Should You Insulate Your Van Using Havelock Wool?

[@TrentTheTraveler]

What is this? A million dollar production? This is some top tier video work.

[@dogcatmanvan]

If only it brought in the views! Wild, I just got the low down on you via a video on CNBC Make It that got recommended to me yesterday and here you are haha

[@roannathephoenix8561]

@TTTHEFINEPRINTTT Ben is an amazing videorographer! You must be new to the channel.

[@TrentTheTraveler]

@@dogcatmanvan Thats WILD lol. BTW, I want in on the next season of the Crusty Crusaders.

[@phennexion]

@@TrentTheTraveler I love both your channels, this makes me happy.

[@potpie3930]

You guys would make a killer video together

[@PIPITandMALAYLAY]

Julie is such a natural add to the channel! :D You guys are the best!

[@LucGendrot]

The whiteboard visuals are improving so much, and in general I really like how this channel is evolving, it's criminally underrated.

[@dogcatmanvan]

Maybe one of these days we'll gain some traction

[@mechanicalarcher4274]

Pro tip for the next conversion to do wool insulation in the ceiling, masking tape is your friend, tape it up as you go and get your roofing material in ASAP 😁 great video folks and the van looks amazing!

[@dogcatmanvan]

Thanks for the tip!

[@MattParris-ey9yg]

Yeah, masking tape definitely works good. I also used some gorilla spray glue to hold pieces up on the ceiling.

[@DerrynEHahn-ir2jv]

You two crack me up! Well done on finishing the insulation❤️✨

[@allegrosotto2126]

Wool yes! Non toxic, been keeping sheep warm for thousands of years, and in summer it keeps them cooler. Keep on with thinking outside the box Julie, even if it doesn't always work😀

[@seanpie5481]

New channel name - DogCatLadyManVan? Best practical insulation video I’ve seen. Cheers from Australia.

[@bennyhaa]

i just wanna say that intro was top tier

[@acolon657]

You are so underrated on KZbin man! Love you videos. Watching from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷

[@dogcatmanvan]

Hopefully we snag some recognition one of these days!

[@iancarry]

wow guys... i wasnt watching for a while, but damn, the quality went up! ... and its relevant content for me too :D thanks for using the wool :) wish you guys all the best .. you seem you're having fun :)

[@freelyroaming]

We talked to some farmers in Ireland and other parts of Europe and was surprised to hear that a lot of their sheep's wool is actually discarded! It appears that the cost of shearing and selling just isn't worth what they can get for them. I think more people should use sheep's wool. Great video!

[@dogcatmanvan]

That's really interesting. I would've assumed that it was largely recycled and sold in some way.

[@murphyandmurphybrand]

Nope, hardly worth the farmers time. Our friend gave us a load of it.

[@dinahreyes4947]

I love you guys so much! You have so much fun together! Thanks for another great video!

[@renstillmann]

Just looking into this subject so thanks for sharing your knowledge... But I only really wanted to tell that the intro is awesome, nice one! 😂

[@bchurchill3551]

👍 for Julie.

[@PartTimeTriathlete]

These videos are so helpful - just brought a sprinter so looking forward to weeks turning into months of fun 😂

[@annaredar3763]

Very funny guys, this wool seems great, I could hear the difference it makes plus it should keep you toasty

[@tobygraham8936]

Sweet video you two!

[@vitorcaetano6045]

Hey Ben, and Julie, Portugal here!!! love y

[@dogcatmanvan]

Hi Vitor!

[@Adrian_Lee6113]

So funny! Great video, subbed!

[@robbiemulholland8412]

Brilliant guys love watching 👍

[@sloppyjoe400]

Sweet van. Nice build. Cool vid.

[@Hwyhogg]

Great video! Thanks guys!

[@dawike242]

I'm currently building out my own Sprinter and just discovered your channel. Great content! Great editing! Great "scripts"! Overall a stellar production! Keep up the awesome work! Oh and btw, I'd like to nominate Julie for the 2023 Vanlife Hot Babe Award! I'm subscribed and looking forward to your future vanlife travels!

