How to Apply Sound Deadening in a Van | Sprinter Van Conversion | Van Life

How to Apply Sound Deadening in a Van | Sprinter Van Conversion | Van Life
It’s van build DAY 1 and we’re tackling our first project of many to come - applying sound deadening in our Sprinter van. To kick things off, we’re dipping our toe in the water by taking on what could possibly be the easiest project of our entire build. Our Goal is simple: MAKE OUR VAN QUIETER.
In our latest vlog we share our experience installing Kilmat, including our simple approach for determining how much to use and where to install it.
We also share a little insight into some of the build challenges we’ve faced so far including many of the products we need being sold out / backordered and the time consuming research required to make our van as environmentally friendly and non-toxic as possible (this is an important build goal, so be sure to subscribe above ⬆️ if you want to learn more about our experience creating a non-toxic van / tiny home environment).
BELOW WE'VE INCLUDED A LIST OF TOOLS & PARTS FOR QUICK REFERENCE. ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
▬ Disclaimer ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Please remember that this is our first van build and we're sharing our experience to provide a newbie's perspective. Please do your homework and conduct thorough research before starting your van build project.
That said, we are not professionals. The information provided on this KZbin Channel is for general information purposes only and is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of any information presented on this KZbin Channel. Any action you take upon the information communicated is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of this KZbin Channel.
▬ TOOLS & SUPPLIES (Sound Deadening Install) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Note: As an Amazon Associate, as well as in partnerships with other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sound Deadener amzn.to/30Dvlix
Roller (for sound deadening application) amzn.to/30CyrU2
Box Cutter amzn.to/3inRQya
Measuring Tape amzn.to/3iic0t6
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[@wanderlibre4434]

See more of our van build series here: kzbin.info/aero/PL94-4jJK5gPbOY2dCbmgwTCd30QRwRzhy

[@DJTruth_1970]

poor windex on cloth, dont spray. spraying mists the chemicals into the air (ammonia for one)

[@gman8606]

It's great to see how you work together on this- it's so your project and not only Jim's 👍

[@wanderlibre4434]

Yeah, I can't let Jim have all the fun, right? 😉 In all seriousness, it's definitely a team effort. We get things done so much faster when we're working together.

[@gman8606]

@@wanderlibre4434 I totally agree and in this way you also spend a lot of time together

[@mishafrog8786]

Got to love all this modern tech of stick on sound pads, my first van near thirty years ago we used stippled black bitumen two or three coats and as thick as possible same stuff as old fashioned car undercoat but boy did it work it stopped every creak & groan from the van body, two drawbacks come to mind it stinks like hell for three days plus the bodyshops hated you if you ever had a dent in the body to get out, I did three vans like that until pads were made easy to get & even then undercoat was used in between the modern pads , a modern insulter used in the marine industry is a 3M thinsulate if i were building again it would be the pads plus thinsulate plus havelock, costly but very sound thinking . the thermal on the 3M is very good. Keep up the careful sound good work im watching with interest.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks for sharing your experience - interesting how sound deadening and insulation were handled back then. So glad we have easy- to-use options now!

[@josephjasonsantiagolacour]

Great stuff, y'all. The way you like to preface things/set expectations, I feel like you're professional educators or sales folks.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@scottyarellano]

Great video! I am looking to build a van with the same thesis in mind. Crazy how 99% of everything sold kills us.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks! I know, it's definitely a challenge. Good luck with your build!

[@NoLimitVanLife]

After using a budget brand to sound deaden most of my van I ended up buying some Dynamat and was shocked how much better the product worked. Buying it from Crutchfield ended up costing only about double the price which I felt was totally worth it. I'm interested to know how much your products brought the sound down. I've been looking at Havelock wool so can't wait to find out what you think of it.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Interesting to hear your thoughts about Dynamat. We're using Kilmat to deaden vibration and road noises that are being picked up in the body panels (ie vibration). For that, it has definitely made a noticeable difference. The van feels pretty solid. But the main tool we're using for sound insulation is the Havelock, as we've heard that it's really good for blocking out noise. We'll give our input once we've installed it.

[@PatriotNomad]

I notice on all builds I've seen the Kilmat is minimal on the sides and is not used to fill the entire sections. Any particular reason for this? Seems like more would help. Is it an issue of added weight? Great video and thank you for sharing.

