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You may already know this or you may think we are crazy but this is probably one of the most important aspects of the van build. Think about it this way, you are building out a metal box that is always varying in temperature from the inside of the van to the outside. We are by no means scientists but this means that there is pretty much always moisture and condensation present which can cause major issues if your van is not insulated properly.
Here are a few things insulating your van properly will do:
- It gives a quieter ride and overall drowns out more outside noise.
- It’s going to keep the temperature in your van so much more comfortable, and comfortable for longer, both in really hot weather or really cold weather. Also meaning that your heater or a/c don’t have to work as hard to keep a comfortable temperature.
- When you choose the right insulation, you save yourself from ending up with moldy and wet insulation behind your walls, causing all kinds of problems!
Insulation is a very controversial topic in the vanlife space, but we have built 2 vans now and can personally attest that our van has had no issues being insulated with Havelock Wool. We believe that spending more for the quality product is worth it, even if you have to hold off on something else or settle somewhere else this is something we would recommend going all out on.
Here are our recommendations:
Havelock Wool $$ – our top recommendation
Why use Havelock Wool?
- It’s non-toxic, all-natural sheep wool.
- It’s easy to work with
- It has an amazing R value (R-value of 7) which is how you determine how good of an insulator the insulation is.
- Most places you are putting the insulation you are doubling and maybe tripling layering it increasing the R value.
- Moisture management – remember when I said there will be a lot of moisture in the van? This insulation is hydrophobic which means it doesn’t absorb or trap moisture and expels it without causing damage to your build or worse causing mold.
- It’s used by many professional van builders.
- Also used by professional van builders
- Also hydrophobic
- R value – 5.2
- The downside is that, unlike Havelock Wool 3M Thinsulate can not easily be pulled apart to shove into all the nooks and crannies
- Doesn’t trap mold or moisture
- R value of ~4 per inch
- Not easily manipulated to the odd curves of the van.
- Good option for the floor – we used the ¾ inch thick option in the second van we built because its the same thickness as the furring strips we used on the floor.
Spray Foam $$$
I’m not talking about the cans you get for around a house window but the professional spray foam job. There’ no argument that this is probably the best insulation for your house and could work for your van but here is why we wouldn’t recommend it:
- Once it’s done, it’s done. There is no moving it to move or add a wire or something you may not have thought of in the build.
- You run the risk of warping or bubbling the metal of your van.
- There are a lot of chemicals in this which could potentially react with the sun and release into your van.
- Not worth the risk, in our opinion, when there are other options out there.
- It’s expensive.
The great part about insulation is you don’t have to choose just one – you can mix and match if needed but if we were to make a recommendation it would be to use the foam board for the floor because it does make the floor solid and easy to install and then go with Havelock Wool for the rest of the van. We personally would not recommend using rock wool, fiberglass, denim, or anything else throughout the van because many of those options are toxic and can hold onto moisture leaving you with a huge and unsafe mess living behind your walls.