[@dogcatmanvan]

We're glad you came across the channel and decided to subscribe and stick around! We're looking forward to traveling as well

[@my_van_apartment]

30 seconds in gold 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@PossumMedic]

🤣🤣🤣🙌🙌🙌 I already have my havelock wool but as always still worth watching! 😃

[@jovanniruiz9807]

You guys are so funny lol great video

[@geekazoid]

for the headliner we got a big blanket of the wool which is a one piece install

[@h.b.4058]

You all make me laugh out loud. Love my Havelock.

[@TheRealAirhead]

Loved the video guys!

[@mbcoalson]

Glad to see you look all better after the accident!

[@thecumminscamper]

Looking warm!!

[@stevesundstrom7867]

You guys make me laugh out loud! 😆

[@dogcatmanvan]

Thanks for watching!

[@jhonnygringo1514]

I love this and every video you make. I mean honestly you could make a video about a vacuum cleaner and I would gladly watch it.

[@bchurchill3551]

👍for Ben

[@dallenrussell]

You two are awesome!

[@MaximC]

Wool is one of the best, if not the best option. But I wonder about sagging and about it touching the metal. Like let's take sagging - I think it definitely happens, with time, a lot of it sagging and just leaving a lot of wall basically without insulation (I think I saw some photos of that), and I'm not sure what would be the solution to that. Probably just periodically adding more wool? But that's assuming it won't start to get moldy... Vans are kind of terrible if one wants to use wool/organic materials, with all those cavities and it being all metal/worst thermal bridging. But these are the risks and disadvantages one should take in order to avoid using less sustainable materials/materials that emit VOCs.

[@EmileVoyer]

You guys look both super beautiful !

[@dogcatmanvan]

Thank You!

[@barrydelljeremy8879]

I live in New Zealand. Sooo i can just use my sheeps wool that i have bags and bags of from shearing them. Free. Awesome

[@JoyinFlorida]

Holy smokes that's a FULL BLOWN AWESOME insulate! Question: if I won't be living in it or even camping much, can I get away with just doing the walls and floor and leaving the headliner intact the way it is?? (Conversion van) I'm doing a semi van build.... meaning I'm semi lazy😊 ALSO....if the wool sags, that means we have to replace at some point??🤔 Should I find your other video about wall/floor insulation??😜

[@dogcatmanvan]

It's completely up to you whether you insulate the headliner or not. It helps with noise reduction in the cab, but you can always add a divider so you can section off that front area. You loose a lot of the hot/cold in your van from the cab through the windows and door seems regardless of insulating the headliner. The wool shouldn't sag if you have it held in place behind your walls properly.

[@JoyinFlorida]

@@dogcatmanvan notes taken and thanks!!!

[@denisecafferky2248]

Job well done 👏 ✔ 👍 🙌 👌

[@dogcatmanvan]

Thanks Denise!

[@bchurchill3551]

👍 for the van

[@deecee9051]

I sooo love this channel. You too are the best. Your video editing is great!!!what software do you use?

[@dogcatmanvan]

I mainly cut everything in Premiere, but I'll add some of my little effects using Photoshop and After Effects as well.

[@dan3510]

Thank you for this video!!

[@joerad4722]

Came here looking for info and this was a fun watch -- sub'd! What about the front doors? Did you do the front doors? Also, if you're looking to dampen road noise I would add do a noise treatment in the front cab that is easy to do. It's 3 parts -- CLD tiles to eliminate the pinging noise, then a Mass Loaded Vinyl sheet with Close Cell Foam -- that will kill road noise big time in the CAB part at least

[@dogcatmanvan]

We didn't insulate the front doors. Have you seen people do that?

[@joerad4722]

@@dogcatmanvan I think of it in terms of a house, you wouldn't skip insulating a wall in a house right? You want an fully enclosed and insulated space as much as possible (The firewall and windows are not directly doable). Plus, if you do the doors it will give you a chance to help with reducing road noise. I am not sure how complicated those doors would be, but I've done treatments in the past to car doors before for car audio purposes and it's always worth it just for the road noise alone.

[@noegutierrez6463]

good job... very good video.. how many boxes you use for that van..? thank you for shearing .

[@dogcatmanvan]

Hey there! For our size van we ended up using 5 boxes, each 100sqft. We originally only ordered 400sqft but we laid it on pretty thick and ended up ordering an extra box towards the end. I think it depends on just how insulated you really want your van to be.

