Insulating existing conversion van walls

[Bessy]

I live in AZ and will be here most of the time other than short trips. But I've been struggling with if/how to insulate my Chevy Express hi-top against the COLD winter (yes it can be!), without tearing the manufacturers walls and ceiling down. I will only have this van another year or two at most, so I would rather not gut it. Currently, there is some old fiberglass in the walls and nothing in the roof above the headliner besides the ac/heat junction box and hoses to the ceiling vents.  It IS possible to get into the walls through various openings, and the ceiling can be accessed from the front and back. However, could only put more loft type insulation in there like fiberglass or blown-in kind because the openings are small.

Side note: I use 1 inch foam board cutouts for the windows with felt on one side. I have insulated curtains for the front, covering the cab down to the floor boards (cab windows also covered).  As it is now, at it's coldest point, the van is consistently 6 degrees warmer than outside, that's all. 

I would like to try to get a few more degrees warmer since we have lots of mornings in the 30's, so...

Question 1:  Will blown-in insulation (not foam), or the stuff-able kind that I can get into the walls and ceiling by hand give me a few degrees warmer, or not worth the trouble?

Question 2: What are some typical outside to inside temp differences in cold weather. I understand this is hard to quantify but just a range. 

Any ideas for insulating existing walls would be greatly appreciated!

 

[John61CT]

Some like to full-time boondock in Alaska high-altitude snowy country need 3-4" of foam, well-sealed envelope, others just a bit chilly at night, 1" will do.

Hang insulating fabric material on the walls or as partitions.

Moving blankets are cheap.

Get the heat going.

 

[Bessy]

Yep I've got the fabric part covered, thank you! Really just wondering about putting more into the walls through small openings (see post). But thank you all suggestions are helpful!

 

[AnFear]

You lose a lot of heat through your windows so anything you can do to mitigate that should help.
I find that if my feet are cold it makes me uncomfortable. I get a couple of inexpensive throw rugs to put over the carpet and when it's real cold I put down moving blankets. You can get them at Harbor Freight and they come in handy for other things when the weather gets warmer. I recommend buying them ahead of time and letting them air out before putting them in the van if possible.

 

[Bessy]

Yes thanks! I have 1 inch foam board on the windows, then curtains. I have a good throw rug for the floor (wood-look vinyl with 2" insulation under). I think I've done just about everything I can do for the open interior, I am really just wondering if anyone has a suggestion for getting insulation into those 3"x5" opening in the walls and the ceiling. Thanks!

 

[John61CT]

Only pourable or sprayed 2-part foam would IMO be worth the trouble.

Why are you ruling that out?

 

[Bessy]

I am not totally ruling that out, just concerned about possible off- gassing. Do you mean something like Foam it Green?

 

[highdesertranger]

the walls come out fairly easy take them out and that pink household insulation and insulate it with ridged foam board. then reinstall the walls. for sure do the windows and a partition from the front makes a huge difference. an old sleeping bag strung from side to side would work.

I would in no way use moving blankets, they come from China and who knows what they are made out of, I think they have a foul odor. there is no way I could spend the night smelling them all night. highdesertranger

 

[John61CT]

Buy from where you can smell them first if that's an issue

There are better quality ones that are just fine, but obviously cost more.

Thrift shop quilts, saddle blankets, whatever work fine

 

[John61CT]

I am not totally ruling that out, just concerned about possible off- gassing. Do you mean something like Foam it Green?

Yes, or Dow.

2-part, closed cell.

Or pourable 2#, http://www.uscomposites.com/foam.html

Need to follow the detailed instructions, temperature is critical, watch out for deforming pressure, and yes off gassing can be an issue if you don't do it right.

Best to remove the panels as HDR says, tge lots of options.

 

[Bessy]

Thanks John -  if I were to remove the wall panels I would likely use foam board like R-Tech. Lots of options once I do that

 

[jonyjoe303]

Question 2: What are some typical outside to inside temp differences in cold weather. I understand this is hard to quantify but just a range.

This is what I have been able to achieve just using the rtech foam insulation during this winter. I got at least a 15 degree difference on most nights, these are the temps for about 5 am usually the coldest time. If you do a good job insulating and covering all areas where outside air might come in you can get good results where you won't even need a heater. I still havent had to use my mr.heater or even sleep inside a sleeping bag. 


The rtech foam is fairly rigid, you can duct tape it onto the walls for easy removal when you no longer need it. I use to duct tape it to the ceiling over the roof insulation/headliner when I first started using rtech insulation, but it starts to sag after a year. 

If you are only getting a 6 degree temp difference, you have outside air coming into your van, you also probably have exposed metal/plastic or glass that is transferring cold into your van. I use an IR thermometer to find the coldspots and add more layers of foam to those areas.

This is the inside of my van, its almost all covered in rtech insulation. I finally added wallpaper to improve appearance. Straight ahead is a foam insert with 3 layers of rtech foam, on the other side is a sliding door separating the driver section of van from the back of the van. the front of the van uninsulated gets as cold as the outside temp. 

 

[PODebbie]

Joey, thanks for showing pics of your insulation. For the amount of insulation and only seeing a 15 degree difference, this pic has helped me decide not to insulate our van. It will only be used for trips and not for permanent living. I don't want to take out the existing walls as both my husband and I do terrible work and it will surely reflect the damage we incur for trying a simple change.