Disaster w/insulation

[crofter]

Thinsulate SM 600L for insulation. R value is 5.2 ... Very pricey but so easy to install using spray adhesive. 

You can disregard my calculation, TA tells us the R value is 5.2.   ~crofter

 

[travelaround]

I got the SM 600L Thinsulate from Amazon but I think there's a lower price at eBay. I got the idea for Thinsulate from this website: http://moreysintransit.com/how-to-insulate-with-thinsulate/

Also see:
DIY Van Insulation For A Campervan Conversion | How To Install Insulation
For other ideas

I've got a cutting table set up in my cargo trailer. Basically all I needed was the Thinsulate, a good pair of scissors, and the 3M 90 spray adhesive (two to four cans). Also something to measure with.

My insulation -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074XLDV58/
The obvious downside of this method is the cost. Everything else seems good: nontoxic, ease of cutting and installation for a solo woman... etc.

My scissors -
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079L16LN6/

I bought the spray adhesive at Lowes.

So far I've done the ceiling only except for the two end panels. I've measured for the walls and should get that cut and installed sometime this coming week. Ceiling installation was easy. Hide anything you don't want to accidentally get glue on. I got some on a shirt but was able to remove it, but not easily. I used a long bungee cord to support the insulation while I was installing it because I have no second person to help do that.

This is already making a big difference. Touching the insulation in the morning is nowhere near as cold as touching the uninsulated van wall.

 

[crofter]

Thanks for the links and pics on how to install Thinsulate, TA.  I notice that you are not propping it up, does the 3M 90 glue stick instantly? 

It is amazing what an instant improvement that insulation is.  I also noticed the soundproofing aspect in the van, if I don't have the door open I can't hear anything of what is going on outside. 

On installing the reflectix, I plan to use something like these trim retainers pressed into the holes in the ceiling ribs. May still need some battens if it sags.    ~crofter

https://www.zoro.com/auto-body-doct...MImYGJ_Ine5QIVhONkCh239w87EAQYAyABEgKZ1PD_BwE

https://www.classicindustries.com/p...MIt6Hb6Yve5QIVlsRkCh2E5QFCEAQYAyABEgLSu_D_BwE

 

[crofter]

@TA Do you think the 3M 90 glue will work to put up reflectix on the ceiling? It would be less expensive than buying fasteners.    ~crofter

 

[travelaround]

The spray adhesive would probably hold up the reflectix but if that adhesive is going to fail if there's a lot of heat (like in summer) it would help to have something else there to hold everything up. I'm thinking of using 1x4 boards... and screws or nails to hold things up. This will be so much fun, to design the interior of our vans.

 

[travelaround]

Something else shiny and lightweight - I don't know who it was who told me to buy a cheap safety blanket to put in back of my buddy heater... I put it up like a backsplash and thought it was very pretty. It weighs almost nothing ... and I like the metallic, reflective look. That "blanket" was less than 3 dollars in the camping section of Walmart.

 

[highdesertranger]

I guess with some types of insulation you must glue it down, like Thiosulfate. but for foam boards I just let the outer skin of 1/8 inch plywood hold it in place. in fact if you have like a cargo trailer or other project with flat walls and ribs you can just cut them the right size and they stay in place all by themselves. highdesertranger

 

[crofter]

... cheap safety blanket to put in back of my buddy heater....

Manufacturer rating of the safety blankets converts to about 500 degrees F before it melts and burns. The safety blankets are not rated as fire resistant like reflectix, what I could find online. At 500 degrees a flame will show a dull red glow and is the first visible flame, so not that hard to reach that temp. Reference for this is Google, below.    ~crofter

[font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif]At what temperature does the Space Blanket burn?  "500 degrees Fahrenheit
[/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif]The blanket itself can withstand temperatures of up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit but is extremely flammable and one spark can light it up immediately, potentially causing severe burns to the body."[/font]

 

[crofter]

... project with flat walls and ribs you can just cut them the right size and they stay in place all by themselves.  highdesertranger

The Promaster van has a slightly curved roof line like a Vardo. I am hoping the glue will hold the XPS without using battens or wood.  Fingers crossed.    ~crofter

 

[crofter]