[@geekazoid]

we used shredded wool which you blow in behind a vapor retardant. wayyy more serviceable for walls

[@JonesJr_art]

I brush as needed, it can be more than twice a day depending on what I've put in my face. 😂

[@ExploringJ]

My eyes as someone who has a background in construction watching this 😳😵

[@susanscovill6817]

One other positive is that Havelock is treated with boric acid to resist insects. Fun vlog today guys. Thanks for the giggles. Cheers from Canader eh!

[@gi-yq9iz]

good job guys. I see at the end you have a lot of that square aluminum structure installed already . got my hands on some office panels and I have to strip the profile off and planning to use it as well in my interior structure. do you have a video on that too? thanks keep up the good work and keep the fun with it too.😀

[@dogcatmanvan]

We used aluminum extrusion for our framing which I'm guessing is what you're referring too? We made a video on it here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnmpaKlvl5x7oKc

[@ronethridge9875]

insulation pays for its self in the long run-saving to heat the van/your insulating your home on wheels/great job /now time for a cold one/thanks much

[@havelockwool975]

Wow.. honestly one of the best van vids we have ever seen! You covered everything and made it entertaining too! Thanks so much for the support! The Havelock Flock

[@dogcatmanvan]

Thanks for taking the time to check out our video. We had fun making it and were glad to share our experience!

[@alexwyler4570]

i brush my teeth at least twice a day for two minutes with a sonicare soft toothbrush. and i floss just once a day before bed. Yes i watched the video till the end😉

[@potpie3930]

Yay more content!

[@bchurchill3551]

👍 for the dogs.

[@shoppinggirl790]

Julie is so funny :)

[@corydwagner]

Are you going to install a vapor barrier, or does that mess with the whole absorbs/releases moisture thing?

[@dogcatmanvan]

No need for a vapor barrier with wool. It absorbs the moisture and then lets it evaporate.

[@katydidnt3906]

A cardinal rule in building is never double vapour barrier. Since the van shell is a vapour barrier, if you add wool followed by another vapour barrier, you have a double vapour barrier, and the moisture has nowhere to go. One side has to breathe.

[@ScottSharpe2121]

2-4 times is fine. Usually twice, but I also only eat twice a day. Big question is do you brush right after you wake or after your first meal?

[@dogcatmanvan]

Ohh that's a good one. We both usually brush after we eat breakfast. Does that have a lot to do with things?

[@MissyPippyCrafts]

Brush before you eat or wait one hour after you eat.

[@mrsapplez2007]

Beating up dem baps hot me howling 😂😂😂☠

[@dogcatmanvan]

Glad you got a kick out of it!

[@funzeevanzee]

Great video. Technically, you should brush and floss morning and after every meal...

[@gigglinggypsy4636]

How tight did you stuff it? The air space inside the wool is part of the insulation value. Looks like your project took 3 times the amount of wool recommended. Curious to know how well the insulation works when packed this tight .. (I'm a veteran wool spinner and knitter, so have been working with wool for many many years). Have you found that packing it tighter is more efficient??

[@dogcatmanvan]

It wasn't packed that tight especially after placing our 1/2 and 3/4 furring strips and walls on top. We definitely put too much on the ceiling though. We could've done half as much up there. Overall it's been working great so far.

[@KB-mm2ti]

So how many sq ft of the havelock wool did you end up using for the walls, ceiling and doors?

[@thebenson1983]

great Video as always. I have used a havelock wool is ok product. BUT it's too expensive and a pain in the ass to work with. All my vans I build I use micro cell foam and layer 3m insulation in them. This process isn't cheap but its not back ordered and you get twice the R value then Havelock wool and Super easy to work with. PS you use way too much insulation those walls need to breathe.. One more question how long did it take you to insulate the van? I just insulated a 170 extended sprinter yesterday and it took one day. you spend over $1000 to insulate that van and labor . I' would be out of van business using that product.

[@dogcatmanvan]

If we were able to put a full days worth of work into it, it probably would've been a day and a half or 2 days working 8hr/day. The total cost of our insulation was $750 which is pretty cheap not including our labor. I think it just boils down to the type of product you want to support. I know that's not always feasible from a business stand point.

[@crazycrab8578]

doing my van with wool, but will be using wool of the sheep, its a lot cheaper, wash it first, using a mates machine, not mine, :), so many people out there say, dont use wool, and when i ask why, they come out with poo stuff, its all hear say, the key board people,

[@fredsmith2299]

NRC gives a good clue to good insulation ... I once rented a place where I could literally hear people talking outside ... there was no insulation ...

