Vapor Barrier Debate ua-cam.com/video/Fz59D9ai7CY/v-deo.html
Yes, I have watched the video, nice route for a bike ride too, just been out on my triumph earlier today.
I have written a post which bullet points the main reasons for insulating using my method.
Thank you for the interest you have shown in my videos and for the mention.
Sorry should I use earthwool or recycled plastic/sheep wool? What would you use now as I have heard you don't recommend it.
Greg, your videos are nothing other than exceptional. You deserve every single subscriber and your sub count will grow significantly, I have no doubts. Brilliant.
+Alt Ventures, what a wonderful thing to say, thank you very much.
5 star delivery once again Greg. Worth every minute to watch not just for anyone doing a van build but also anyone who wishes to be well informed and correctly insulate just about anything else. Thank you Greg for your outstanding thought and work.
P.S. you may want to repost as an insulation values explained (keeping original)
A valid point, it does apply to any insulation application and not just vans. I may edit the title slightly and add few more tags. Thank you for your help.
I love this! Finally someone who actually knows what their doing :) Thank you for your videos!
Really appreciate the great feedback, thank you
I came here from
Keith Alexanders UA-cam channel, glad I did, subbed.
Do you have a link to his video that brought you here please?
I was wondering what your reasoning was for still using Reflectix as a vapor barrier rather than something else? I would think there would be substantially cheaper materials that would perform as well if not better?
This is a total side step but I am also curious to see if you have an opinion on installing adhesive backed sound deadening/damping material such as Rattletrap on the bare painted metal interior of a van before adding insulation/walls/floors/etc. I constantly see videos where people spend a full day installing sound damping materials on the floors, walls and ceiling of their van and then they install rigid foam, spray foam or even just pink fiberglass insulation covered with 1/2" thick tongue and groove boards for their walls. Perhaps I am wrong but if the van is insulated well those sheet metal panels won't be able to vibrate and create much noise inside the van because the insulation does the same job as the sound damping material. Wouldn't the RattleTrap type sound damping material be pointless then?
Hello Al, aluminium foil is totally impervious to moisture, the reflectix just makes it more substantial to apply without tearing. Some plastics are very slightly permeable. With regards to sound deadening please watch my sound video ua-cam.com/video/fmvxtaZjFww/v-deo.html that should answer your questions. Thanks for watching.
How would you suggest insulating windows? I have 360 degree windows in the back of my van and would like to enjoy the occasional mountain trip. Thanks.
Brent Daugherty, we have insulated reflective blinds fir our windows, they are made of a number of components, on the outside it a layer of reflective foil then next is a insulation wadding and on the inside a grey fabric, all stitched together like a quilt and held onto the window with suction cups, they work well in both summer and winter.
I wonder about using Spray foam instead of mineral wool.
Hello Fred, In my next video I talk about using spray foam.
Thanks for watching.
Finally some SCIENCE! Thanks Greg. Normally Iʼm pretty sceptical with videos that claim to have „the facts“ or „the truth“, but your video is spot-on!
What are your thoughts on Armaflex products? Iʼve seen λ values from 0.025 to 0.033 depending on the specific product being used. Most tend to use the 19mm sheets. These also act as sound deadening, though Iʼm not sure how they compare to those thinner butyl patches (rattle trap etc).
I guess when comparing all those options, weight would also be taken into consideration.
Hello, excellent question. Armaflex is a closed cell Class O insulation so has excellent fire resistant properties.
Those values of thermal conductivity are good but you need to take into account the thickness of the material to get the full picture. Armaflex is normally sold as pipe insulation or in thin sheet format. To match the properties of the earthwool or kingspan you would need similar thickness 50-100mm.
Using your figures you get an R value of 0.019/0.025=0.76
Therefore you would need 3 layers of 19mm armaflex to match the R value of 50mm kingspan. It would give you sound deadening properties but as you said it would be heavier and I would say more expensive too. Hope that helps. Best wishes
! WOW ! Deep Respect, Greg ! Absolutely the best video I've seen EVER ! Extremely informative & without any "black-bla" Thanks!
Thank you so much for such a nice comment. I was nervous about doing this technical video but really pleased you like it so much. 👍🏼
Greg,it's a pleasure
! Could you please review this eco-friendly insulation materials - I would like to build my eco-van with much eco material as possible www.thermo-natur.de Thanks in Advance !
