Is Insulation REALLY Important?

[Guest Bill]

I’m planning a custom-build, and wondering if insulation is really all that important. Obviously much depends on the type of use; mine would be mainly on the Med. There are some obvious disadvantages: cost, electricals etc being made inaccessible, and the fact that if you get any water ingress it is very difficult to dry. The odd nights in a cold environment (UK spring/autumn) I would be on a hook-up, so could have 2kw of electrical heat included in the usual £2 hook-up fee. Would that be enough?

[Guest pete walker]

have you thought about keeping the heat out? as insulation is a two way thing. pete

[Guest Mike C]

Hello Bill, Pete has mentioned keeping heat out. If the vehicle is a steel panel van there is also the problems of condensation in an uninsulated van in cold and wet weather to consider. Even the Med has cold nights. I once spent a very damp and miserable summer week-end in an uninsulated/electrically heated VW Camper (van conversion) where the walls and windows ran with condensation. There are some very good insulation materials such as Thinsulate available which are perfect for the purpose. I believe that John Wickersham has written some articles on self-build insulation. I am sure that Derek Uzzell would be able to give you the references for this. Regards, Mike C

[Guest Ruth]

Just to back up what Pete said, we chose our motorhome carefully with winter/alpine use in mind, not really thinking about the opposite extremes...only to find what an unexpected bonus it was to have a brilliantly insulated van in really hot weather...it rarely gets hot inside Ruth

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

JW insulation article - MMM June 2004 (pg 195) Thinsulate insulation material is available from Webasto (www.webasto.co.uk) and I believe boat/marine outlets also market it.

[Guest PeteC]

We have worked from a panel van all through the year and beleive me insulation makes more than a world of difference In winter you get condensation from your breath which freezes then dris on your head as it melts In summer you get baked in a warmish spring day We have a van conversion and use it in temps at -7C at mid day (-15C at night) And at 40C in the sun Without insulation you couldnt live in either conditions The floor insulation is just as important as the walls and roof We have a 3kw heater for winter use + a 2kw fan heater which doubles as a circulation fan in summer We also fit an awning to the side this helps kep out both cold and hot sun W have camped in a land rover & cooked oytside on a petrol stove in the 1950's - when we were younger, but now appreciate a bit more luxury

[Guest Mel B]

Hi Bill I would recommend getting some sort of insulation installed. In the past we've had an old Autosleeper pop-top on a Commer base and you did notice the condensation etc. We also had an old Fibreline caravan which was absolutely beautiful and original but again without any insulation and using it in June in the UK, even in good weather, you really felt the chill and the condensation was a big problem. Even on more modern coachbuilts, like our 2001 Swift Suntor 590RS it was insulated but could still be chilly and have problems with condensation. For the relatively small outlay it will make the van much more comfortable and usable.

[Guest Clive]

YES For both hot & cold environments. Also important is good ventilation.