Let's talk insulation!

[treesprite]

I love that idea of thinsulate in quilts. Last quilt I started 6 years ago.and never finished it - maybe if I ever do, I can put thinsulate in it (I used the quilt batting for my Kia Soul camper bed upholstery, which had a priority over a quilt).

 

[Marcos989A]

I am researching how best to insulate my Bay Bridge cargo box truck (all-aluminum, stock rear roll-up door that I intend to replace with a standard garage sheet metal roll-up door.
Per Spray Jones videos addressing 'R' rating and dew point I have learned a bit. He is a Canadian that has owned\operated a closed-cell spray business for >16 years. He has done a fair bit of research to bolster his sales pitch. Regardless if spray foam if not a consideration his content is informative.
Thus:
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]FYI: 'R' ratings are measured at a mean temperature of 70'deg F.[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Therefore,  'R' is not a constant measurement independent of the ambient air temperature.[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]For example, polyiso (pink\blue) foam board 'R' rating declines dramatically <50'deg F.[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]This is often overlooked and rarely discussed.[/font]

Depending on your temperate zone polyiso may be a poor choice.
It is for me. XPS (styrofoam\polystyrene) is looking good.
My requirements are 0-120deg F. with the mean at 50.
If you need a\c you're in the wrong location IMO.
Cheers
btw....I still have to read this thread in its entirety so if I am redundant excuse me.

 

[Camper]

I used Polyiso in my cargo trailer and am well pleased. Now, my 5000 btu A/C unit does a great job keeping it cool on a 90-degree hot day.

 

[Belinda2]

Reflectix is what I use. Light weight, mildew, and mold resistant. Can withstand up to 65# pressure. R24-32 depending on how you use it. Sold at Home Depot, etc. Can be layered on the roof and ceiling.

 

[abnorm]

^............." R24-32 "................That's incorrect

 

[66788]

I have 2 inch pink Foamular on all 6 sides of my step van.  In the Pacific Northwest  it performs exceptionally well from 5 to 106 degrees F, maybe beyond that, but those have been my personal extremes.    I also have dual pane windows, but I can't say with certainty how they perform.

Last week we had 105 temps and my van stayed 69 degrees inside with the 5,000 BTU  Frigidaire AC on low, and it cycled on and off regularly.

In the winter my vented Propex heater handles any cold weather easily.

Just remember, if you insulate well your rig will require good heating and cooling to perform 100%.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

I cut a pair of anti fatigue floor mats from Harbor Freight to fit the plywood floor of my travel trailer.  They are neoprene about a 3/8" thick.  Neoprene is what makes wetsuits warm, so I figured it has to work.  The price was right, they were on sale for under $10 each.  It will be a lot easier to clean if they're removable, so didn't glue the pieces down.

 

[LargeMarge]

My favorite topic! Well... not really. Not at all.

I spent so many hours of research...

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[approximately 60,000 words deleted for brevity]

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All in all, I...
...your insulation, why, and whether or not you like it.

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Our answer is in two parts...
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a)
2003, we converted a 1996 Ford CF8000 commercial truck to our concept of an ExpeditionVehicle.
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Insulation:
Against the outside wall, we used:
* adhesive-back acoustic, a gap, then
* one-inch pink-board, another air-gap, then
* two-inch foil-side poly.
This is also the ceiling system.
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On the floor of the box, we laid one-inch pink-board, then half-inch marine plywood painted on all surfaces to seal.
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Our Reasons:
After a half-century of camping in lesser rigs, we realized we need:
* better insulation than is installed by a factory RecreateVehicle manufacturer...
...and...
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b)
We realized we need
* smaller windows than a factory RecreateVehicle.
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Our Reasons:
Glass is incredibly temperature-transient.
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In a skoolie or van with enormous acres of glass in the quarters, maintaining a stable environment is nigh on impossible.
Accordingly, we installed 3010 (three feet wide by a foot tall) dual-pane sliders designed for a stand-still house.
We installed these at our eye-level standing inside, about eight feet above pavement.
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Obsessively excessive insulation plus small windows.
We like this combination because:
* window height discourages peepers
* temperature stability.
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Stability?
Indeed!
We heat with one Wave 3 catalytic heater set on LOW.
Leaving the rig for several hours, we shut off the heater.
Returning several hours later, the rig is still comfortable.
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But wait, LM, how is that even possible!
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Heat Sink:
I grew-up on a farm.
Our home was/is adobe with a concrete floor.
Cooler weather, sun pouring in the windows warmed the concrete.
After dark, the floor radiated the stored warmth into the interior.
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In our rig, I simulated a concrete floor by using slate.
The Wave 3 sits on its stubby legs and heats the slate, then the slate releases the heat slowly anytime the heater is off.
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This's simple and fool-resistant.
Our rig is constantly evolving, but the insulation seems at its peak.
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We achieved Peak Insulation.
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To reduce humidity and odors, we open two windows on opposite walls 24/7/360°.
To further reduce humidity, we shower on the porch.
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To further further reduce humidity, we built with No! Holes! In! The! Roof!.