Hi, I did take a look at the website. I'm not sure the hemp leaf symbol is a great way of advertising insulation? Their advert is incorrect when comparing their insulation to glasswool or fibreglass. Their image shows two roof structures and gives the impression that you only need half as much of their insulation. However, their published figure for thermal conductivity is 0.037 W/mK and glassfibre is 0.04 W/mK and exactly the same as the Earthwool batts that I am using. So it is not better, it's about the same. Earthwool can also be 100% upcycled. On the plus side it's made of natural materials and will offer the same level of insulation as similar alternatives. Not sure what it's fire resistance is or moisture resistance?
Greg, thanks for such nice explanation! Respect Man. Look I have a few more question about insulation. Could you help me please to make a right choice )) On US market people who do Van conversion use those materials:
Lizard Skin
www.amazon.com/LizardSkin-50125-Super-Pro-Spray/dp/B00CQ53Y2I/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00CQ53Y2I&pd_rd_r=ZR4EB3FVAGCEQ5WWE33Q&pd_rd_w=GaCXO&pd_rd_wg=tHWKT&psc=1&refRID=ZR4EB3FVAGCEQ5WWE33Q
3 M Thinsulate (TM) SM600L
www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Thinsulate-Acoustic-Insulation-SM600L?N=5002385+3292659035&rt=rud
3М Thinsulate Climate Control 75
www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Thinsulate-Window-Film-Climate-Control-Series-for-Commercial?N=5002385+3292123815&rt=rud
Dynamat 21206 DynaDeck 54" x 6' x 3/8"
www.amazon.com/FLIR-ONE-Thermal-Imager-iOS/dp/B00VILVV62/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
would you recommend to use them?
Hello, This is a soundproofing material, it will have a small insulation value as its a closed cell material, but I could not find any information for its thermal properties. Its also not Class O rated for fire but Class A so it will burn and give off harmful gases. I would not use it in my van.
Very rare to find someone who knows how to insulate an RV. I'm excited to watch the the next episode, Greg. Keep up the great work and thank you for putting effort into documenting your build project.
Thank you very much, pleased you liked it and hope you continue to enjoy the rest of this build.
Very helpful. Thank you. I always watch people insulating w reflective and think there's no way that's effective.
I just want to help others not make the same mistakes.
@@GregVirgoe why use reflectix at all if it is such a bad insulator, isnt it really expensive to just use as a vapor barrier? Why not just use polyethylene sheeting or the like at that point, its much cheaper($130 vs $20 for rolls of the same size). The aluminum cant reflect any radiant heat without an air gap right? Thanks for the video! Very informative
fred c you can use polythenes as long as they are a good quality builders polythene. Otherwise some are very slightly permeable.
Foil is 100% impervious to water or moisture so it is the better barrier. It’s not that expensive. I wrapped my entire van for £90 and it easy to work with 👍🏼😊
Hi Greg can you please tell me how many packs of earth wool you used and how many rolls of Thermal Insulation Foil you used. Thanks really enjoying your videos as I am doing my build.
Hello, yes we used three bales of the 100mm Earthwool cavity batts which we got from Homebase for £19 ea and three rolls of the foil bubble wrap which I purchased off eBay, link in the description.
@@GregVirgoe Excellent thanks for that saves me buying too much or not enough and having to run back a forth wickes cheers
Wow, so much detail just to keep the warmth in...nice one Greg....just one question if I may, why not use foam spray behind all the wood?? This would fill all the gaps as well as bends and tight spaces.....is it more cost??
Perfectly acceptable solution Marc, it's basically the same product as the kingspan but in a can. It's a very good insulator and like you say good at filling all the small voids. I personally just didn't want all the mess and clear up that comes with spray foam. Thank you for watching.
Greg Virgoe yeah, it can be a bit messy!!
Keep up the great work my friend, can’t wait for the road trips 👍🏼😊
Thank you Marc, you bet, I can't wait to road test this one myself, we have major plans to tour Europe next year and will be posting regular vlogs of our #vanlife. Watch this space :D
Greg Virgoe well I’ll be tuning in that’s for sure 😉👍🏼
Marc’s Fx -- condensation causing moisture then mold. The sprayons like greatstuff adhere to the surface on the inside surface. With no space between the insulate and the panel subjected to outside conditions the inside of the panel cannot "breathe" so moisture is trapped.
Hi there!! What do you think about using polystyrene??
