Insulation
Seeking what the best Insulation is for a Van Conversion was something I researched for way too long!! I learned how important it was to ensure you are almost over-insulating because if you have a moisture issue, it can cause condensation, creating a huge mold problem!! When you reach the steps of insulating you want to leave no gaps unfilled, even if you think a small crevice is no issue – just do it, you want to ensure ALL nooks and crannies are filled!
Below is what I used and also what I recommend if you don’t choose mine! At this stage, I took into account that I live the majority of my time in a very cold climate and a dealbreaker was it had to be as toxic-free as possible for my and Tucker’s health.
There are some pros and cons to what I picked and that’s Havelock Wool, first I need to address the biggest “con” with this choice and that is – it goes against my beliefs in Animal Rights. Yes, that’s it and I do care about it and I may have cried a little after making this purchase but I don’t regret it. Mine and Tuckers health is number one and I wasn’t comfortable using Fiberglass insulation which I saw was an option and with some insulations comes many other materials to ensure you properly insulate but with the Wool, it’s one product. Wool.
So when making this purchase I told myself in return, I would donate money to a few different Animal Rescue Farms to help with the care of all the beautiful creatures.
Why I chose Havelock Wool
- It’s naturally able to absorb moisture which is inevitably going to happen but Wool will keep the moisture under control!!
- The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power, Havelock Wool has an R-Value of R7.
- Excels at absorbing road noise and reducing unwanted noise. ← This was amazing news for me because driving in the Van before it was converted was SO loud! You could hear everything that hit the bottom!
- It’s sustainable, biodegradable and compostable
- It’s affordable.
Other options could cost simply hundreds or thousands, I’ve seen people insulate an entire Van with Spray foam. When I priced this out it was a ridiculous amount of money and again in my personal opinion extremely toxic to do! But it can be done.
If Havelock Wool isn’t an option for you I recommend taking the route below, it may cost a little more and include a few different material items but I found this to be another safe bet!
You would want to apply the Reflectix onto the walls of the metal within the van, you can use Adhesive Spray to assist with this step! You would then cut the Rigid Foam Board Insulation to the shape of the floors, walls, ceiling and apply this to the van and finally using the Insulating Foam Sealant, you can fill in any small nooks and crannies!!
Again, there are multiple ways to insulate the Van but be sure to consider where you live, where you will be traveling to most, and what’s important to you! 🙂
Many Blessings,
Cassandra Rae, xo