3M Thinsulate

[Vanada]

Hey all,

I noticed this hasn't come up here yet. I'm pretty set on using this for my build and figured I'd give a little info an explain my reasoning.

First of all the material I'm looking at is this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3M-Thinsulate-tm-SM600L-noise-thermal-insulation-/131754566187
It's sold by a dude named Hein who has posted on some of the other van forums. When I emailed him he quoted $9.88 per linear foot at 60" wide.

Pros:
Decent thermal AND acoustic insulation.
Repels water, doesn't allow it to soak / collect.
Malleable, easy to cut and work with.
Can be used over the wheel wells and in small / awkward gaps.
Can be used for insulated curtain also.

Cons:
A lot pricier than other options.
Requires spray adhesive to attach to walls so is a bit harder to reverse.


So say we wanted to push the boat out and get 50 linear feet or 250 sq ft. That would come to $494 (ouch). For the equivalent R value with rigid insulation from home depot it's just $152. I'm keeping in mind though that most people would then spend $120 odd on reflectix and another load on sound deadening. I'd rather save that money then splash out on a really good long term solution. I'm probably going to be braving the cold in the van and so insulation is just one of those things I'd rather spend more on and get a good result. The other option would be to use a combo of rigid and Thinsulate for best results in all areas plus cost efficiency.

Here's one video of a guy who went this route for a Sprinter:


Further reading / specifications:
http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1055312O/3m-thinsulate-acoustic-insulation-sm600l-datasheet.pdf
http://www.impact3d.com/3M Thinsulate.pdf

I'd be interested to hear thoughts and any first hand experience with this insulation!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[johnny b]

That guy in the video has an issue or 2 with his 'research'.
He says foam board holds water? I can only assume he was NOT referring to polyiso??
And 'spray foam' turns to dust? Maybe 40 year old foam in a junkyard, but not the current stuff. I doubt the builders of reefer box trucks would use something that doesn't hold up to 'road use'.
Thinsulate is great for winter clothing, but a wee bit expensive for doing a van. $500 and ya still gotta cut & glue it yourself!

If I was gonna spend 500 bucks to insulate a van I'd hire a pro to spray it with foam (closed cell of course). :idea:

 

[BradKW]

Yeah, he really did say that rigid poly-iso absorbs water, that fiberglass is toxic and as bad as asbestos, and closed cell spray-foam turns to dust. But then, the moment I heard his accent, I know there would likely be some cognitive issues...

But despite that guy's list of misinformation and hyperbole, Thinsulate is indeed a very nice product, just a little expensive. Since Hein started offering it, a number of people have used it in their builds and nothing but good things to say. It does a good job of stuffing into hard to reach cavities, making it a strong choice for side walls and doors. Going with rigid ISO on the ceilings seems to provide a good hybrid system that plays to both products strengths and reduces costs. And you usually see thinsulate installs still using an initial application of dynamat or similar sound deadener.

And $500 isn't going to come close to cost of even a DIY spray foam, let alone a professional job.

 

[Vanada]

I agree Brad, I cringe when I see people installing fiberglass or coating the inside of a van with spray foam. As of today I'm starting to lean in the direction of two conformed 1/2" polyiso layers large areas between ribs and thinsulate for wheel wells, doors, nooks, crannies and a curtain.

 

[akrvbob]

The main use for pink or blue styrofoam is insulation under concrete slabs. if it's intended to be buried under the ground for decades, it will certainly work well in a van and not create any problems.

From what I can tell it's R-Value is only 3.7 per inch. That's very poor, especially to be so tremendously expensive. Polyiso is close to double that so you will lose twice as much space inside your van to get the same heat retention.
Bob

 

[highdesertranger]

Thinsulate is very good insulation for its intended purpose. which is flexible insulation, as in clothing and shoes. a few years back someone was building pop up tent trailers using layered material. 3 layers, outer canvas, Thinsulate, and inner material like headliner material. from what I heard it was a vast improvement over a single canvas wall. however in a hard sided vehicle with no need to flex I think it would be a waste of money. polysiso will not absorb water and turn to dust, nor will Styrofoam. the Right Stuff spray foam in a can that you get from the box stores will. I say save your money and use ridged foam. highdesertranger

 

[Vanada]

