Why you SHOULD pre-insulate your camper van in FOIL? - NO Air Gap & 13 Degree Difference?!?

[@ToryDelury]

Hi! So some people are deeply disagreeing while others are agreeing… I mean they do say “Insulation is the most controversial part of a van build” 😂 Again, I am not a professional however I verbally spoke to 3 on this topic. I am also very much so willing to admit this could be wrong however to everyone writing paragraphs over the reasoning behind why I think I got the 13 degree difference, that’s great. I love more perspectives BUT if all you’re saying is it’s not a radiant barrier that’s honestly fine and not a big deal… because it still made a 13 degree difference… so maybe the labeling or theory is wrong? (ehhh… i don’t know.. again these were all things other ACTUAL pro builders told me..) But can anyone combat my actual test? because I think at the end of that day the results are what really matters?

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

Can't find my extensive reply (disappeared?) so I will post a short reply. If my extensive reply comes back I will delete this one. The idea is great. The implementation was not good and the product used was insufficient and flat out wrong for that purpose. First off, you didn't double your R-value with that product. You would have if it was mounted outside with the foil facing the sun. The actual R-value added will be in the 0.01 territory. $300 for that kind of gain is a huge waste of money and effort especially because it failed to serve the main benefit of such a layer. The main benefit of a first layer of closed-cell foam is the fact that it acts as a vapor barrier and partially as a sound deadener and sound insulation. However, in order to be an effective vapor barrier, it needs to be at least 6mm thick or more (depending on outside temperatures, the lower the temperature the thicker it will need to be so condensation doesn't happen on the foil surface) and it has to stick tight to the metal surface otherwise, condensation will happen in the trapped air. Frost King hardly managed to stick and not fall, let alone stick tightly with zero air gaps. That thing is full of air gaps and condensation will certainly happen there. I suggest you put some more effort, run the roller over it a few times and try to get rid of as many air gaps and stick to the metal as much as possible. Anyway, I don't think I can stick to the short reply and since my original extensive reply is most likely gone forever I need to address the rest of the issues and explain why the measurements that you took, do not represent any sort of meaningful insulation benefits. What you got is similar to the effect of silicone gloves that help you take the hot pot out from the oven without getting burned. They serve the purpose because it only takes a few seconds to take the pot out of the oven and place it somewhere safe. Try to hold the hot pot for a minute and see your hands getting burned. Once the heat reaches the inside of the gloves, the insulation properties of the gloves become irrelevant. The same happens with the $300 layer of Frost king. You can argue that it will add to the overall R-Value of the insulation but the difference it makes is very disproportionate to the cost. Like I already said, the main purpose for such a layer is the vapor barrier. The added thermal properties are just a welcome bonus but if the main benefit is not achieved, then it doesn't make much sense. Now a short explanation about insulation. For insulation to work, it needs to maintain a temperature difference throughout the day. Insulation accumulates heat from the sun, prohibiting said heat from reaching the other side of the heat source and dissipates it back to the atmosphere when the heat source (the Sun obviously) is no longer present and in the morning the insulation, free from the accumulated heat of the previous day is ready to perform one more insulation cycle against the Sun heat. The goal is to keep the inside temperature close to ambient and not allow the heat from the sun (which can bring the metal surface of the van to 140F or higher regardless of the ambient temperature) to reach an equilibrium with the interior. If the inside walls of the van reach a temperature much higher than ambient, the insulation doesn't work anymore and starts acting as a thermal battery. If any given surface that faces the interior of your van reaches a temperature higher than ambient, that surface will act as a radiator that will transfer heat in the van through convection and radiant heat transfer. So now we are coming to the thermal bridges. Metal is an excellent heat conductor. Just the spot welding on those support beams is enough to transfer heat from the outer surface to the beams inside despite the fact they are secured to the panel with spray foam. You want to try it for yourself? When you finish your insulation, before you put the side panels on, leave the van in the sun for a few hours in the middle of the day (2-3hrs should be enough) and measure the temperature of the inside metal beams and the wood frame that is in contact with them and compare it to the insulation temperature. I can bet the metal will be 40F higher or more, the wood will be 20F higher or more, and the insulation will be closer to ambient. That is the definition of a thermal bridge. Your wood frames and the naked metal beams acting as heat radiators. I know, that in a van the biggest offenders are the windows, especially when you allow them to get heated by the sun but in order to avoid reaching an equilibrium with the sun temperature, everything counts.