If you look at the table at 0:15 you will see that polystyrene is in between PIR board and Mineral wool so it's a good insulator, it's light weight, bit messy to cut with all the little balls and not fireproof, but if you never have a fire situation that's not a factor. I think its ok to use.
Thanks Greg, absolute gold! This has taken so much guess work out. Having a basic engineering background myself this really speaks to me, too. There are so many little points in this video that clarify quite significant aspects. I'll be watching this video again and again for sure. Thanks so much for sharing! Much appreciated. Ryan.
Hello Ryan, insulation workshop video covers a lot more ground and explains about condensation. ua-cam.com/video/_6eWGp14TL4/v-deo.html
Hi Greg,
Can you please confirm that Earthwool Dritherm Mineral Wool Cavity Slab doesn't contain anything that may irritate the skin or respiratory for both humans and dogs? I read different things online and I'm just no longer sure. Thanks!
Hello, I cannot say categorically as different people react in different ways.
I personally cannot go near fibreglass but find Earthwool to be ok to handle and does not make me cough. However if you are concerned maybe go for Diall recycled plastic insulation like I used on my rear door card video. That will not cause you any problems.
Hope that helps 😊
Hi@@GregVirgoe , thanks a lot for replying! Unfortunately it's not so easy to find it here in Switzerland. I've contacted Knauf Insulation in the UK and they re-directed me to the German department.
Your videos are extremely helpful with our conversion and we're really really enjoying them. Thanks so much and please keep up the good work!
If you're ever around Switzerland and need some hints on nice locations, let us know ;-).
Cheers
Marco & Laura
Thank you for sharing your experience, I have been searching to understand the difference type of insulations and thier applications. It was really useful.
hi Greg really interesting ,im in sw fl where the bigest problem is humidity outside 90percent and keeeping humidity and brutal sun temperatures ,often 80 to 90 degrees f what would you recommend in a tropical climate , thank you
Insulation works the same way in hotter climates, think of you van like a huge cool box, the better the insulation the cooler it will stay inside for longer, good ventilation will help reduce humidity, typically high temperatures have low humidity and low temperatures have high humidity.
Hello Greg. I am about to start my own van conversion and here I found the best informations from YT. GREAT videos !!! I have one little question. I found an insulating product, which has λ=0,035 W/mK and R=2.86 m²K/W. The dritherm 37 you used has λ=0,037 W/mK and R=2.7 m²K/W. Can you tell me please, if this is worse or better than the one used by you? Many thanks
SLK by those figure it is fractionally better by a tiny bit 👍🏼😀
Great work Greg. I had no idea what the figures were all about before. Thanks for spending time doing this and your other videos.
Hi Robert, I have found that manufacturers of substandard products are misleading the buying public by claiming R values that bare no relation to their actual product. Whenever someone doesn’t not publish their K value it rings alarm bells. So if I can share a little knowledge so you can make more informed decisions it’s very much worth it. Thanks
You lost me at "thermal properties" 🤣🤣🤣 (0.18)
Nevertheless, I did watch it all, and I have always thought that wool has got to be better than the glass stuff. Both are sustainable (sheep's hair keeps growing !!) but I think wool is warmer than glass 🤔
I also think the celotex stuff is pretty good, but I'm thinking the thinner stuff may be easier to fit.
A really good alternative to use now is recycled plastic loft insulation from Diall supplied by B&Q it’s really nice to touch no horrible safety issues, easy to use and good “thermal properties” 😂😃👍🏼 oh and did I mention it’s cheap to buy.
Hi Greg, your videos are great thank you for them they are very helpful, I was wondering even 5 years on how many 50mm Celotex sheets you used in your campervan build. I have an L3H2 Peugeot Boxer and after taking out all of the ply linings was very surprised by how much you need and difficult to calculate how many at such a cost? Many thanks, John
3 sheets 25mm for the floor.
4 sheets 50mm for the roof and walls. Lots of foil tape 👍🏼😊
Hi Greg, another very helpful and insightful video. I commented on another video of yours but decided to write on this one because it’s relevant. Our Vario 814 has double aluminium floor. What would you suggest in terms of insulating it - or having to remove it. It looks in great nic and ideally prefer to keep it. Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
Is it possible to lift the floor finish, put PIR slabs down then relay the floor back on top?
