UKC

Has anyone any tips for this?

I have a van which is ply lined (but not the roof) which I'd like to insulate for as cheap as possible.

For the sides, I've heard about people getting offcuts from various places but can't find any threads about it now.

Any tips would be very much appreciated!

Also, is it worth insulating the floor? If so, what's the best method of doing that?

Thanks,
James

In reply to James Malloch:
I've carpeted the floor on ours. Done cheaply so it can be replaced easily.

wrap insulation from b&q for Windows. Made into blinds. Curtains over the top.

Thick curtain for cab access.

Block vents (Not roof vents) in winter with insulation.

With the gas heater we had 28 degrees after 2 hours. Outside it was less the 5 degrees.

Edit: charity shops are your friend

Don't Be scared to do it on the cheap. It does the job we wanted it to anyway!

In reply to James Malloch:

If you've got space behind the panels, and can take them off, building insulation does a good job and isn't too pricey (and can probably be got from Freecycle and the like if you're lucky) - Kingspan, or other brands. It's easy to cut, and comes in different thicknesses.

In reply to Oogachooga:

Hmmm... Gas heater, carbon monoxide heavier than air, lower level venting blocked- nice rosy complexion, VERY long lie in!

In reply to James Malloch:

Fibre glass insulation is cheap enough -0 I stuffed behind the panels with it.

I've also insulated it with the foil bubble wrap you can get from any DIY place and
used spray glue to stick it on the roof and other suitable places such as back doors and the like.

Do leave the ventilation open!!

In reply to Grim:

Good obligatory comment but I'm sure these grown men and women can use this with their own due diligence.

Fyi the carbon monoxide on my heater gets vented externally. As it should do on most modern vans.

In reply to James Malloch:

Use the expanded polythene type roll insulation. It looks like mineral wool but without the Itch factor, also its worth giving the panels a coat of wax oil on the inside to guard against damp induced rusting.
Another option is the giant bubble wrap rolls and use this.
A layer of Cellotex under the floors and definitely knock up some window cover to give privacy and insulation.

And as for blocking vents that's just stupid, the moisture from breath and damp clothes goes somewhere which will eventually lead to you owning a musty mouldy van. You run a dehumidifier when you get home to help sort this.

In reply to muppetfilter:

I'll repeat, a lot of people jumping to conclusions here. Use your own due diligence. What works for my van may not work for others.

Those lucky enough to have new vans need not bother. My van is from 93, it has more than adequate ventilation and is made for summer touring. This means it has many vents all designed to circulate air in the summer. In the winter this is obviously not required and most vents can be blocked off safely while maintaining ventilation through natural air escapes of the van and using the 3 roof vents.