gregkopHaving watched hundreds of hours of videos of camper van builds and after reading every camper van build guide that we could find online it quickly became clear that one of the first and most important decisions you will make when converting your camper van is how you will insulate. Proper insulation will open a broader horizon of climates that you can camp in without having to settle for being uncomfortable or using your power source excessively in trying to achieve a comfortable van temperature.
We’ve done the research on what options are available for insulating your camper van to save you time so you can get to what you really want to do – build your van! So, let’s dig in!
⚠️ Before you install insulation, it’s highly recommended that you apply some undercoating to the exposed bare walls of your vehicle to help with rust and sound dampening. Here are some options:
Rubberized undercoating
There are a few different types of spray on and brush-on undercoatings available:
Acoustic sound deadening material
This option tends to cost more but for the extra money you also get a quieter van interior. These are also pretty easy to apply as they are all self adhesive.
Reflective barrier
- Reflectix
- Low-E
ℹ️ Reflective barriers work the best when they have at least a 3/4”-inch air gap in front of the material.
⚠️ Warning: If you use an undercoating, make sure that the entire surface is very clean and dry, otherwise the undercoating will promote rust by trapping moisture.
Okay! We’ve gotten that out of the way, now lets dig into some insulation options for your camper van!
🔥Insulation❄️
1. Fiberglass batts
We do not recommend Fiberglass batts for the following reasons:
- they capture and retain moisture easily
- fiberglass is a known carcinogen
- they settle into wall cavities
We mention these mostly so that you do not get these, don’t be drawn in by their low cost and availability. It’s not worth the tradeoffs.
2. Cotton batts
Cotton batts are a better option than fiberglass because:
- they are not toxic or irritating to skin
- easy to install or remove
- some great brands like UltraTouch Bonded Logic available
⚠️ if you do use cotton batts, its important that you put a vapor barrier between the batts and the interior paneling.
3. Polyester batts
These are a bit pricier but like Cotton batts are environmentally friendly and easy to work with (also non-toxic of course) – commonly made from recycled plastic bottles.
4. Spray foam
Spray foam is an interesting option for insulating your camper van because it can save you quite a bit of labor from cutting and fitting foam panels.
- spray foam typically has an R-Value of 6-7 per inch while batt insulation only gets 3-4 R per inch
- does not absorb moisture
- difficult to remove later if you need to make changes
- some well reviewed spray foam options for your camper van are:
⚠️ Notes: If you use spray foam for your van insulation, please make sure:
- You do not block any moisture weep or drain holes in the vehicle walls or body
- You do not do several passes within a short amount of time – the expansion and resulting heat generation of the foam can cause rippling of your van’s sheet metal
5. Polyisocyanurate (PIR)
We are mentioning this in the same vein that we mentioned Fiberglass batts, just to warn against using PIR for the following reasons:
- R-Value degrades at colder temperatures, gets worse and worse below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 Celsius
- Not environmentally friendly
- Thick and stiff, you lose some living space by choosing this
- Chance of emitting toxic vapors
6. Thinsulate
- Easy to install
- Does not absorb moisture or emit any vapors / gas
- Helps with reducing noise
- Can be removed easily
7. Sheep Wool!
Thats right! Sheep wool is an option, a fairly good one actually!
- It’s environmentally friendly
- Handles moisture well
- Helps with dampening outside noise
- ⚠️ Cannot be used with adhesive