I have watched your videos countless times before I had a van to convert. I can't thank you enough. I'm about to start my van conversion and had just one question regarding the mineral wool you used. Unfortunately, being in the US makes using your affiliate links a tad difficult. Moving on, I am unable to convert the R-Value from .037 to a number that makes sense in the US. I assume here, the R-Value would be 3.7. Is that incorrect? I'm looking at Ecowool with an R-Value of 13-15. I know I'm confused and would be very grateful if someone could help clarify this for me. Thank you.
Hi Judy, ignore the R value as most suppliers don’t publish the true information.
Most wool type insulation will have a similar thermal property.
PIR based boards will be twice as good as wool type insulation.
Use PIR boards on flat surfaces where possible and stuff awkward places with a eco friendly wool type insulation.
Cover everything with a vapour barrier and take all joints before cladding. You will be all sorted. Best wishes Greg
Thanks Greg for a wonderful video. 1 inch (25 mm) thick Polyiso board is available locally, but 2" (50 mm) thick is not. For the Sprinter van ceiling, is it ok to use 2 layers of 1 inch Polyiso board, or would that cause condensation issues?
Yes it’s ok. You’ll find it easier to do the ceiling in sections overlap the joints like brickwork and cover everything with a vapour barrier.
Hi Greg! We’re just starting to build our van conversion. We are using you as our go-to guide. Please can you tell me which spec rockwool and kingsman board you used or recommend? We have looked at the links which are useful, but just take us to he site. Thanks
Since making this video there are some new materials available that have better properties.
Instead of rock wool I would recommend using recycled plastic loft insulation made by Diall and sold at B&Q. It’s kinder to use, great thermal properties and good green credentials too 👍🏼😊
In terms of PIR foam boards they all have similar thermal properties so as long as the boards you choose have foil covering they will be ok. Popular brands are kingspan or Celotex but all very similar in performance 👍🏼😊
Hey Greg. Thanks for your deep dives into...well everything Van Build. Do you have any thoughts about spray foam? Also, does the Reflexix (sp?) act as a sound barrier? I've read a lot of comments about people who wished they put in a sound barrier.
Regina Pistilli in two of my other videos I disgust those topics here are the links.
Totally agree with the other comments... you nailed it! Thanks a lot very useful info... I better go shopping! :)
Greg my tribe has a casino w engineered hvac engineering in 2000. System problems my ceo called in local engineering firm. They had no clue out ragious recommendations. I called a friend with your skills solved problem for $10k instead of $750k!! Lol he got salary free weekend and plenty of fresh and smoked salmon. Was great for his super bowl party in CA. So he is glad to hear from me
Hi Robert, that sort of thing happen in a lot of industries, often difficult to find someone with the right knowledge that is genuine,y looking to help you solve you problem the most efficient way and not looking just to take advantage and rip you off. Pleased it turned out for the best. 👍🏼
Thank you for this video. Interesting and so helpful! I’m sure this info will be very useful outside of van conversions too.
One thing I don’t understand is the heat loss calculation in watts at the end.
Would anyone be able to put this into perspective for me ? Using the example in the video and without any heater, roughly how much would the temperature drop per hour? In Celsius if possible
The heat loss calculation relates to the amount of heat required each hour to maintain that internal temperature. So with no heating you would lose temperature quite quickly still 😊👍🏼
A very clear and concise explanation with the actual calculations. This video was much more interesting than I could have anticipated. When I built my house and caravan (in Australia) I probably went overboard with insulation in both projects for our climate, however you've backed up my gut feelings with your real knowledge. Thanks.
I was worried about the technical aspects of this video initially but it has been very well received so thank you for taking the time to watch and comment.
Thanks for your incredibly useful and informative video, Greg! I wonder if you could kindly tell me how good the Knauf Earthwool would be to rip up into small pieces and fill in all the very small cavities and beams in my Vauxhall Combo van? Any help and information would be greatly appreciated :)
Sam Ross that is exactly what we did. Cut it into strips and stuffed it into all the beams. That would work great. So would that recycled plastic bottle insulation.
AMAZING...you know your shit!better than drone footage of a camper by the sea and couple of milleneal idiots insulating their van with avocados and tie died cushions.thank you so much
twelvepetaledlotus that is hilarious 😂 made us both laugh so much. Thank you for such a great comment.
So grateful for your expert knowledge and advice, thanks so much 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
You are most welcome 🙏🏼
Another very helpful video. Thanks a lot, Greg. By the way, a lot of Campers use Armaflex without damp proof to insulate their van as Armaflex apparently does not let moisture through. Is that a good idea?