[@ToryDelury]

@@spiroszaharakis2648 I just replied to your OG comment so you can see it’s still here, idk why you can’t see it.

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

@@ToryDelury I I am talking about a reply I send to this comment. Not my own comment which I can see.

[@demolitionbmxd]

So many people in 'vanlife' don't know what they are talking about. They tend to just parrot what others have said, OR try to apply general construction and housing principles to a van. Been living in vans for 20 years now. If you get real world differences inside your vehicle, don't listen to anyone else that tries to refute it. I have found sprayfoam to be the best insulator. I go from 90's on the summer to negatives in the winter. I recently purchased Sealtech reflective to experiment with my window coverings (going to add the Sealtech to one side of 3M thinsulate window covers) as well as wrap my diesel heaters hot air outlet pipe as I lose a lot of heat out of that before it gets to the actual outlet vent in the cab. It looks similar to this freezeking product. I've also had great success with simple reflectix window covers in the past that all the 'experts' say don't work without an air gap etc etc. But back then I went from running a 2kw diesel heater on high constantly and not being able to heat an entire van, to being able to hold a constant temp without running the heater constantly. For my next van I'd like to try a reflective product against the steel body and then sprayfoam over the top to test out results. I actually work in coatings (paints mainly) on offshore oil rigs, oil and gas plants etc and I see similar kinds of misinformation or repeated opinions on reflective coatings on social media sites without people having fundamental understandings of the topics. It's another topic area where people incorrectly use r values.

[@richardnwilson]

By far the very best way to stop radiant heat from the Sun on the roof of your van is to cover the roof with conventional solar panels with a small air gap therefore putting your van in the shade!

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

Absolutely.

[@toomuchhair4553]

Even the shading with solar panels with a “small air gap” isn’t as simple as stated. We can’t forget that solar panels are black and when shading a light colored van if the air gap beneath the panels is too small the increase in heating of the black panels will be conducted to the van roof. Even more so on a calm day with no air movement. I’m not arguing with anything you stated, just that none of what Tory or you are presenting is the final answer, nor does it need to be. She’s doing a great job of presenting her best effort while looking really good while doing it! Stay after it Tory, I hope that your channel continues to grow and I wish you great success!

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

@@toomuchhair4553 "if the air gap beneath the panels is too small the increase in heating of the black panels will be conducted to the van roof" No, it won't, that's plain wrong. For heat transfer to be conducted there has to be contact. Even 1mm of air gap, will cut off conductive heat transfer. Heck, computer CPUs use highly polished base plates on the heat sinks, and evenly distributed high pressure plus thermal paste to make sure conductivity is achieved. Let alone an air gap no matter how big it is. The air gap will only affect convection heat transfer between the panels and the metal surface under it but it is almost insignificant. Heat transfer on the shaded parts will be higher through conductive transfer from the adjacent areas that are not shaded by the panels rather than conductive heat from the small air gap. Still, it will take a huge amount of energy transfer to heat up the shaded areas which will help insulation way more than any other type of insulation. Metal will reach 144F under the sun but will stay near ambient temperature if in the shade. In short, with your van in the sun for a long time, insulation will not save you. The van will become an oven in a few hours and the only way to combat that is through ventilation or A/C.

[@CrymsonKyng]

@@toomuchhair4553if you cover the roof with panels, even a 1/2 inch gap will be effective, especially if you have a couple fan vents circulating air underneath. Two 4 inch fans spaced out would do wonders.

[@leeadams3198]

@@CrymsonKyng I'm guessing you've never actually put 4" fans on your roof then drove down the road with them on, have you? It's okay if you haven't. I think maybe you didn't think that one all the way through before posting it.

[@ClarkWayne-x4r]

Wow! a lot of detail and effort went into this video! I super appreciate the real thermal test you did! THANKS! I am definitely going to do this on my van.

[@regmcguire5582]

Chuck Cassidy did the best job explaining what insulation is, and how to use it. Worth watching.

[@MooseVan]

This is the exact step we're on next. Just took our budget build for it's first cross-country in Fall thinking the temps would be good. We were wrong, froze a few times overnight and over 90 in the day. We have zero insulation- again thinking it would be fine in mild weather... Now, researching the insulation!