[@wanderlibre4434]

It's not necessary to cover the walls - it adds unnecessary weight and expense.

[@sheriprice]

Really good video. Curious, did you apply any sound deadening mats to the sliding door or above the driver and passenger headliner area. Thanks for sharing your videos.

[@wanderlibre4434]

No, we didn't add any to those areas

[@martynedwards1092]

I wondered if you could post a video of your decisions to buy that Sprinter configuration, namely long versus short wheelbase, two wheel drive versus four wheel drive, and the 2.0 liter gas engine versus the 3.0 liter v6 diesel engine. Best of luck with the project! Martyn Edwards

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks Martyn! Good suggestion. We're planning to work in a couple of videos covering all the topics you mentioned. If time permits, we're actually going to try to film the first one this week, which will cover our decision to go with the 2.O gas vs diesel. Stay tuned👍

[@wanderlibre4434]

Hi Martyn, We wanted to let you know that we just posted a video on our decision to buy the gas engine vs diesel. We also briefly discuss 4WD vs 2WD - although to cover it more in-depth will require its own video. Here's the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZPVZqOhpbt7hck

[@ltmltm4945]

how much of that kilmat should i buy? right now amazon has 36 sqft for 54$ i have a 2006 t1n sprinter 3500

[@OttoACasal]

Hi, my name is Otto and I have watched several of your video recordings of your VAN build, I have been very impressed how you have presented yourself, the details, the thoroughness of your process. I can tell you've done your homework looking for good, reliable and eco-friendly materials. My wife and I will be starting our first Camper VAN using the new 2023 Ford Transit VAN Trail. Question on the Kilmat product, I have been searching for the material but I have not found a retailer that sales them in a box like you show in your video. Did you order the box from Amazon? I only can find that they sell them in pairs and not in larger quantities. I would appreciate if you could comment on this. Thank you.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Hi Otto. Thanks for the kind comments. We bought Kilmat from Amazon, but I see now that Amazon doesn't have it in stock. Siless comes up when you search for Kilmat in Amazon. I'm wondering if Siless bought Kilmat. The products looks the same, materials are the same. I would personally go with the Siless if you can't find the Kilmat. Best of luck with your build!

[@OttoACasal]

@@wanderlibre4434 that is correct, i am going with that product. Thanks so much for your quick reply.

[@angelaspilsbury4583]

Sound proofing works, can’t hear you! Watching with anticipation and total fascination, good luck.

[@wanderlibre4434]

Thanks! We can use all the luck we can get 😉

[@Passionproject100]

I would like to know if you think putting some over the back wheels (wheel well?) will help noise while driving?

[@wanderlibre4434]

Yes, putting some over the wheels will definitely help noise while driving. Our van already had quite a bit of factory installed sound deadening - including over the wheels - so we added additional sound deadening where it was left out.

[@thebg7532]

Thanks for sharing the video. I just bought the same van, same color. Begin the build process. May I ask, how many box of Killmat did you used?

[@wanderlibre4434]

Congrats! Good luck on your build! We used about 1/2 box.

[@thebg7532]

@@wanderlibre4434 Thanks! I ordered 2 :)

[@MichaelLabagh]

Hey thanks for the videos! What thickness did you use? 80 mil or 50 mil? Did you purchase a 36 or 50 sq ft box?

[@wanderlibre4434]

@@MichaelLabagh we used a 36 sq ft box of 80mil 👍

[@emilybrown1925]

Do you guys have a write up of your 4 phases that you used for this whole van project? I’m getting ready to plan and the phase idea sounds way more approachable! Thank you :)

[@wanderlibre4434]

We don't have a write up of that yet, unfortunately. We plan to do this later, but just haven't had the chance to do this yet.

[@thebg7532]

Hi! Hope your van build coming along well. Did you installed Kilmat over the factory soundeadning? Thanks

[@wanderlibre4434]

Hi! No, we didn't install it over the factory sound deadening. Definitely not necessary.

[@thebg7532]

@@wanderlibre4434 Thank You!

[@charlevoix418]

I hope you will survive to such a dangerous construction project!

[@wanderlibre4434]

😂 Fortunately installing Kilmat only yielded a paper cut and thumb blister. Once we start cutting holes in the van, we'll be happy if we finish the project with all 10 fingers still attached....