Insulation for extreem cold.

channa

Zepp said:
If its the cab area that gets cold I see Tayormade are doing a Insulated Skirt that covers all the out side of the cab . Ive seen them fitted to a few vans no idea how good they are.


Taylormade Screen Covers Insulated Skirt
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Interesting idea, covering up all external points where a draft can occur makes sense.

I already have a silver screen, and when parked up the cab area becomes redundant not having captains chairs.

There is a dividing curtain between the cab and habitation area it is this area I would like to improve.

Reducing this wasted space, although providing a smaller area i.e just the coachbuilt part it should in theory be warmer and more comfortable at minus 15 c

Channa
 

Airecraft

Dezi said:
Hi, only kidding or not you have the right idea. We have several sets of wolsey thermals (passion killers)but they do an excellent job of keeping you warm.

I simply assumed that people would wear these as a matter of normal wear when venturing into the high mountains during the winter months - we do.

Dezi
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I agree that keeping the person warm is a lot easier than heating the internal space. There's also something very cozy about lying in a down sleeping bag with just your nose poking out - I don't see the point of burning kgs of gas just to sit around in shorts. My avatar is at 2000m in the Alps in January without any extra insulation.
 

Bernard Jones

several pairs of XXL jogging trousers, one on top of the other - primark do good ones for £5 a pair. Two thick XXL pullovers and bodywarmer and fleece on top. Kept me plenty warm enough when its too cold for the eberspacher heater to work.
 

Firefox

This is my philosophy entirely. Even in bricks and stone house I wrap up rather than belt out the central heating. I would turn the heating up for visitors though.

Living full time in a van it's the same. Though in winter, even if clothes solve the warmth problem, some condensation is to be expected here and there.
 

Haaamster

Lol i'm gonna look like the Michelin man if I start wearing 27 jumpers and 12 pairs of thermal pants.
Love your suggestion Zepp,that looks ideal for the cab area.
Ellieloy where would I go about getting some lambswool?
My water system is all internal so that will probably be ok,just in case I have bought some pipe insulation.
Will I be causing myself issues if I do double skin the main habitation walls,will it cause mold,as I said when I woke up in Germany the walls had frost on the inside,very worried that I had ruined my "Bertie"
 

Harmergeddon

Im pretty sure the question was about what type of insulation would be best rather than should i put more clothes on or should i turn up the heating. A well insulated van is always going to be a good starting point.
That said however you do see some great things in the alps. There was a french chap well inot his 60's last year sleeping in his estate car in the same car park i was in which was in the shade and never got above -10 degrees. He'd taken the passenger seat out to make a bed and had just got some cardboard cut outs in the windows to keep a bit of warmth in! Yeah right. He'd be in there all evening with the engine running and his heater on full blast!
 

Bernard Jones

I've resigned myself to geting condensation inside the van in the winter and make use of it. Just wipe it off with a cloth and wring the cloth out over the sink, thereby you are effectively drying out the inside of the van. Just like air conditioning. Where else is the moisture we produce going to go if it doesn't condense on the roof and walls?
In any case its only water, it isn't going to kill you. Our bodies are 70% water.
 

Dezi

Hi, this is the system as fitted by murvi. We found it so effective in our first Murvi we asked for it to be transferred to the new one – 2009.
Fully insulated, easy to pull across & folds back out of the then secured to the front door stanchions. When both curtains are pulled across & joined together by Velcro the cab seats are usable. Note the curtains go right down to the floor – cold air sinks.

Dezi
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Harmergeddon

@Dezi. Looks like good stuff. Would you happen to know where i could find that type of material please?
 

Dezi

Bernard Jones

I've put similar curtains in my van, using blackout material, sold by the metre at fabric shops. Light (Magnolia) colour so reflects heat, thin and light so easy to open and close, easy to cut and does not fray, wipes clean with wet cloth, airtight so good insulator considering how thin it is, and lets through no light at all. Cost about £12 for the material, and £10 for the curtain rails (used shower rails)
 

Jill Wood

where to buy

I need to insulate the window s and door, is there anything anyone knows about that is good to use as curtain lining or make removable blinds from ? cheers
 

Northerner

Heat Rises

And when you've done all this remember that heat rises! My 'van has three rooflights and stopping heat from escaping through these makes a huge difference.

I had an old closed-cell-foam sleeping mat from my backpacking days, the sort of thing that you can lie on in snow and still be warm. I cut up pieces about an inch or so larger than the rooflights and simply bent them to slot in the aperture. They're easy to take down if the sun shines but they made a huge difference to my 'van this winter when we were in northern Spain in January.

You can buy one from any good camping shop but make sure that you go for the four seasons version, which is used in very cold weather camping.
 

PROMETHEUS

Spray foam insulation..............

Hi all
this is my first post on this site but I hope I can offer some valuable info. I do not own a camper as yet (and may never do due to family/financial constraints). However I do have the bug and my dream is to self convert a panel van and go wild camping in snowy climes.
Sorry I digress, what I wanted to make people aware of is if you are considering using expanding foam there are basically 2 types (no matter how it is applied).
So called "open cell" foam does absorb/conduct moisture and would not be ideally suited to insulating a camper. However "closed cell" however does not absorb or conduct moisture nearly as much (I believe it is usually around 98% non absorbent) and is the product to go for.
I do not claim to be an expert but have gleaned this knowledge whilst trawling the 'net whilst dreaming of my conversion, hope this helps......


Neil
 

vix

Insulation for the Alps

I'm just starting the conversion of a Sprinter and lived the past 2 winter seasons in one with temperatures regularly plumeting to -16 and upto -25 and REALLY appreciate the necessity for good insulation (whilst balancing enough ventilation for safety & stopping condesation & hence mould). As long as air could circulate mould was no longer a problem. The bed needed slats (we used palets) or moisture would hibernate underneath and go mouldy after 2 weeks and what was thought to be a good idea stuffing the inside of the back doors wasn't. Again air couldn't circulate and mould followed. In the cab area I cut out aluminium thermal foil (silver bubble wrap) from B&Q (for £2 more than the value pack you get nearly double the insulation efficiency-£12.99ish a roll). Last time it was cut in the UK and shrunk considerably in the freezing cold, so beware to cut (best guess 5cm) extra around the edges.
Can anyone advise as am thinking of sealing the insulation again with this bubble wrap stuff (on top of the 2.5 cm insulation) or even gluing it to the back of the boards first before boarding out (I'm concerned about the air flow issue)? cheers
 
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donkey too

Bernard Jones said:
several pairs of XXL jogging trousers, one on top of the other - primark do good ones for £5 a pair. Two thick XXL pullovers and bodywarmer and fleece on top. Kept me plenty warm enough when its too cold for the eberspacher heater to work.
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On winter training in the arctic circle with the Army we used cotton / wool mix thermals with womens tights underneath. worked a treat and better than loads of heavy top clothes. XX;):lol-049:
 
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