Insulating a Class B RV
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Rene T
Site Team
I've never done this and don't have a clue on what's the best way to insulate. I was just thinking. How would it be with spray foam. You may be able to prep it for spray foam and might be able to get a good deal with a spray foam company because you could probably drive it to a job site where the insulating company is already set up doing a house or business. It would only take a few minutes to do a small van. Just a thought.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I've not done it nor heard of anyone who has, but it seems to me the base problem is lack of space for insulation. You aren't going to get much gain in R-factor using a different material if the available wall space is only 1.0" (which I think is likely). Another limitation is conduction through structural members (no insulation) and single pane windows. The roof probably needs to be addressed as well.
This article discusses insulation for a tiny house where the construction limitations are probably similar. It describes some insulation types that might exceed the typical R3 per inch. You might also make some gains simply by better workmanship, i.e. fitting the insulation better so there are fewer gaps.
https://tinyhousebuild.com/insulation-options-for-tiny-houses/
This article discusses insulation for a tiny house where the construction limitations are probably similar. It describes some insulation types that might exceed the typical R3 per inch. You might also make some gains simply by better workmanship, i.e. fitting the insulation better so there are fewer gaps.
https://tinyhousebuild.com/insulation-options-for-tiny-houses/
Isaac-1
Well-known member
You may also run into condensation issues
JosephGrey
Member
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2018
- Posts
- 15
The best insulation (IMO) is called polyiso foam. It has an R value of 7 per inch particularly in the summer time. In the wintertime all foam insulation loses some effectiveness but polyiso is the worst of the lot. If you can air-gap it and not allow it to touch either the inner or outer wall, you pick up another +1 R because it is foil lined. Radiating back out the summer heat seems like the greatest value to most campers. I suggest you keep your spray foam usage to a minimum. I think no matter what type (open cell/closed cell/all the other cells) of foam you use, it gets moisture between the insulation and the outer surface. That's a huge problem in a steel vehicle like I am in, maybe less of an issue in an aluminum RV such as y'alls.
Just like a house, inside the insulation you should use a poly film as vapor barrier. Unless your camper is wooden framed I would likely attach the poly with double stick tape on the studs. You just have to hold it until you get the inner walls installed.
I am a "go for it" guy. You can't ask someone like me if it is worth it. I will always say yes.
--jg
Just like a house, inside the insulation you should use a poly film as vapor barrier. Unless your camper is wooden framed I would likely attach the poly with double stick tape on the studs. You just have to hold it until you get the inner walls installed.
I am a "go for it" guy. You can't ask someone like me if it is worth it. I will always say yes.
--jg