[@lyfandeth]

Sorry to say, the Reflectix web site will tell you it only blocks radiant heat. That is the heat radiated across a one inch AIR GAP adjacent to the Reflectix. Plain bubble wrap will work as well as Reflectix to block conductive heat transfer. Your duct wrap probably is stopping air transfer (conduction and convection) and doing some good, but the wool, blocking convection, is doing the bulk of the work. But it is your van, so whatever floats your boat. Ask Boeing or Airbus how and why they insulate. Killmat is designed strictly to add mass and absorb sound energy and prevent vibration. When in doubt...start with mainstream manufacturers. It is amazing how willing to share. Havelock...they are a one trick pony, so you have some question of objectivity possible. A drink cozy is made of foamed neoprene rubber. The same material as wetsuits. And oddly enough, yes, you could line a van with it. But neoprene has its own quirks.

[@StevenJeffrey-h2g]

yes reflectix needs a gap or else it is not effective at all, gluing it to a van wall is completely ineffective. In the summer, a vehicle works like a convection oven that will absorb the sunlight & heat all day, then when you are trying to sleep will be warmer in the van than outside! I tried half inch foam board insulation & it barely made a difference, thicker & more insulation = better!

[@tr-lj2vx]

​@@StevenJeffrey-h2gDepending on where you are you will have the same issue. I'm a desert rat, I stay in Tonto Nation Forrest in the summer, 115 - 120 degrees most of the time. Insulation is pointless where I stay. It's just too hot and the insulation trapps the heat. The only effective way to combat the heat is roof fans / vents, shade and a 15000+ btu air conditioner.

[@OOICU812]

​@@tr-lj2vxalso a light-colored exterior conducts less heat than a darker one.

[@justinw1765]

@@OOICU812 Light colors reflect more of the visible spectrum of light/energy, and so not as much gets converted into IR/heat. Conduction is a property of material objects and how much or little they slow down thermal heat energy transfer from one area to another. These are different processes that work differently. But yes, a light colored van will tend to stay cooler than a darker colored one. Hopefully someday in the near to nearish future, we will have ultra white and IR sky window radiative paints. This stuff reflects almost all the visible light, while _also_ absorbing and re-radiating IR in that wavelength band that goes through the atmosphere and into space, thus losing heat to the cold sink of space, and thus passively cools the material. You can make such materials at home fairly easily (see NightHawkInLight's videos), but making a durable paint out of the material is definitely a challenge for DIY'ers.

[@selbord1]

Tory, I love the common sense you use on this build, you have experienced firsthand life in your previous van build and now have the opportunity to use your gained knowledge and put it into this build. I am amazed at your tenancies mindset, respectfully, selbord

[@searlearnold2867]

Glad to see you research and think things through with your build, unlike so many people in multiple spaces who have no clue and build by braille, guesses and trial and error.

[@nickh8370]

Love the light saber!

[@SomeplaceOrAnother]

Wow! 😮 The temp difference with everything installed was way more than expected 😎 Hope your weekend has been going great! 😊👍

[@RLTango]

3:33 - Off Topic: Some dogs can become fixated or anxious when chasing lasers because they can't seem to ever "catch" the dot. I recommend ending each game by pointing the laser onto a treat on the floor. It allows them to "catch" the laser with a mental reward!

[@dougjohns5115]

good idea... yes they lose interest if u don't do something like that..

[@ianrichardson3228]

As with humans, the fun is in the chase! The cat was bored, the Shepherd was enjoying playtime. 🐕‍🦺

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

My reward is the Friday paycheck!

[@str8chillaxin]

Great job eliminating variables and explaining things, citing others, etc. Easily earned my sub. Not many people would be smart enough to use masking tape to test the results. 1000IQ idea

[@daner.d]

i used to build houses and that is probably the best bang for you buck plus you insulated the ribs or framing of the van. lots of people don't think that's important but you'll be surprised at how much the little details makes a difference. if the floor is insulated well the only trouble spots left are the windows. either way you're going to have a warm/cool environment. bravo

[@vanliferaw]

so you know walls breath, metal doesn't

[@daner.d]

@@vanliferaw thermal conductivity. temperature radiates through solids

[@vanliferaw]

@@daner.d creates condensation too if no air circulating

[@justinw1765]

You should know that for IR reflectors to work, you need an air gap between the shiny side and the heat source. If there is no air gap, the IR reflector won't actually reflect the IR well, if even at all. There isn't an easy way to reflect the Solar heat gain radiatively speaking, in a van like this. You could loosely hang it over the ribs and over the insulation, with the shiny side facing towards the outside. That would work if the insulation is not too close to the aluminized plastic surface. And if you want to maximize internal IR reflection for cold temps/conditions, you would need an IR reflector on the outside of the wall, shiny side facing in towards the middle of the van. That, combined with thermal insulation, would help to keep it warmer during cold days, and depending on just how cold, one might get by with say just a combo of body heat and a few candles.

