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Where are you getting 200 degrees? Polyiso is PIC in the legend (ccSPF is closed-cell polyurethane spray foam). The chart shows that it has thermal conductivity of ~0.024 W/m*K at a mean temperature of +25C, and ~0.074 at -15. That's a 3-fold increase in conductivity, meaning that R-value at -15...

Polyiso won't crumble from typical chassis vibrations, it'll just fall apart with any abrasion to it directly. The facing prevents that. See attached. "Slight" and "small" seem like gross understatements. Take it with a grain of salt. The data comes from here, and the researcher - Achilles...

16mpg while towing a trailer? Cummins Dodge and maybe some of the newer common-rail Ford and GM trucks might do that, but it's a tall order and they're not cheap. Towing a ~3000# car is a bit easier, but in this country your options are still rather limited. Look into Isuzu NPR trucks; they...

Polyiso is white, yellow, or tan. I suppose it can be dyed blue but I've never seen or heard of this. Blue or pink stuff is extruded polystyrene. It is nominally slightly inferior to polyiso as far as R-value, but it holds this R-value at really cold temperatures, while polyiso tests great at...

Not much of a tire expert, but I've had Firestone Destination AT on my Toyota 4x4 for two years, and been pleased with them. They're reasonably-priced ($560 installed for P235/75R15), quiet, and seem plenty capable for Class 2 jeep trails even at full pressure. I don't remember where they're...

The closed-cell foam you got should do it. That was going to be my suggestion. For one-time use, silicone is a great gasket material and not hard to use. For something that gets opened and closed regularly, I would hesitate.

Ehh, I put the Toyota in there only for thoroughness; I'm not actually considering that one. It sucks gas and only seats two, and I bought it thinking I'd need off-road capability far, far more than I actually do. For 363 days out of the year, the wagon gets me where I want to go and is more...

I recently learned toad as a cute term for a vehicle towed by an RV. With the 7-10mpg my stepvan gets, and the generally unpleasant driving experience, I really like the idea of carrying something for general transportation, in addition to a bike that is. I have two other vehicles, am thinking...

Are you just jealous because your fiberglass roof can't support the weight of one of these? :P Come to think of it, there is a field with some old abandoned military vehicles not far from me...

My stepvan build involves no side windows. Instead, I want to use the two existing skylight mounts to install roof vents. I've got two 23"x23" frames to work with. Most RV vents are 14" square, and I can get them new for something like $25 each. Far less common are 22"x22" vents of similar...

Yup, the cabinets are all either actually on the floor, or supported by pillars (2x2?) that in turn press down into the floor. They'll also be screwed into the ceiling for lateral support. As I read people's responses, I'm starting to wonder how much of anything heavy will really be screwed...

I've got a step van with flat walls and roof; no contouring required. It sounds like people are using way thinner materials than I've got in mind (1/4 seems minimal to me; 3/8 about right for walls), but they're much more densely attached to rigid framing than my plan. The interior plywood...

I need to figure out what thickness plywood to use in my build. I don't have a whole lot of experience with plywood construction, especially long-term, and would like to conduct a brief survey of those who have a similar design in their vans/trucks/campers: 1. What type of vehicle? 2. How thick...

A nondescript white van is one thing. A van with solar panels is another, especially in the state where the climate and various sub/counter-cultures (from the 60's on) have long been ideal for vehicle dwellers, so the general public including LEOS are more aware of that lifestyle and its...

Regarding 1 and 2, I can just as well plug them up whenever I need to run the engine, which I expect won't be often. Regarding 4, that's a good idea! I have not yet planned where and how to install electrics. What are your thoughts on sound dampening with ducts vs. straight vents?

I'm ready to start cutting holes for vents in my stepvan floor. It will have two skylights that open, an extractor fan in one of them (at least), and no other dedicated ventilation. Do I install them in the middle of the floor (the walkway down the middle) to open directly to the underside, or...

My approach involves trimmed spray foam. Stay tuned for details...

Completely still air has an R-value of 6, so yes, if it's airtight and not large enough for convection currents (I don't know what that means in real terms), half an inch adds R3. The advice I got from people who sound like they know their stuff - Martin Holladay at GBA, mostly - is to minimize...

Everything else relates to ownership and use, but this relates to the vehicle itself, and I wasn't sure if a tractor rated for well over 26k GCVW can be legally "derated" to be under the limit. There's no way to have over 26k without a CDL, regardless of any other factors, right? What about...

True. More aggressive pads are pointless. You want bigger rotors and drums, primarily for more heat capacity. Higher-temp brake fluid (DOT 4 vs. DOT 3) and diligent brake fluid flushes will also help prevent fade. In approximate order of failure likelihood from too much weight (assuming rear...