[@dogcatmanvan]

A lot of apartments are like that. It's like they have paper thin walls!

[@fredsmith2299]

@@dogcatmanvan A story for u ... I once rebuild a 5 bed room old ranch house with 3 stories and 4500 s ft ... I double insulated ... and tripple glazed all 50 windows ... People would tell me that I had a large heat bill ... I said no less then 100 month ... because I over insulated ... and yes I couldn't hear talking out side ...

[@MaximC]

@@fredsmith2299 Passive house - people aren't very familiar with this concept.

[@MaximC]

@@dogcatmanvan Which is kind of exactly what they have. 😄 Not paper thin, but almost...

[@eppell]

Assert dominance, only grab the fingers in the shake. You have to earn full-hand shakes. Also I’m a 2-fer. Any more than twice a day and my teeth get sensitive .

[@Jayda08]

When you installed the permanent walls, the moisture gets locked in the wool and has no where to go. Good job! 🤣🤣 You have to vapor lock the walls and ceiling to avoid/prevent all moisture buildup.

[@itsbrittjohnson]

👏👏👏 legit.

[@bm7707]

It uses electricity in manufacturing rather than non-renewable resources? Where does the electricity come from?

[@277kne]

Will moisture get into the wool insulation when the walls are covered? Is the Havloc wool critter and insect repellent? Maybe you will get a hygrometer and a dehumidifier.

[@MaximC]

I wonder about that too. Although even if it wasn't covered, it would be the same question I think, the condensation will happen on the metallic walls in any case. From what I understand, anyway.

[@dogcatmanvan]

It will, but the wool should absorb the moisture and then allow it to evaporate without it loosing it's insulative quality. It's also treated to be insect repellent.

[@katydidnt3906]

After over 2 years in my van, in Canada, I can say that moisture most definitely DOES accumulate between the wool and the van shell. Often a lot. I also had to replace the rear tail light assembly in my Promaster because moisture shorted it. There was Havelock wool in that cavity. I'm not convinced of the moisture management claims, but have no scientific proof without tearing my van apart to assess for rust.

[@MaximC]

@@katydidnt3906 Yeah, it's a tricky thing with vans. The problem with vans is that one doesn't have flat walls (like one has in a tiny house on wheels, for example). Because if one had flat walls, one could just apply a layer of insulation that would create an air gap between the metallic walls and the wool, and the condensation wouldn't be a problem. Or if vans were slightly wider, one could have just not bother with the cavities and apply that layer of insulation (that creates the air gap) and the wool right on top of the walls. That would've been perfect. I think they can make wider vans, I mean according what's allowed legally on the roads. I wonder if manufacturers will eventually have wider versions, for those who want to do a van conversion.

[@MaximC]

If only vans were slightly wider. We could apply the insulation right on top without bothering with the cavities, have straight layers of insulation, an air gap layer first and then the wool, and have no issues with condensation or mold. Like we do in tiny houses on wheels. But with the current dimensions, if we were to do that, it probably would mean sacrifice too much space inside the van.

[@Miles_To_Go]

Twice a day, unless I eat something for lunch that gets stuck!

[@karenfranz3814]

👍

[@bammargerat6561]

Can someone clarify what difference it makes to install electric wiring before insulating with wool?

[@dogcatmanvan]

I think it just comes down to where you plan on running your wires. If you think you're going to fish wiring through small cavities that will end up needing to be filled with insulation, it's a lot easier to fish those wires when the cavities are empty, ie non insulated, rather than having to fish the wires through the cavities already stuffed full of insulation. Does that make sense?

[@Rocks77-n4w]

Is it itchy?? Like fiberglass or mineral wool... I used thermafiber mineral wool now im itchy every time I drive my van .. I think it's falling apart in there smh

[@dogcatmanvan]

I haven't noticed any itchiness

[@fboest]

we used spray glue on walls to install those wool panels

[@luke_1234]

Living in SoCal I’d be more worried about the heat reduction

[@brettbutler9730]

what are the strings for? u putting the stuff over them?

[@dogcatmanvan]

The strings were to hold the insulation in place.

