No Insulation [Snowbird Hightop Van Build]

[CarmeCoolidge]

I vote for no insulation. That's how I did my build. My reasoning was that I do not live the van full-time, only use it on road trips, and I don't generally travel when it's very cold or very hot. And even if I did live in the van full-time, I'd be seeking out places to stay, around the year, that avoided either very hot or very cold.

Yes! Snowbird all the way. You do bring up a big plus that I knew about but had no way of knowing just how much space I could save. Thank you for the cabinet example example, big plus to no insulation!

 

[dustytrailhead]

. And even if I did live in the van full-time, I'd be seeking out places to stay, around the year, that avoided either very hot or very cold.

 

[WayOutWest]

Yes! Snowbird all the way. You do bring up a big plus that I knew about but had no way of knowing just how much space I could save. Thank you for the cabinet example example, big plus to no insulation!

Yes I haven't seen/heard anyone talk about this aspect...the amount of space saved by not using insulation, and in particular how it could factor in as cabinet space. This photo shows one part of my van conversion...photo one shows a lower panel I am about to install, where I created two cabinets that use only the space inside the van wall. So the cabinet doors are flush to the surface of the van interior, and the 4 inch deep space inside is sufficient for many items...I use one of these cabinets to store 2 wine bottles.
The second photo shows my bed on the passenger side of the cargo area, and the 2 large "medicine cabinet" cabinets on that wall. These also use ONLY the space INSIDE the van wall, so the cabinet doors are flush with the van interior surface (the 1/4 plywood mounted on the van surface) and these cabinets store a LOT of things. Yes they are small items, no more than 4 inch depth, but we do carry a lot of small things with us. Eg shampoo bottles, toiletries, first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, even cans of food all fit in here.
Note this is not the final van conversion shown...I did more work and installed cabinets/shelving in the back of the van behind the bed, as there is a good 11 inches of space back there to be used. And as I did this I realized that it was a good thing I hadn't gotten a van with rear windows, as I'd have been reluctant to cover those up with cabinets and shelves. But the back cabinets are important storage space for me and I'd have lost those if I thought I needed to preserve the space just to be able to look out the back windows. Check out a lot of van build videos and in most cases I think you'll see that people who have rear windows, end up covering them up most of the time, with removable covers if nothing else. Rear windows are not as practical IMO as a good side door window.

 

[bullfrog !]

With all these adds you gotta be careful when referring to the second picture! Lol!!!

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

If your build is simple it won't be hard to add insulation later.
Back in the '80s we used magnets to hold blankets on the wall and ceiling of a Chevy van for ski trips. Remember it worked well.

 

[jasper]

I'm 69 inches tall. With insulation and paneling, my measurements and lying sideways in my Ford E-series showed room to spare. Yeah, right. After waking up due to my feet being restricted from relaxing due to a little scooting down from the pillow, I had to do something. At least I didn't have to cut out the side of the van and install an exterior pod like some I've seen. I don't want to talk about
how long before doing something about it.

 

[rruff]

1. Insulation is worthless by itself:
Without temperature regulation systems, insulation is just a stop gap from that heat getting in or out of your van. You'll delay it a couple hours, but you can't ever stop or reverse it without cooling/heating. I do not plan on having an AC unit but I will have a small space heater.

It's not worthless... but there are downsides for sure. If your rig is well insulated and decently sealed it can help a good amount. I did tests on mine and the heat loss rate was <15W/F... that's 15W for each degree of difference between interior and exterior temperature, tracked for several days. If I'd insulated the windows it probably would have been ~10W/F. A human at rest will dissipate about 100W, so just one person doing nothing can warm it up 10F. I also looked at different heating methods, and bulk propane looks the best. A little single lantern can run at 300W and cost less than 5 cents an hour to run. In that case you are looking at a 40F temperature rise, and your propane will last a long time (~20 hrs/lb). Big lanterns and Buddy heaters are much stronger and go through a more fuel, but if you are uninsulated you'll need that to get the same effect.

When it's both sunny and hot, the insulation helps as well. Shade and white paint are ways to mitigate that too if you can.

I've always built campers with foam core and very thin ply skins, but I think a simple way to do a van would be to stuff havelock wool in the holes, and make some panels to put on the inside walls. 1/2" XPS foam with a PMF or very thin ply covering on one side would help a lot I think. I've always mostly supported cabinets on the floor. Up higher I only have sling/hammock style things to hold light stuff like clothes, blankets, pillows, etc.

What is the meaning of life?

None but what you make it....

 

[jacqueg]

I'm 69 inches tall. With insulation and paneling, my measurements and lying sideways in my Ford E-series showed room to spare. Yeah, right. After waking up due to my feet being restricted from relaxing due to a little scooting down from the pillow, I had to do something. At least I didn't have to cut out the side of the van and install an exterior pod like some I've seen. I don't want to talk about
how long before doing something about it.

I'm 63 inches tall. And I fit just about right, stretched out and given the pillows I use. My feet come within about 4 inches of the van wall (remember, I have no insulation and paneling). I wouldn't want to be much taller or, conversely, to have the walls take up more room.

 

[BelgianPup]

I've read and heard about insulated vs non-insulated. I went from an insulated to a bare-nekkid interior in cooler weather, and I stopped all plans for everything else until I got it insulated.

There can be a big difference between what people really know, and what they think they know. Everyone has to figure it out themselves: storage or comfort?

 

[jacqueg]

I've read and heard about insulated vs non-insulated. I went from an insulated to a bare-nekkid interior in cooler weather, and I stopped all plans for everything else until I got it insulated.

There can be a big difference between what people really know, and what they think they know. Everyone has to figure it out themselves: storage or comfort?

I see no reason to choose between storage and comfort - I have both!