Van Build: Insulation

Thanks for tuning in for the next installment... As you can see the interior is totally gutted, but not ready quite yet to insulate. There was a whole bunch of glue and foam residue from the old carpet pad. The conversion company used copious amounts of spray glue to adhere the foam pad and that had to come off. I used an angle grinder and a wire wheel for a few hours, then vacuumed and wiped off the rest as best as I could. Now I did spend some time here on the forum researching all the different ways to insulate your ride. Lot of different products, and price points. It seemed to me the consensus was that fiberglass insulation was out because of the tendency for it to become laden with water and promote rust, should it come in contact with it. Spray foam, too. (Although it is used in some automotive applications) I decided to use HushMat Ultra [url]http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VKT9NM/ref=pe_385040_30332200_TE_item[/url]. It is self adhesive, and guaranteed to stick! A mix of aluminum facing and petroleum based product commonly used in restorations for sound deadening and heat prevention, HushMat Ultra seemed like a good product. I bought a 30 piece bundle and installed it in a couple of hours.

I put it all on the floor, and into the step wells. I did run out with a quarter of the back of the van left, so I had to order another 20 pieces. I was then able to continue up and around the wheel houses and fuel filler housing. It was pretty expensive, but really easy to work with. It contoured nicely with any surface it was applied to, and as advertized stuck like a bee-otch. Continuing with the insulation I purchased a couple rolls of EZ-Cool automotive insulation. Its aluminum backed and faced closed-cell foam. [url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/331113135984?item=331113135984&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:L:OC:US:3160&vxp=mtr[/url] This product was much more affordable, and the roll went a long way, so I was able to add a couple of layers on the wall and ceiling for more insulation. It was applied with generous coats of 3M spray adhesive 90, both sides. I laid Ez-Cool on the floor in one layer, so along with the Ultra Mat, Ez-cool and plywood I felt there was enough insulation there. I stuffed all the crevasses with remnants as well. It looks pretty cool all silver and spacy inside. If I were to do it again, I would use Weldwood Contact Cement for the walls and brush it on. The spray just wasn't enough in spots, and I had to reapply with contact cement anyway. The 5/8" CDX plywood was cut and installed side to side to span the floor ribbing. I counter sunk the self-drilling screws spaced the same as the ribbing.

After that I sealed the plywood with some left over polyurethane I had on the shelf.