Does Reflectix need to be sealed?

[vannstein]

Hey all, getting my white 2000 Honda Odyssey ready to perpetually cross-country across this great nation of ours and have a few Q's for yall.

I got me a roll of Reflectix and cut out panels for all my windows in the van. It makes a notable difference but it's still pretty hot in there. 

I'd like to put some reflectix along the ceiling and sides perhaps but I was wondering if it was ok to have air gaps on the sides, or will that defeat the purpose? Will it just let the heat stay inside or is the radiant heat ultimately different than the heat in the air? As in, will radiant heat spill back into the van through any gaps on the sides?

I don't want to put a lot of work into the van, so I'm not planning on ripping open the interior in order to get the insulation inside the side panels. I'm partially making this decision to save on hassle, but also just in case I get a different vehicle, I'd like to be able to transfer my setup easily to the new van.

 

[TrainChaser]

I don't have the answer to your question, but have you looked at all of the posts about Reflectix needing a dead-air space between the outside wall (or window)? Apparently, it's crucial to make it work. Most people use the large bubblepak.

But I have a question for you: do you have a roof vent? Hot air needs somewhere to go; if it's trapped in the van, it's going to stay hot.

 

[vannstein]

I don't have a roof vent. I'm getting some front window in-line window vents that snap into the top of the windows so you can crack the windows and rain stays out (or thieves, I assume). I also got some screen material and plan on covering the inside of the front windows and the two back windows with it in order to keep bugs out so I can keep the back windows cracked open all the time as well as the front windows without worry.

I understand the air gap that is needed between the reflectix and the material generating the heat. For the ceiling I was planning on having the reflectix about an inch lower to fill that requirement. That's not an issue. I'm asking about gaps on the sides.

In other words, if my ceiling is 4' wide but i only have, say, 3.9' of reflectix, that will give me a .05' gap on either side, between the side wall and where the reflectix starts. (I hope I'm not butchering the explanation.) Will that mess my insulation up or will it take care of the radiant heat just fine?

And I do have a question about reflectix on windows. I've heard that an air gap isn't needed on the windows because the light is hitting it straight on, so it reflects it right back out. So my understanding is that with windows there isn't an air gap needed because there technically is already an air gap. Is that correct?

 

[Almost There]

Pressed up against the window, reflectix 'reflects' the radiant heat from the sun so it doesn't enter the vehicle.
 
When installed against the vehicle body directly it has no place to reflect the heat to and radiant energy would pass right through it, so yes, a DEAD air space has to be provided for it to work in that application. An adequate dead air space can be provided by using a layer of the thickest bubble wrap you can find, glue it to the section(s) of reflectix and then apply both to the vehicle using metal tape sealing it on all sides. You can seal one section of reflectix to the next with the tape as well.

Any areas where you cannot cover with reflectix/bubble wrap WILL allow radiant heat entry so the more coverage you can provide the better off you'll be.

A roof vent would do you a whole lot more good than anything else but I'd also recommend that you put a Camco or MaxxAir cover over it so it can remain open in the rain.

For those window screens, I'd make them removable so that if you don't need them you can get extra air flow. I found that with the rain guards in place that mosquitoes don't come in. They don't seem to be able to fly under the rain guard and then up and in the window opening and I live in a high density moskie area. If you don't already have the screen material, get the finer mesh to ward off noseeums (they come right through mosquito netting... )

 

[rvpopeye]

The finer the mesh of the screen the more resistance to air flow .
Bob's blog post yesterday has some good info on using reflectix.

 

[highdesertranger]

if you have a fan in the vent, that will keep the flying bugs out too. highdesertranger