[@daner.d]

@@justinw1765 okay

[@CardelliFamof8]

Talk about nerding out on thermal breaks and heat barriors. In our travel trailer we found just putting a little refletix in our windows and walls at the back of all our cabinets was a night a day difference for both winter summer extremes.

[@gettingpolitical]

Roofing insulation peel n' seal. Dampens sounds (both internal and exterior) and helps control temps inside the vehicle. Great for van lifers

[@Smartys1234]

Loving the content as always. For information and detail on van building no one comes close to this channel. A true gem of a content creator and someone who brings a lot of light to this world. 😊

[@TinyGoHomes]

I did a tiny home trailer and went with lots of insulation. It’s about as big as a huge van and can hold temp with approximately 6 candles or 500 btu. I currently use an electric heater that uses 400 watts. Works great even down to -30

[@StevenJeffrey-h2g]

Also at home depot they have specialty RV roof paint, it's heavier, white colour with anti-UV properties, makes a difference when the sun beating down on the van all day,

[@MarcHernandez-x6o]

I love your channel I have been watching it while I build mine

[@MLenninger]

Nice job, lady scientist! Nothing like living in the desert during a hot, hot summer to find a cool solution to lower inside temps. $300 for a 10 degree temperature change is huge! You won't have to run the a/c as long or as hard.

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

Unfortunately, that's not how physics work. Insulation to be effective it has to maintain the temperature difference during the whole time of exposure to higher temperature. If it doesn't, the insulation effect collapses and backfires. That 10 degree difference will take some minutes or more to equalize and once that material has reached the same temperature as the metal, it will act as a thermal battery for an equal amount of time as the time it took to reach the outside temperature. When you insulate a van, the goal is to keep the temperature difference constant throughout the day and let the accumulated heat dissipate at night until the sun rises up again and another cycle begins. Good insulation, will at best maintain temperatures close to night ambient temperature, throughout the day in the summer and maintain the heat of a heated interior up to a certain point of ambient temperature.

[@MLenninger]

@@spiroszaharakis2648 Thank you for the physics lesson! That must be why builders used Florida Concrete Block. The concrete felt cooler at night. So, she needs a chilled water system of tubes along the roofline to keep temps constant in the desert?

[@Matt_on_life]

I used reflectix in my van, but it’s after the havelock wool. That way the reflectix has the air gap needed to radiate the heat away from the inside of the van. I don’t think it did anything other than reduce my cellphone signal 😂 but live and learn 🤷‍♂️

[@zepper25]

So despite getting the recommended air gap you determined the reflectix did not help?

[@Matt_on_life]

@@zepper25 yeah, I don’t think it’s helping. If I was doing it over I’d skip it. It does a pretty good job knocking my cell signal down though 😂

[@zepper25]

Thanks for that. I was going to use it as backing on the plywood paneling which would give an air gap but now i think I'll just skip it.

[@Evans_Man]

Nice! Glad you made it clear that insulation alone is not gonna save you in Vegas summer. You need an A/C unit and that is gonna need to work less for the same result. Keep it up! Greetings from Greece

[@colinbrewer9249]

Tory, just got back from Vegas and even though it was not as hot as when you were there it was some serious heat! Glad you're using this stuff. Side note, I went to the Pinball Hall of Fame as you did in a previous episode. I think they're in a different building than when you went. Was super cool! Thanks for showing us these places to visit!

[@stepheneckersley3584]

Thanks

[@gicking3898]

Ditto all comments. Rationally narrated and explained. Very good details, good quality steady video quality and editing, excellent effort in producing tests, doing installation. You said it was $300, but if you include time effort , blood and teats, I can see why people would ask for a lot of money to do this work for others.

