Is Mini Van Insulation Necessary?

[Van Vliet]

I've searched through the insulation section and even did a site search on 'mini van insulation' and came up with nothing. As the subject line asks, is it necessary to insulate behind the factory interior walls of a mini van? (If so, what's the best material to use?) ..I know that removing and reinstalling the factory innards might be kind of a hassle and was thinking that maybe it's possible to get by by just hanging quilts or moving blankets on each wall. Anyway, I'm in no rush as I haven't got a van to work with but I'm just trying to think ahead. Thanks and have a great day!

 

[RoamerRV428]

not required IF your location almost kinda doesn't require it ya know......where are you traveling and what season of the year and big snow? super high heat in summer? those things will make bigger draw to insulate vs. if you are the type that 'follows the weather' kinda and keep your mini van more controlled thru that travel.

What do you want? What areas do you love? Big snow in the mts to ski or just love it? yea insulation is key here and so on.

So what is your goal....think that first kinda ya know and you can easily go from there but yes you can easily insulate and every vehicle can be changed to suit your personal needs so where do you wanna go and what is your plans if the first question in all of it truly..........then ya move forward. Once you know that then the next steps are more easily determined on your requirements.

 

[PeterPiper]

Like the post above said....it depends.

I'm a warm weather person somewhat "allergic" to cold temps.  I was recently in North Georgia camping in my minivan when the temps dipped to 31F overnight by dawn.  The only insulation I had was very thin carpet on the floor.  It was cold as hell in there !!!!!

I simply could not believe how cold it could get inside my minivan.  It basically felt trying to stay warm in a tin can in the arctic circle.
The uncovered windows felt like frigid air was pouring in off of them.

Since then I have made a fitted custom set of window coverings that are thermally insulated.
I will be adding significant floor insulation as well as adding insulation to every nook and cranny I can find that I suspect would allow frigid air to pass including the rear hatch door..  The roof will also be getting insulation above the headliner.  Then I plan to build a wall separating the cockpit area from the rear living area to keep the cold from the front seat area separated.

For heat, I use the greatest minivan warming device ever created....cheap Chinese diesel heaters.   I will install 2 if necessary for those nights when it dips to inhumane frigid unbearable temps below 40F.

I am planning to spend comfortable nights on cold outside nights in my minivan in the future and I cannot tolerate temps below about 65F.
I want my minivan inside to be totally comfortable wearing shorts and a T shirt even if it's 20F outside.

 

[john*thomas]

I'd do what Peter said. If it's cold the cold is mostly going to come in through the windows. (assuming you have an already finished interior van). Get some insulated covers you can place over the windows. If you are handy you can take interior panels off and place more insulation.

 

[highdesertranger]

Like everyone has said, it depends. What climate do you plan to be in? Do you plan on following mild temps like most do?

Here's the deal, Heat moves from hot to cold. So in cold weather you will loose the heat on the inside of your van to the outside. So insulation slows this down. In hot weather this is reversed.

As a side note once the temps have equalized inside to out the insulation does no good. In fact in hot weather the insulation will help hold the heat in at night once it cools down outside.

So to recap we really can't say one way or the other weather you need insulation until we have more info.

Highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

People have survived for years in tents with good sleeping bags and by dressing properly. In a minivan the space is limited enough to me I end up opening doors or spending so much time outdoors really most of my time inside would be in a sleeping bag and as long as you are able to stay in comfortable weather or find better shelter during the days when you can't I would just carry a few quilts to drape over my sleeping area and block off windows and door area drafts.

 

[Van Vliet]

Wow, thanks for the quick and very insightful replies. I'm sorry that I had forgot to mention that I intend to follow the warm weather (warmer months in mid-central/coastal Oregon and colder months in Arizona) ..I think that based on the info that you guys shared that I should be able to get by with Reflectix on the windows, a curtain between the cockpit and living area, a small Buddy heater and really good sleeping bag.

 

[Scott3569]

Well, it depends, If you are going to go all out like I did, yeah your going to want some insulation.. I found what I used on amazon.. it is insulation and sound barrier they use it when they do sound systems in vehicles..

combine with the rest of my build I will be well insulated for the most part

 

[jonyjoe303]

The insulation is necessary for your comfort level if you plan to stay in your minivan fulltime. The whole rear of my van is covered in rtech foam insulation, every square inch. From trial and error I found out a little insulation works but alot of insulation works even better, and adding some more after that won't hurt.

On my van I didnt remove any panels, I just put the rtech foam insulation on top of the panels. You can hotglue or use gorilla duct tape if you plan to remove later. If you don't like the cold, you will need several layers. And also cover all areas where air might come in, in windy conditions cold air will force its way in your van through the smallest holes. I actually had to duct tape the door seams that I dont use from the outside to keep the cold air from coming in.

In some of the warmer areas like southern california, the daytime temps in winter will be in the 70s but at night they can get in the 40s. Thats the reason for all my insulation, I can deal with the hot weather but cold gets very uncomfortable quickly.

Temperatures in my van without heater in the winter. Without insulation the inside and outside temps would be the same. Anything below 50f requires a sleeping bag. I havent had to use a heater or sleeping bag in the past 3 winters.

 

[PeterPiper]

Wow, thanks for the quick and very insightful replies. I'm sorry that I had forgot to mention that I intend to follow the warm weather (warmer months in mid-central/coastal Oregon and colder months in Arizona) ..I think that based on the info that you guys shared that I should be able to get by with Reflectix on the windows, a curtain between the cockpit and living area, a small Buddy heater and really good sleeping bag.

