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Foam insulation. Anyone ever tried it?

Started by Zan_Tastic, January 18, 2018, 08:38:41 AM

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Zan_Tastic

Hi all, I've been living in a minivan conversion for the last two years and I'm ready for a new van build. I'm buying either an nv200 or a ford transit connect in two days. I'm very excited!
I didn't have to insulate my minivan but will have to with this new project.
I just saw something called foam it green and a YouTube clip of someone using it for their van conversion build.

Has anyone tried this? Any thoughts?
[emoji120]



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Camper_Dan

Greetings & Welcome!

Window vans make the best camper vans and no added insulation or roof vents are required because the interior is already finished.

The problem with most van insulation schemes is that they trap condenstation between the insulation and the vehicle skin.  This leads to moisture and mold problems.  A successful insulation job needs to wick the moisture from the outside skin to the interior where it can be evaporated out.  Open cell foam with a cloth covering can accomplish this.

Never heard of foam it green...

Good luck & keep us posted!

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Pass them on!!!


Zan_Tastic

Quote from: Camper_Dan on January 18, 2018, 10:24:37 AM
Greetings & Welcome!

Window vans make the best camper vans and no added insulation or roof vents are required because the interior is already finished.

The problem with most van insulation schemes is that they trap condenstation between the insulation and the vehicle skin.  This leads to moisture and mold problems.  A successful insulation job needs to wick the moisture from the outside skin to the interior where it can be evaporated out.  Open cell foam with a cloth covering can accomplish this.

Never heard of foam it green...

Good luck & keep us posted!

Thanks you!
I just researched it and it looks like this spray it green stuff is a type of open cell insulation.

Have you used this before? And do you recommend a certain brand?
Also, you ever had any problem with metal bending when this stuff expands? Looks insanely strong!


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Zan_Tastic

Quote from: Roman on January 20, 2018, 10:47:48 AM
Hi Zan,
Take look & this link lot of good info,
http://mowgli-adventures.com/camper-van-insulation-and-ventilation/

Thanks Roman, that was really useful to read and I'll keep at as a reference when I'm fully ready to purchase insulation next month :)


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Camper_Dan

We used soft sheet foam, like furniture cushion foam, rather than spray foam, then covered it with either fabric, open weave carpet, or perforated vinyl.  I liked the crushed velvet myself.  That scheme allowed any moisture to be wicked to the inside to be evaporated out.  I don't know whether spray foam would allow the same sort of wicking action or not, and the whole point is to keep the inside of the skin dry.

I have heard numerous reports of spray foam bending the body panels, but don't have any personal experience with it.  You will need to decide if it's worth the risk.  I think performance matters more than strength in this case.  Can it keep itself and the outside wall dry?  A sponge sitting in a dish of water will absorb it, then evaporate that water out, leaving both the sponge and the dish dry.  This  is exactly the action that we need to duplicate.  I don't know whether all open cell foam works the same, especially since it's a hard foam instead of a soft foam. 



There are at least two kinds of foam, the rougher one will get hard when it dries out, the finer one will remain soft.  We used the kind that remains soft and it worked well for us.  It would wick all the moisture away from the skin to the interior where it could then be evaporated out with normal heat and ventilation.  The softer foam gave us nicely cushioned walls, floor, and ceiling, that never got hard.

Then if you want hard walls, you can use waterproof pegboard attached to the ribs, which allows the foam behind it to dry out, and then cover the pegboard with any breathable material you choose.  You can also add another layer of foam on the inside of the pegboard, between it and the inside covering to have padded walls, with a mountable wall behind it all.  The holes in the pegboard also make it easy to mount whatever you like as well.

Hope this helps, good luck & keep us posted!



Smiles are extremely contagious,
Pass them on!!!


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kalyl

The spray foam application can be relatively straightforward, among us especially in areas that may be challenging to insulate with traditional materials.

denimoppa

Sounds like fun, keep us posted & take lots of beautiful pictures.geometry dash subzero


nokoya3

That new project seems amazing! Comfort will undoubtedly improve if you insulate your new van, particularly if you want to spend a lot of time in it. The Ford Transit Connect and NV200 are two well-liked options for van conversions papa's pizzeria. Soundproofing and temperature control are two benefits of insulating the vehicle.