Armaflex is a closed cell product which means it has an inbuilt vapour barrier you do have to make sure all surfaces are covered abs that joins are glued or taped over.
The disadvantages are it’s not very thick so insulation value could be better. It’s quite heavy in comparison to other materials and can be costly to do a whole van.
yes it’s a good material but has some disadvantages. Hope that helps you 😊
Hello Greg, great video. Why do you think aerogel is very rarely used as an insulating material in vans? Can aerogel withstand the vibrations of the road without breaking? Also, what is your opinion about using vacuum insulated panels (VIP) on the ceiling and floor?
Hello, Aerogel is the best insulator and has the best thermal properties of any material, apart from the vacuum of space. :D
The reason it's not used more is mostly down to the cost as these are 10x the cost of PIR or Mineral Wool Insulation.
Youre the best dude...im attending engineering college myself and while studying thermodynamics and related topics ive wondered why no one (in UA-cam) has ever shown us some proper math behind what theyre doing instead of just sticking alu-foils all over the place...lol
Hi, that's why I did this video because there are so many videos where people do not know what they are doing so I wanted to help others with some science to back up the correct method.
Every informative and cleared up most of my confusion based on other videos that I’ve seen. Based on your video I’m really thinking what I need is some sound proofing and a vapor barrier. The temperature range for where I will be using the van is 8c - 30c. Do you think that this range requires insulation as well?
Edward Tobin this video explains a lot more too ua-cam.com/video/_6eWGp14TL4/v-deo.html
Hi
Just started out and stripped out my first sprinter ready to convert to a Racevan
You have answered many of the questions I didn’t know I had already lol by watching your vids - thank you
I’m at the other end of the trade and manage a builders merchant so supply many of the products you use and understand the thermal conductivity
Could you just clarify which Rockwool you use please as I’m worried about the posts I see on mineral wool getting damp and smelling ?
Many thanks
Better still would be to use Diall recycled plastic bottle loft insulation you can get cheaply from B&Q great eco friendly material kind to your hands and water and moisture resistant too
Fantastic watched this 3 times now. Sad I know but fully understand where your coming from. The cost of converting a van is very costly so the insulation needs to be correct. Thanks again.
It’s a very important part even if it won’t be seen. 👍🏼😃
Great video Greg! Your delivery is bang on for my learning style (and from what I've seen in the comments, the same for others too). Thanks for making it easier to understand a topic that has otherwise been overwhelming. I was wondering - when you did the heat loss U-Value calculations for the different materials. Is the total figure at the end for if all the material layers where on top of each other rather than in different spots around the van? Hope that makes sense
Thank you 🙏🏼 yes a U value is the sum of all the resistances for each component that make up the structure. So for the wall it’s the sum of the outside air resistance, sheet metal, insulation, ply lining, and internal air resistance. Each I value would vary depending on the materials used. Hope that helps.
Finally found the video I was looking for. I knew you gonna give me the right explanation after I followed your instructions about how to fit a roof window. Fantastic, thanks 🤘
I’m really pleased these are helping you. There are lots of useful videos on this channel.
👍🏼😊🚐
Hi Greg, I have considered using celotex to insulate my van but then I found out that it is apparently highly flammable which does worry me, what do you think?
The modern stuff is not flammable check the labels. In any case it’s not the cause of the fire and what about all the wood in the van conversion which is far more flammable? These things won’t cause a fire so don’t worry so much
suppose i did this installation and the temp was 60F inside the van and it was 100F outside. And i parked in the sun. How long would the temperature of the van stay under 65F?
Without doing lengthy calculations and not knowing the exact details of your van let me just explain what is happening.
The insulation is reducing the amount of heat that canbe transfered through the structure, the more insulation the slower the heat transfer rate per hour. So it makes sense if you intend to be in extreme conditions to use the best materials and the thickest you can install without compromising internal space. In hot climates the one thing that contributes to heat gain in vehicles are the windows so fitting external reflective blinds to windows makes a huge difference ot internal temperatures. Hope that helps
thanks for the info, very helpful! I am wondering why you chose to use Reflectix as a vapour barrier instead of just using plastic vapour barrier? isn't reflictix a bit pricey if all it's being used for is a vapour barrier?
thanks!