[@MLA..]

You don't want wool in your walls if you live in a humid environment, air circulation is poor inside a wall. Wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water and it needs air movement around it to allow any moisture to evaporate.

[@phennexion]

Do you guys plan on using Reflectix on the inside after the wool? I hear mixed opinions about that.. like it's almost useless as a reflector of radiant heat once it passes the steel exterior of the van, and it's expensive... I was just thinking of using standard vapor barrier instead.

[@MaximC]

From what I understood, unless you leave/make some space between reflectix and the van walls - it's useless to apply reflectix. And regarding vapor barrier - one should not use it (the walls should be able to "breathe") or one should use a kind of vapor barrier that can become permeable (like Intello I believe). Also I've heard from someone that they didn't use vapor barrier in the floor, because he saw that it created mold inside the floor. One should really understand a bit the technology of insulation first, because some ideas like using vapor barrier and such may seem clever when in actuality they aren't. P.S. Also you might want to check out Moser Makes' videos, he made some good ones too.

[@phennexion]

@@MaximC In almost every van build you see people put TONS of reflectix on everywhere... and I'm just like, why? lol and they say for vapor barrier, sooo... i understand not wanting your moist air from the van condensing say.. on your metal floor of your van - but it's gotta go somewhere. So by covering everything in their reflectix vapor barrier are they basically creating a bubble where the moist air most likely escaped via the fan at the top?

[@dogcatmanvan]

We won't be using reflectix

[@philltwose4088]

Come on phone signal don’t fail me now!!!!

[@mrsapplez2007]

Don't yo just hate it when that happens 😒

[@donnacason1607]

What is the black/gray square that are already in the cavities? is that something you put in already?

[@dogcatmanvan]

Yeah we used Noico sound deadening. We have a video on that as well if youre interested

[@philltwose4088]

Having far too much fun 🙃

[@dogcatmanvan]

We try!

[@NanoSp00ks]

Might slide your end cards up a little earlier ;) They came in half way through the outro 🖤

[@dogcatmanvan]

It only lets me keep it up for 20seconds. I'd have to make a shorter outro which I usually do, but I let the last few run long.

[@officialWWM]

Well, aren’t you two just instantly likeable!?

[@dogcatmanvan]

We're glad you think so!

[@ezioauditore3128]

Greg Virgoe. Go there.

[@black12212]

Would you use wool to insulate the van again in the future?

[@dogcatmanvan]

Yeah 100% we really like how it's worked out for us. It helps a lot with sound deadening too!

[@black12212]

@@dogcatmanvan O wow. Thanks. I bought Havelock wool too 😁

[@adlsaias]

eat Carnivorish and you wont need to brush or floss unless something is bugging you

[@DarronSanderson]

Reflextix is not near as good as Dynamat Extreme, then the wool on top.

[@priscillawrites6685]

Production of electricity often uses fossil fuels to produce electricity, at 30% efficiency.

[@dogcatmanvan]

If you're speaking to the use of electricity in the processing of the wool, you can check out Havelock's website where they transparently discuss sustainability and their end to end process inputs and outputs. havelockwool.com/sustainable-insulation/

[@ZillaYT]

“Their manufacturing process uses electricity rather than other non-renewable resources like fossil fuel.” That’s most absurd.

[@hammondo7]

Spray foam walls and top and extruded polystyrene floor 50mm no framing needed on the floor, don't trust companies R values, Good luck

[@FB-qt2vx]

Comment

[@dogcatmanvan]

Received

[@walterlane8890]

Contact adhesive

[@amarthe3103]

why did you stop posting in youtube

[@dogcatmanvan]

We post every other week

[@Ipsissimus]

Why not use glue? Seems like it will sag like grandma's tataas.

[@dogcatmanvan]

It still sags with glue. The layers come apart over time.

[@bchurchill3551]

🖕for the algorithm. Haha.

[@devonparroco8220]

Havelock uses electricity (that definitely does not come from a fossil burning plant)

[@jamesnikki5]

Julie is Cat.

[@johncarlola]

you would be much better off with good old fashioned fiberglass. wool is probably the worst.

[@brettbutler9730]

it looks like U used alot... maybe too much..

[@dogcatmanvan]

We make out great in the winter with our heat retention, and our rig is way quieter and cozier than others we've been in. No regrets here!