Thinsulate is very good insulation for its intended purpose.  which is flexible insulation,  as in clothing and shoes.  a few years back someone was building pop up tent trailers using layered material.  3 layers,  outer canvas,  Thinsulate,  and inner material like headliner material.  from what I heard it was a vast improvement over a single canvas wall.  however in a hard sided vehicle with no need to flex I think it would be a waste of money.  polysiso will not absorb water and turn to dust,  nor will Styrofoam.  the Right Stuff spray foam in a can that you get from the box stores will.  I say save your money and use ridged foam.  highdesertranger

Very good point. Is it not worth it for the amount of acoustic insulation it provides? I don't mind the idea of a quiet van inside and less chance of being heard from the outside. I suppose the real question is; To those using polyiso, in the city how much ambient noise do you hear inside the van?

 

[Vanada]

Here is a very rapid mock up of what's going on in my brain at the moment.


[img=450x338]

 

[ccbreder]

http://www.seattlefabrics.com/insulations.html

 

[akrvbob]

You're going to be a city dweller? If so that makes noise more of an issue, it's unimportant to a boondocker.

Cities are loud and I can't believe that stuff will do any real good when someone slams their car door next to you in the middle of the night, or the street sweeper or snow plow goes by. But if quiet is critically important it might be worth the high cost to you.
Bob

 

[Vanada]

You're going to be a city dweller? If so that makes noise more of an issue, it's unimportant to a boondocker.

Cities are loud and I can't believe that stuff will do any real good when someone slams their car door next to you in the middle of the night, or the street sweeper or snow plow goes by. But if quiet is critically important it might be worth the high cost to you.
Bob

Not completely full time but there will be a lot of time when I need to be in the city. Quiet would be nice. Not absolutely essential but not something I'd turn down either. Having said that when I'm in my tent at a busy campground I can sleep through quite a lot. There is this clip demonstrating the noise canceling properties but it's far from a proper test so I'm taking it with a large pinch / medium sized scoop of salt.

 

[Belinda2]

I'm a 1000% Reflextix girl. I can't say enough good things about the product. It was a record, cold winter here in Maryland with one snow of 29.5 inches and I only had to turn on my Mr. Buddy Heater one night this winter.
Enough said.

 

[PlanetBender]

Hey! I didn't even know these forums existed! I'm putting my van together. I've been looking at insulation but not in too much detail, just looking at whatever floats past to get some ideas. I think I looked at Thinsulate briefly a while ago... I'm at the stage now though, that insulation needs to be done before I can do anything else.

What about this stuff:
http://www.shanescitshed.com/cx2500/air-con/citroen_cx_insulation.html

Low-E?


-- Ben

 

[akrvbob]

I recommend styrofoam boards, especially polyiso since it has the highest R-Value at about R-7.
Bob

 

[PlanetBender]

I recommend styrofoam boards, especially polyiso since it has the highest R-Value at about R-7.
Bob

Hi Bob!

Thanks! I'll start looking at these options properly -- now that I need to! After I posted that I went and read about how that stuff would probably keep heat out, but not in. I'm in Australia, in summer I don't really mind heat, but in winter I really don't like the cold. So keeping heat in would be a good thing. Something that does both would be even better!

I'm reading the heat and hold section on this site now.Can't believe I haven't been here until now.

;-)
Ben

 

[introverting]

I'm a 1000% Reflextix girl. I can't say enough good things about the product. It was a record, cold winter here in Maryland with one snow of 29.5 inches and I only had to turn on my Mr. Buddy Heater one night this winter.
Enough said.

Impressive.

 

[Vanada]

So I decided to go all out Thinsulate. Order placed, money spent. I'll be the guinea pig

 

[highdesertranger]

guinea pig away. we are going to need a complete report and follow up. highdesertranger

 

[hein]

Hello All,

Hein & Kim (my wife) here. We are authorized by 3M to provide Thinsulate(TM) to the van/RV industries. We have handled the product for 3 years and have helped hundreds of van folks insulate their vans. The feedback we are hearing is outstanding. The professional van up-fitters are starting to switch over to Thinsulate(TM).

Feel free to ask any questions here. Or send me a PM to request a sample.

All the best,
Hein & Kim
Impact, Inc.
Hood River, OR
54l 49O 5O98

 

[TrainChaser]

Is the Thinsulate™ used to insulate vans the same as the kind and size used in clothing?