Mercedes T1 Van Conversion: DIY Ceiling Subframe, Noise/Thermal Insulation with Alubutyl / Armaflex

[@MechakittenX]

Thank you for the video! The tutorial on building a wooden subframe is very useful. I'm new to woodworking so I don't know all the tricks yet.

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

Very good job. The only thing I would do in addition to what you already did, is to add one more layer of insulation since 19mm of armaflex is not thick enough IMHO. I would do with either one layer of reflectix with an airgap between armaflex and reflectix, (and ideally a small gap between reflectix and side panels/ceiling too) or one layer of polyester fiber insulation to fill the remaining gap between armaflex and the side panels and ceiling.

[@CubeofCars]

Yes, another layer of 19mm Armaflex would impove insulation, but one layer is really good already. I parked in full sunshine in summer and tested the temperature of the Armaflex surface inside which was not hot at all. Additionally we will have solar panels on top which will give shade. Weak points are the doors and windows :)

[@maudk4765]

Ha damn, super nice. I also wanted to use a subframe like this, but is just wasn't sure how. I had attempted it, but I was trying to make a full arch and kinda failed at that. I may need a full arch though, so I'll have to find a solution somehow, but there are definitely some tricks I can borrow from you! One of the perks of a full arch is that it saves another few cm, giving a bit more space for tæller people. I'll see. As for insulation; I'm also using armaflex, but I want to add reflectix and maybe even another layer that I'll stuck to the ceiling panel. Reason for even more i that I plan to live in it also in winter.. Thanks a lot for sharing! I'll be watching your other video's too!

[@marcusd2380]

Great video very very informative. You did a great job of fitting the insulation tidy job. Can’t wait until the next video

[@niklashopfgartner3803]

Super Arbeit! ;) Hätte es nicht auch gereicht den Holzrahmen nur mit den zwei Schrauben zu befestigen? Mit Kleber hält es natürlich Bombenfest. ;)

[@CubeofCars]

Wahrscheinlich schon ;)

[@bendelori]

Hi Mike, Your videos are very informative and you manage to pass all the right info along while keeping them concise. Thank you so much! They have been extremely useful and inspiational for the conversion of two former firetruck Mercedes 310 from 1992 so far. I was browsing the Reckhorn ABX Alubutyl website and they mention naphthalene - albeit in small quantities and passing the EU standards. Was the inclusion of materials including chemical products something you thought about? For example, was sheep's wool never an option? Was saving space your biggest driver? Curious to know your opinion on this. Cheers!

[@CubeofCars]

Hi Ben, sheep's wool would be a bigger problem for me because I am allegic to it ;) But for eliminating drumming noises wool wouldn't help much anyway, I think. For me it was also important to have all materials (Alubuthyl and Armaflex) glued directly to the metal to avoid condensation behind the insulation. I personally do not worry too much about the chemicals because we have lots of ventilation. But I also understand people who want to use natural materials for their van conversion. Cheers, Mike

[@bendelori]

@@CubeofCars thanks for your reply! nice travels

[@yuriynalyvaiko4223]

There are 2 concepts in noise removal - Vibration insulation that removes low-frequency noise and Sound insulation that removes high-frequency. Separate materials are used for that. Vibration insulation should cover all the area (roof) which you did right (from the second attempt :) For sound insulation completely different material is used, which you did wrong ;) This thermal insulation is very heavy and will drop down from the roof with time and will be hanging between the metal roof and wooden ceiling forever :)

[@CubeofCars]

We will see how well the Armaflex sticks to the roof in the long run. So far, I have only heard positive experiences from other van builders. But I will check it myself after a few saisons of travelling.

[@karim1968]

No, any sound insulation will reduce all sounds and noise. The butyl based stickers works for both thermal and sound and I was hoping you will add much more. When all the furniture is installed it will help greatly with higher frequencies sounds

[@DOSputin]

@@CubeofCars My 310D built with Armaflex over 15 years ago. The bond of the adhesive is very permanent. As long as you get the surface clean before application! It looks as though you did very good at that job. So you should have zero issues with sagging foam. The worst thing for the foam is that it slowly oxidizes and this causes degradation over time, making the foam brittle and porous.

[@nunofilipe2071]

Amazong job Nuno Portugal

[@royhoogveld2200]

So first of all! Great video’s! I have a question, that tool to put those screws in the ceiling and in the rafters. What’s that called? Gr Roy (we also have a 310 Firetruck)

[@CubeofCars]

Hi Roy! It's this one here: Tool for Rivet Nuts / Nietmutternzange amzn.to/3oKjGeb

[@royhoogveld2200]

@@CubeofCars thank you for your help! One question, what kind of metal did you use for the bed installation? Gr Roy

[@CubeofCars]

@@royhoogveld2200 That's aluminium. 100 X 40 X 3 mm

[@royhoogveld2200]

@@CubeofCars thank you! And again great video’s! Very help full!

[@Paul15867]

Hi great videos you have here! Iám also building a 310d into a camper, so it would be really nice to know how much armaflex you used for the insullation. For the alubutyl you said 6 qm, maybe i missed it for the armaflex. Would be nice if you could tell this and write it maybe in the description. Hope too see your next video soon.

[@CubeofCars]

Hi Paul! I used 3 boxs of 19mm (3x6qm=18qm), 1 box of 9mm (5qm) and 5 rolls of tape. That was enough for the roof, floor and the walls, but I didn't use Armaflex for the doors. My next video will be online on Sunday... Have fun with your van conversion project! :) Cheers, Mike

[@maxus15]

👍

[@iddondepths]

I'm a tall guy and skipping the sub frame would allow me to avoid brushing my head on the ceiling. do you see any problem with this? I'd use rivnuts into the steel beams.

[@CubeofCars]

Hi Chris, I think it's possible to do it without subframe, if height is an issue. But you will have a thermal bridge then with the bolt/rivnut. When you are in a cold environment, you will probably have condensation on these bolts inside the van. Cheers, Mike.

[@iddondepths]

@@CubeofCars intresting. thanks for that Mike. I'll be avoiding extreme cold weather where possible but I have two maxxair fans and diesel heater.

[@lukaskogl7764]

Super Video, Kannst du eventuell mal etwas zu der generellen Geräuschkulisse beim Fahren sagen? Wie ist es denn Bei Reisegeschwindigkeit also so zwischen 100-120km/h? Hast du vor auch den Motorraum noch mit Geräuschdämmung zu versehen?

[@CubeofCars]

Hi Lukas, meine Reisegeschwindigkeit ist 100km/h und da kann man sich problemlos unterhalten und hat nicht das Gefühl, dass der Lärm zu laut wäre, auch auf längeren Strecken. Daher werde ich zum Motorraum keine zusätzliche Dämmung machen. Ich habe aber auch den 310 Benziner. Beim Diesel kann das ganz anders sein. LG, Mike

[@kurtduerrduerr1696]

..ich habe diesselbe kiste in blau...gruss aysm cafe racer