Insulation @ Front & rear Caps On TT

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AGENT86

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Jan 21, 2013
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WNC @ 3400 ft...Annd loving it
While rebuilding the roof on my 2006 Rockwood Travel trailer, I have both the front & rear end caps open at the top seam, along the roof. I was quite surprised to find a lack of insulation inside. I can literally see the back side of the cabinets, the curved wall. It's very thin. There is styrofoam glued to the cap, but there is a large gap between that & the backside of the cabinets. On either side of the glued on foam, there is NOTHING at all!

Just wide open space. At the front cap there is NO insulation along the top, nothing. I don't know how much this affects the interior, but it HAS to lose heat & AC through those areas. I'm going to insulate those areas, but I'm not sure what to use. I was thinking I would simply stuff it with the thick fiberglass type, with no backing. Should I buy a bunch of those spray cans of expanding foam & fill up the space with expanding foam?  If I use fiberglass type insulation, I wonder if it wold become damp...maybe that's why they didn't put anything in those areas?

Do you think it was left open for a reason, or is this just typical of a mass produced trailer...maybe it should have had some type of insulation in there & it just didn't get it?


 
If you do use foam, get the one which doesn't expand once it touches two opposing surfaces. They use that type around windows and door frames when installing. The foam doesn't distort the frames causing windows and doors to bind.
 
I absolutely would not use expanding foam! For a few reasons. Difficult or immposible to return to the scene in the future. If it's a large void it won't fill properly and you'll have chunks of foam that didn't expand (plastic) and voids. Some types will absorb water (open cell). May expand forceably and shift cabinetry. ETC... Something removeable would be better.
jmho

Bill
 
The lack of insulation there is quite common- just another example of cost-cutting where it doesn't show.

I would just fill it with roll or bat fiberglass insulation. If it gets damp, it's because you have a leak problem.  I recently add some to my own coach, which was only partially filled in that area.

Expanding foam has all the potential drawbacks Driftless cited. About the only advantage in that area would be that its adds a bit of structural strength, which probably isn't needed there anyway.
 
Thanks for the replies! I'll go with what Gary said, and stuff the voids with roll (or bat) insulation. The added insulation may or may not make much difference, but I'll feel better about it being insulated! BTW, waiting on fiberglass materials from FL, due next week. Supposed to rain several days straight...hopefully it won't. THANKS!!
 
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