Manufacturer rating of the safety blankets converts to about 500 degrees F 

I found this stuff which seems to be less flammable, no plastics in it, but more pricey.   ~crofter

https://atticfoil.com/index.php/products/26-wide-for-trusses/

 

[crofter]

So my Liquid Nails Project glue is still drying....[font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif] but requires 24 hours before applying any type of stress to the [/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif]glued[/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif] area. [/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif]Liquid Nails[/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif] recommends bracing or clamping the adhered surfaces for 24 hours, taking a full week to completely [/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif]cure[/font][font=Roboto, arial, sans-serif] to maximum strength"[/font] 

I removed the bracing today, seems solid. Due to the curvature of the roof, the panel sags a little at the end. To eliminate this, you could score the panel before gluing to relieve the stress. Insulating the roof took one 4X8 sheet of XPS. Next step, applying the finish layer.    ~crofter
View attachment 24884

 

[crofter]

Bad news for Liquid Nails Projects Interior, the glue failed on the third day. I did meet the guru of glue at Home Depot today and explained the difficulty. The guru of glue (mfg rep) advises Liquid Nails Extreme Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive. Says it will bond from 22 degrees F to 120 degrees F and is listed for foamboard, and exterior use. Guru says van ceiling is really a heavy duty exterior use. About $4 a tube.    -crofter

 

[crofter]

The guru of glue (mfg rep) advises Liquid Nails Extreme Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive. Says it will bond from 22 degrees F to 120 degrees F and is listed for foamboard, and exterior use. Guru says van ceiling is really a heavy duty exterior use. About $4 a tube.    -crofter

I got a really good upper body workout today scraping off all the failed glue. Ambient temperature outside the van was 60 degrees, and dropped to about 50 degrees now. Heated up the interior of the van before glueing. XPS Foamboard is back on the van ceiling using two tubes of Liquid Nails Extreme Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive. Propped everything in place after trimming panels a skosh to make sure there was no stress on the glue bond. Glue is labelled to bond from 22 degrees to 120 degrees, but I am heating the van anyway.    ~crofter 
[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Liquid-Nails-10-oz-Extreme-Heavy-Duty-Adhesive-LN-907/205089262

[/font]

 

[crofter]

24 hours into the dry time and it feels pretty secure up there. Pulling out some braces now and driving to test the bond. I am covering it with reflectix for snugness and light reflection up there, and will add a few quarter inch stringers just in case. I will miss the roof ribs for hanging things off of, so will have the stringers to use instead. 
Notice on the chart that the same glue is not always recommended for both XPS Foamboard and metal, just two are.   ~crofter

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Liquid-Nails-10-oz-Extreme-Heavy-Duty-Adhesive-LN-907/205089262

 

[Qxxx]

I'm a very late comer here, but have you thought about attaching wooden sheets to the metal cross-struts of the roof, and laying the insulation on top of that?

I bought some of these paneling pieces last summer but haven't gotten around to doing the inside roof as yet. As it turns out, these pieces fit exactly congruent with the metal struts and sides of the roof of my Savana van. They seem to be pretty robust.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton...anel-in-Unfinished-Beech-KASKP84-UF/302980500

 

[crofter]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton...anel-in-Unfinished-Beech-KASKP84-UF/302980500

Those are pretty and will look nice up there in your van. For my van the plan is to have a reflective ceiling. The second glue job with Liquid Nails Extreme Heavy Duty seems to be holding up. Actual cure time will tell. Planning to use the same glue on the reflectix and a few wooden stringers. -crofter

 

[Qxxx]

Yeah, I did perceive shiny from our previous posts. I guess a shiny varnish doesn't cut it. FWIW, the opposite side to the birch veneer is a white coating of some sort. In any case, I'll passively watch your proceedings from here on out, and see how it goes with you and TA, lol.

 

[crofter]

Yeah, I did perceive shiny....

And warm, lightweight, easy to clean. There is very little weight in the top half of my van to keep it from rolling when I am taking a corner. All of the weight is low. To have heavy stuff up high, I would have to improve my driving skills.  -crofter

 

[Qxxx]

Note, I'm being passive now. Just watching.

 

[crofter]

Note, I'm being passive now. Just watching.

But you'll be laughing if it all falls off again. HDR also told me to use wood.  -crofter