Insulating the floor.

[Salida Scarlett]

Hi guys, chiming in on this thread. Love the comments, and am trying to adapt some into solving my present dilemma, (well, one of them anyways)....My rig has laminate flooring the previous owner installed, which is pretty nice for now, but for winter, I would like to put down some shag carpet squares, first laying down either foam carpet padding or some type of foam sheet insulation. Can anyone recommend a good online source for a sheet foam insulation that would work for me here in this cold climate. I'm trying to cover my bases since the prospects of heading south seem slim at this point.

 

[Salida Scarlett]

Carpeting and carpet tiles look great and do a good job of insulating the floor, but the downside is the inevitable dirt that accumulates, and if there is one more thing I DON'T need in this rig, or have space for, it's a vacuum cleaner or shampooer. I just use plenty of plush shag throw rugs in areas where I walk and near the door. Then I can shake them out or wash them. Bottom line is comfort and convenience however you can manage it. ~Scarlett

 

[wagoneer]

Cardboard works if you have no money always more available newspapers in the cracks and hollows. just don't smoke too much.

 

[Simran]

. . . I doubt this would work on most vans, insulating under the floor

I sprayed 4" of commercial spray foam under the floor of my bus. Not something you'd be able to do on just any vehicle.

 

[Zil]

Also, every 2 inches of foam on the floor is 2 inches less head room. only relevant if not a high top hard to hide van.

 

[arizonatruck]

In my trailer I have 3/4 inch pressboard as the floor that came with it. As I get the money, I'm going to put at least 2" foam underneath between the frame rails and somehow put some sort of protective layering on the underside of the foam for protection of the foam from rocks and other road debris. In the desert, since cool air falls, it's a good idea during the day to keep the cool in, but the sides and ceiling will probably come first.

 

[akrvbob]

Speaking only for myself, I've never insulated my floors. I just accept that they will be cold no matter what I do. Instead, I elevate my feet above the floor and wear slippers or down booties.

In the summer I think it will matter even less.

Heat transfer increases when there is a bigger difference in the inside and outside temperatures. That's always greatest on the roof and decreases as you go lower. By the time you get to the floor the difference is pretty minor and heat transfer is not that big a deal. So you need the greatest R value (Resistance to heat transfer) on the roof and the least on the floor.
Bob

 

[rinella]

How have people filled in the spaces between ribs on a van floor?  Or does it not matter?  I pulled up the floor in my van and the manufacturer had cut what looks like 3/4" neoprene padding to fit the floor.  I would re-use the padding except it was only placed in the front.

I'm curious about this as well. I'm about to give my van a floor, and I've been thinking about the grooves. Currently, my thought is to use 1/2" polyiso and 3/8" plywood covered in linoleum. will the polyiso compress and fill the voids in the floor?

Also, what is the best way to attach the plywood to the floor and leave a smooth surface so I don't have bumps in my linoleum?

Thanks guys!

 

[Luisafernandes]

I used Polyisio on my floor and so far it has not compressed, and with floor on top I don't think it will.

 

[Nissi]

Last winter was soooo cold here. And we were in the middle, or so, part of building our cargo van on the inside. There was some thick material on the floor when we purchased the van. We left that and put 3/4" plywood on top of that, then a cheap carpet.

But... because the winter was so cold, even with heaters the lower 1/3 of the van, including the floor was so very cold. [If my feet get cold, I am cold.]

I had some very nice bathroom rugs, with the rubber on the bottom, which I then covered the floor with. These helped, and are very nice and fluffy to walk on. [When I can I like to go barefoot]

This summer I purchased a very large mat. The bottom is completely rubber, and the top is a fairly nice material. [Got these at Bed Bath and Beyond and Lowes (which was cheaper).

Then put the bath mats on top of these new mats...

Hopefully this will help keep the cold from coming up from underneath
and keeping the floor cold, or perhaps even a sort of insulation for the
heat of the summer. The mats can all be removed if need be, shaken
out, vacuumed, or in the case of the bath mats washed...

 

[peacetara]

HUH, I thought I wrote about what I ended up doing, but it appears that message ran away.. So this is what I ended up doing:

I have a wall separator between the front and the living (cargo) area, one of those cargo van dividers, that has a door. The door opens into the living area, so I had to make sure my flooring solution allowed for room to open/close the door, which was exactly @ 1/2". I ended up just putting down 1/2" plywood, cutting it to fit around the wheels, etc. The plywood is not bolted down anywhere, except in 2 spots, but it has a very snug fit, so it's never moved anywhere.

Since my cargo area is 12' long, I did have to join 2 pieces together. I cut little strips of plywood that would fit inside the V channels that the metal floor had, and used those under the floor to then screw the plywood together. (not sure if that makes sense, but you put a piece under the plywood and then screw down from the top. to keep it all flush, I made the pieces under the plywood floor fit inside the V channels that the original metal cargo van floor has).

Overall took a full afternoon with a helper (had to UNLOAD the entire van to get to the floor AND reload it all up). By myself, I could have done it in a full day, with lots of breaks and thinking and measuring 400 times per cut to make sure I got everything right! Total cost was about $100(?).

I've had plywood down for 6+ months now (did it last winter). I'm very happy with my plywood floor. It's evened it out, and made it nicer. It no longer feels cold to my bare feet. It's not fancy plywood or anything, and I didn't sand it down or treat it in any way (tho I really probably should have).


Total Build time: 1/2 day with helper, full day alone.
Total Cost: Around $100 for the 2 4x8 sheets of plywood, screws, etc.
Difficulty: Not that difficult, if you can measure, cut and carry 4x8 sheet plywood.
Left Overs: screws, and about 1/2 sheet of plywood

With Love,
Tara

 

[jeanontheroad]

Heat, heat, heat.

How about building in a tubing system into your insulated (from the bottom) floor , like a radiator. Make sure your main insulation layer is under the tubing, with only a thin flooring layer on top of the tubing. Don't forget a good drainage system so you can empty it the tubing. Get a propane or wood or coal stove that stays outside your well-insulated van and heats a tank of water. Install fittings to create a closed system between the tank and your floor tubing. A 12 volt pump pushes the water from the hot water tank thru the tubing and back into the tank. ( Don't forget the pressure release valve). Not much good for stealthing, but it may work in more secluded areas and has the advantage of nobody getting asphyxiated or burned.

 

[akrvbob]

For a few people that is a great idea!! Most of us in vans can't afford the lose of head-space of an in-floor heat. Most of us can't afford the expense either.
Bob