Yes, "follow the warmer weather", but if you ever get caught in the cold (and it will happen)

I wanna be able to lay in bed in my minivan reading a book on top of the covers, during a raging blizzard with 0F temps outside, naked and comfortably toasty warm.

Sleeping bag ?!?    Meh.  I wouldn't use that at home...and my minivan is home away from home.
(but I'll stow one onboard, JIC)

This isn't the 18th century.   We have technology and cheap energy.   I can run my two diesel heaters all night with half a gallon of diesel fuel or less.

Nobody experienced uses Buddy heaters anymore.  That propane makes the insides of your vehicle a sauna.   Besides, propane is expensive. :thumbsup:

 

[PeterPiper]

The insulation is necessary for your comfort level if you plan to stay in your minivan fulltime. The whole rear of my van is covered in rtech foam insulation, every square inch. From trial and error I found out a little insulation works but alot of insulation works even better, and adding some more after that won't hurt.

On my van I didnt remove any panels, I just put the rtech foam insulation on top of the panels. You can hotglue or use gorilla duct tape if you plan to remove later. If you don't like the cold, you will need several layers. And also cover all areas where air might come in, in windy conditions cold air will force its way in your van through the smallest holes. I actually had to duct tape the door seams that I dont use from the outside to keep the cold air from coming in.

In some of the warmer areas like southern california, the daytime temps in winter will be in the 70s but at night they can get in the 40s. Thats the reason for all my insulation, I can deal with the hot weather but cold gets very uncomfortable quickly.

Temperatures in my van without heater in the winter. Without insulation the inside and outside temps would be the same. Anything below 50f requires a sleeping bag. I havent had to use a heater or sleeping bag in the past 3 winters.

Would love to see how you did that ??
Have you posted any pics of your insulation?

 

[desert_sailing]

I believe in preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. It is a concept that rarely exists in the world of today.

I would probably put more than reflectix on the windows. I placed polyiso cut to fit and then some soft snuggly fabric to help with slowing r cold radiating through.

Separating the cab from your living space will make a big difference to.

I also found that sealing off as many draft holes as possible helped the most.
Tiny screw holes are everywhere. Massive amounts of cold air pour in from where your taillights are.

If you don't want to put insulation everywhere I'd suggest at least eliminating the drafts. Get some foil tape over any gap you find. Especially under those door and wall panels.

I also think that hordes of experienced people use buddy heaters and propane. It may not be the perfect vanlife heat source but it is a good compromise. Not everyone has space, skills, or money to put in a diesel heater. A Mr buddy heater is just fine.. tho it does give a bit of humidity and it blasts heat
I'd suggest one of the catalytic heaters. The heat is nice and even. A good compromise between buddy heater and diesel.

Get those drafts eliminated and something over the windows and you will be just fine.

 

[PeterPiper]

Before you take the advice of well meaning amateurs.....listen to the experts.......

An experienced Firefighter tests the Buddy Heater and gives his thoughts and recommendations.....

In this test it tested "safe", yet neither the firefighter nor the channel host personally recommend them.

The manufacturer recommends leaving a window open during use on their Instructions manual due to the possibility of oxygen depletion.
That somewhat defeats the purpose on a frosty night.

Again, do your own research.  People have good intentions...but they won't be there when things go wrong.

ANY heater can be good or bad.   If you personally weigh all the pros and cons and find the Buddy Heater best for your needs and situation then that is the one for you.  Others may vary. Same with diesel heaters.


[video=youtube]

 

[highdesertranger]

I thought this thread is about insulation, yep I just checked and it is. Did the OP ask about heaters? Did I miss it? Highdesertranger

 

[Van Vliet]

In my last post, I mentioned that I might consider using a Buddy heater. No worries though as all of the information has been helpful.

 

[highdesertranger]

Sorry I missed it. You know a lot of us use buddy heaters. I have a Buddy and a Coleman. But they are retired I now have a Propex. Just be careful. Frankly I trust a Buddy over a el cheapo Chinese knock off heater.

The one thing I always stress is you MUST be able to stay comfortable, warm and alive WITHOUT an artificial heat source. Artificial heat sources can fail at the worse possible moment and could jeopardize your life. A good sleeping bag fills that bill.

I not saying don't have a heater but be prepared just in case.

Highdesertranger

 

[BelgianPup]

One thing to remember when you're looking for temperatures in certain areas, at certain times of the year, is that most of the sites do it the simple way, using AVERAGES. Averages, NOT occasional extremes. Quartzsite, AZ, for example, can have some night time temps of 40F in winter.

Elevation can also make a difference.

 

[Naturelover2]

I’ve been reading this for thread for sometime but didn’t get to comment because of technical issues. I do not have a minivan but I do have a conversion van (full size) and instead of adding any insulation by taking out the stuff the conversion company put in it I just made sure that I had the windows covered. My side windows, the three big ones, are covered with 1 inch poly insulation Which I wrapped in cloth to make them look good. The windows are the biggest heating issue when it’s hot and the biggest cause of heat loss when it’s not. Yes if you’re going to camp in winter places you need to do more than that but the worst loss is your windows especially the large ones.

 

[LoveCareThinkDo]

It depends.

Not necessarily necessary.

I insulated mine as best as I could, simply by stuffing poly fill stuffed animal stuffing wherever I could. I did notice a difference. It is now warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Maybe by just a couple of degrees, but it feels like more due to the changes in radiant energy.

 

[highdesertranger]

Hey Grant welcome back. Long time no see. Highdesertranger