Hi Kira, you can use plastic, some are very slightly porous so use a good quality building grade polythene. I didn’t find it expensive and was very easy to apply with trim fix. Plus it does give you a small air gap as a thermal break on the metal surfaces. 👍🏼😊
Hi Greg, I am thinking of making my own screen covers using a waterproof material with furniture blanket inside the material as I figure that would have a better insulation value than most ready made screen covers ( they don't seem to advertise their u values). In your opinion am I barking up the wrong tree.
If making the covers is a reasonable idea would it be better to have them on the outside or inside of the screen TIA
External covers perform better thermally than internal ones. 👍🏼
Wow, that was pretty intense. But it wouldn’t be the education and therefore the advice that you have so very carefully covered if it wasn’t. Thank you Greg.
I have a more recent video which is more practical demonstration rather than the science just to prove the point
Vapour Barrier in a Van - I can Prove they Work.
ua-cam.com/video/ommqMG7RjXg/v-deo.html
I see after a bit of research it's the cavity slabs you are using, they have a slightly better thermal value 0.037 compared to the roll which is 0.044, I think the roll should be sufficient enough!
Brian Vahey yes it will still give you a good level of insulation.
Epic Greg. Epic. There are multitudes of yahoo's on UA-cam, full of ego but with chicken sh*t for brains who expound about how they did this or that - without any true understanding of what they were doing. Although I'm unlikely to be using a steel box for my next camper project I was enthralled with your knowledge and delivery. RESPECT.
Hi Graham, I'm blown away by your kind comment. Thank you so much for your appreciation. 👍🏼
Thanks for the information. I'm just starting my sprinter LWB project
You come to the right place 😊 lots of useful information in this build series. Good luck with your own project 👍🏼🚐
Hi Greg, as always, a fantastic video; only a few people can explain complex contexts so well.
But I still have one question: Why didn't you use Armaflex (λ = 0.033), like so many other camper builders? For cost reasons or are there technical objections from your point of view?
Frank Reinecke, good question, it’s thermal properties are very good it sits in the middle of mineral wool and PIR Board. So it’s a good insulator. It’s closed cell and also act like a vapour barrier.
However, there are 3 minor things against it. It’s more expensive per m2, it’s also a lot heavier than other the other two and lastly it’s sold in fairly thin sheets to match 50mm PIR you would need 75mm of Armaflex and that’s not practical amount to install for the reasons above. I feel what I have chosen gives the best thermal properties at a reasonable price too 👍🏼😀
Thanks a lot and all the best on your further journey.
Tha ks you so much for explaining this so well I can understand it 😁great video
You are welcome 🙏🏼 thanks for watching the videos 😃
Good explanation of sensible heat loss. Are you going to do a follow up for summer gain conditions with solar loads (CLTD or the like)? I wonder what the shading coefficient is for a solar panel. Might be useful for those hot Catalonian days.
Hello Doug, in the summer the transmission heat gains are calculated the same way as winter transmission losses. The solar gains vary depending on where you are in the world, what day of the year it is, the time of day and what direction you are facing. All these factors determine the location and intensity of the sun in the sky and the resulting power of the sun. For a mobile home we could not do a calculation of solar gain that would apply to all cases as you are constantly driving around in different locations and orientations. Yes, it can be calculated but is not a constant like conduction. You can pick a few worst case scenarios and calculate a best estimate. I don't plan to fit AC so will just rely on good ventilation and external reflective screens for my windows to keep the sun out. Cheers
Great video, made me think a lot about my conversion, its an old Rohill community bus , its a Fiat front with an al-ko chassis, All the walls and rear frame are made out of ally as well, so no wonder I was cold the few nights I slept in it before :) Planning to use the 40mm clotex everywhere as its square in the back now I have blanked off all the windows.
Aluminium is a super conductor or heat and cold.
You can’t go wrong with the celotex and I would kill for square sides. Best wishes
Nice one. Really helpful insight into calculating the loss of heat and I will be using the cellotex as I have a vehicle with perfectly flat walls. ;-) Well done matey. ;-)
Thank you Andy, that will be the best way to go by far. Pleased it was helpful to you.
So it looks like the entire van would be around 50 W/Δ°C. Considering that I empirically measured roughly 150 W/Δ°C on my 35-foot class A, a third sounds about right for a class B with a better insulated rear. Nice to see the numbers match up!
Thank you Stéphane, nice to know I’m in the right ball park.
Thanks for watching.