Box Truck Floor Insulation

[MazdaGuy15]

In my opinion insulation on the floor is a waste of time in van/conversion. 80% of your heat is lost through the ceiling and the one inch put on the floor isn't gona do shit to actually keep the floor from being cold in the winter. Your better off putting that extra inch on the ceiling to keep the heat in better. I plan to full time in Minnesota where it gets down to -30's Fahrenheit (got down to -37 this winter)and won't bother putting insulation on the floor. I will just throw a nice rug down to keep my feet kinda warmish and then I can take it out to clean it whenever it needs it.

If one inch of insulation actually did anything they would put it in houses but they don't because you need a lot more to actually keep any heat in. I vote for 3" closed cell spray foam on the ceiling for about a R value of 18. Which is still way less than most houses have

 

[Brian_and_Jesse]

Just a thought:  Traditional western houses don't have a 12" or more gap between their floors and the ground, so no frigid air whistles through.   I didn't notice a problem with either of my two vans, but in a Class A RV, it's a different story. From what I've read here thus far, *all* points of view may be true, depending upon one's situation. I'm certainly insulating the ceiling of the basement of my Class A! (I'd trade back down to a van in a second if we didn't need the room for our concert equipment.)

Love and All Good Things,

Jess.

 

[andrewheal]

My first thought is those black rubber mats that you can get from Home Depot and farm stores like Tractor Supply.  There are 3' x 5' ones for about $20 each, and 4' x 7' ones for about $30.  I think the HD ones are about 1/2" thick and the horse stall mats (at places like Tractor Supply) are 3/4" (also more expensive).  Lay them down and you're done.  If you spill something, drag them out and hose them down.

Thats exactly what I am doing. I think it will work great. In Illinois we have a store caller Rural King - Like a tractor supply. They sell them in 2' squares. Very easy and neat.

 

[gargoyle]

Yep avoid the horse mats. They stink. There is a reason the store keeps them outside.

 

[highdesertranger]

"Yep avoid the horse mats. They stink. There is a reason the store keeps them outside." they are dang heavy too. highdesertranger

 

[ganchan]

"Yep avoid the horse mats. They stink. There is a reason the store keeps them outside."  they are dang heavy too.  highdesertranger

Just found this thread. I'm going to try the gym floor mat interlocking squares from my nearby Academy Sports store. Not so much for the thermal insulation as for protection/comfort for my aging knees when crawling around in the Expedition....

 

[JesseTrue]

I've found that the interlocking ones don't stay flat and engaged. They may require some gorilla tape underneath or over top. Walking over them just causes them to raise up. Maybe it's just my cheap ones, though (from Harbor Freight).

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk

 

[ArtW]

the ones from the sporting goods stores are going to provide very little cushioning for knees, I tossed mine out that I bought for my home gym, in favor of the horse stall mat, but that wasn't in a van

 

[Ballenxj]

That is probably true in many circumstances, esp when you are snowbirding and not on the road much.

But, there can be other issues:
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Some kind of insulation on the floor seems to slow down the penetration of cold from below, which affects the heat you've got stored inside.  You're not going to warm up the ground below, and cold wind will blow under it.  To me, it's like having a small house with three wall and the roof insulated, but the fourth wall is single-pane glass, facing north.  

HEAT: 
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BUT.... when you're driving in hot summer temps, the heat radiated by the asphalt can be tremendous.  I learned this with my very first car, a Corvair (remember them?).  My first car, my first job, my first paid vacation, and I headed north on I-5 from SoCal to Oregon, in summer (July or August).  By the time I got to Bakersfield, I couldn't stand the heat from the floor -- my feet were on fire.  I had to pull into a rest area, pull a blanket from the back seat and put it, folded, on the floor.
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  Also, a 1/2" isn't going to affect interior van height all that much.

 ^^ All of this! ^^
As one that has lived in really hot climates, I can verify what TrainChaser has said. (used to live in Vegas too)
Heat radiation from even the ground, and especially asphalt is a real concern. Insulating yourself from it is a good idea in my opinion.
And yes TrainChaser, I remember the Corvair well between friends and family owning them. Had a friend that was a real Corvair nut.