Sleeping in a van from 9pm-7pm.

[THECHEMICALS]

&nbsp;If im sleeping in my van only during 8 or 9 pm till early morning, is having a fan or insulation important? Nights are generally cool in South florida and i dont intend to be in the van during the daylight hours.<br /><br />I suppose i can test this out tonight, which would defeat the purpose of this thread....but im also interested in knowing if anyone does not use insulation. I tried to do a styrofoam insulation and that flopped on me. So im just going to go without it.

 

[PYSCHOWard]

Without insulation your van will have to be out of the sun for hrs before trying to sleep in it or you will Cook. Even way up in Pa, it hasn't been cooling down until very late evening, sometimes still 80's low 90's til 10-11pm. If you already have insul Duck tape or glue it into place until you can put up some type of wall to hold it in place.

 

[cargovanconversion]

It's very personal, but I would say, in summer in Florida, you should be fine. Probably a little hot at nine pm but the remainder of the nights often quite comfortable.<br />With insulation you have to worry about the walls, the windows and door cracks.<br /><br />Van.

 

[VanGirl]

Be smart and spend a weekend and the money to insulate. You will be glad you did if you have to live in your van for a while! You can get a roll of the reflectix bubble insulation at Lowe's or HD. Get a roll of the aluminum foil tape also. Don't try using the cheap duct tape it will not hold up. Cut the insulation to fit with a pair of scissors and tape it to the riser/studs going up and down on the walls and across the roof.&nbsp; I used two layers on mine. I even have styrofoam behind it in some areas. Clean the areas of the van where you are going to apply the tape with alcohol . When you are all done you will have bright shiny walls. The solution for that is some latex primer paint and a brush. It will only take a quart or two of paint. I also shot foam in a can in the wall cavities on my van.<br /><br />Myself and at least a hundred of the over the road freight/cargo van owners I know use this method. I've been doing this for around 10 years. After a year or two some of the tape may come lose, just take the old tape off put some fresh tape on, touch up the paint and your good to go again. This also gives you the feeling of house walls around you. Tape some pictures to the walls and feel at home <br /><br />Even as nice as Florida is the temps can still get extreme both ways. The insulation will also cut down on outside noise. You will not believe how much better you will feel about living your van when you get it done.<br /><br />I would recommend finding a friend that will let you borrow their driveway and place to sleep for a couple of nights while you're working on it. The paint fumes will be tough the first day. <br /><br />VanGirl

 

[GadgetSolar]

Insulation is USELESS if you don't have an air conditioner. Insulation TRAPS heat inside unless you have a machine that removes heat and puts it outside.

Put your insulation money into a ventilation fan. You need change the air out several times per hour. The body of the van acts as a heat sink storing heat from the sun, then it releases it making the interior hotter inside than outside when the sun goes down.

The best insulation is to park in shade out of the radiation from the sun.

 

[VanGirl]

You will ultimately decide for yourself one way or the other. We are all just giving our experiences and thoughts on the matter.&nbsp; <br /><br />For me I vote for insulation. Before I insulated my van I wound up in the emergency room from heat exhaustion and dehydration. At the time I was camping around the beach areas near Tampa/St. Pete area while working on a computer/network project. Since that ER visit I can't be in the sun or heat for more than an hour before my heart starts racing and the heat exhaustion starts all over again. I had to install an air conditioner and get a generator just to survive. That is a real problem since I work on outdoor WiFi systems most of the time. I have to take a break, get in my vehicle, run the air and cool off very often.<br /><br />Point is, if you are young and healthy you can sleep in your van in much hotter conditions. You can also ruin your health for the rest of your life by not taking care of your body. If it is too hot to sleep just roll up the windows, start your van and run the air for 30 minutes or so to get you and your van cool inside. Don't go to sleep with the van running unless you have a carbon monoxide detector.<br /><br />If we ever get to meet I would like for you to see the inside of my cargo van.<br /><br />VanGirl

 

[freenez2]

Keep in mind that insulation will make it quieter.

 

[travelingchic]

My minivan is unbearably hot on a sunny day till about 11pm but it isn't till the wee hours that I need to pull a blanket on me. If it is cold outside it is still warm inside but not hot. I use a jump starter battery booster pack to power a fan. I recharge it while driving with my 12 volt plugin. I am located west coast Canada so I imagine Miami is hotter. It is really uncomfortable sleeping in the hot van with no fan and sweating.