[@davidelang]

The problem is that a radiant barrier needs to be on the ourside of the inside layer (i.e. next to air where it could radiate), so putting it on the inside of the roof and then putting other insulation against it makes it useless

[@ToryDelury]

Well even if it’s not necessarily a radiant barrier, which I completely understand the science behind air gaps and understand what you’re saying, I am just glad that it’s definitely making a big difference 📈 :) That’s all that matters!

[@gamemenot]

@@ToryDelury then change your misleading title, the foil is not doing anything, why recommend it? All you did was pre-insulate your van with another layer of insulation.

[@DaBinChe]

Great to see you be more scientific about it. There is a fella from the UK, an engineer, Greg Virgoe, has a youtube channel that did a whole series on his van build. He is the only one that I have seen do things right when it comes to thermal insulation, sound deadening and condensation. But insulation is not the only concern, there is also moisture too. Unlike a house where moisture/condensation can escape a van is a big metal can that holds in moisture/condensation so you have to be concerned about that too with mold on wood frame and walls of the van.

[@MP2Tablet]

LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one that leaves a little blood when I'm working on a project. More progress! Good on ya!

[@JoeZyzyx]

Do it like during the 60-70's vans and shag carpet all the inside. Plenty insulation back then, and quieter inside too. Shag the outside too for more insulation. It's cheap, and insulating.

[@JDSpartan2007]

The dog is like WTF IS THAT?!? The cat is like WTF is wrong with you!?

[@apple-on5pq]

I have a steel roof top on my house and it also had a aluminium sheet on top of the insulation wool.

[@justins5714]

I used that same frost king product as a cheap sound deadening alternative for car audio i noticed the interior car tempature would last longer whether it was cold or hot worked great for vibration and sound deadening aswell only problem i found with it is that it wasn't sticky enough 3m adheasive spray fixed that though

[@ToryDelury]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I also wish it was stickier, thats great to know 3M spray helps. I am glad you had a great experience with it overall too!

[@paranoidpersonality]

sees new tory upload and immediately clicks like button

[@ToryDelury]

sees new @paranoidpersonality comment and immediately clicks like button 😉👍🏼

[@shotgun4348]

I've been impressed with your adventures for some time, and I wish you the best of luck going forward. There's so much information and misinformation out there about insultation, which is why, of course, some people will agree with you and some people will not agree with you. Good of you to have come across Chuck Cassidy’s excellent insulation video. Jarrod Tocci’s, as well. Frost King might not need that 1-inch air gap to achieve its stated R value, like its instructions apparently say. Just remember that R value and radiant barrier performance are two different things. I won't get into how the presence or absence of an air gap might or might not affect R value, but the presence or absence of an air gap when it comes to radiant barrier performance is night and day. Just because Frost King says that an air gap is not needed to achieve the product's stated R value doesn't mean that an air gap is not needed for the product to achieve it expected radiant barrier performance. Frost King's foam layer will help it serve as a thermal break, as you mentioned, but, in this case as well, thermal break performance and radiant barrier performance are not (as you explained) the same. By the way, a thermal break is good wherever you can get it, but I wouldn't lose much sleep over having applied your furring strips directly to the van's metal. There are other wood-on-metal issues, but you shouldn't have to worry at all about those either if you will be applying a vapor barrier over your Havelock (which will be a must-do) and if you won't be boiling pots of water in your rig every day throughout the day with your ventilation fan off. I'm not suggesting that anything be redone. We do our research and give things our best shot. In some cases, that's all that we can do. And, in many cases, it's good enough. And you're smart to dodge those rabbit holes, like you said. Keep going!

[@THEROADTRIP-MH15Campers]

its always a good idea to insulate if you travel in the cold areas🎉

[@DEVAULT.]

Fantastic. 5° F here this morning. Thank you.

[@yogimarkmac]

The reflective face being on the inside minimizes radiant heat loss, but does little for the conductive heat coming in through the roof. The backing foam provides whatever minimal insulation value there is. The foil is then conductively heated by the foam and then transmits that to the interior.

[@peterpeter8086]

Thank you, Tory.

[@hauk3839]

I seen a couple use a truck liner spray on inside and out side. They said it was best inflation no moisture issues and kept pretty warm

[@Liimpy]

Was it lizard skin?..

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Reflective insulation works by reflecting incident light. Reflecting incident light into the cabin .doesn't make a lot of sense to me. That's just going to keep the heat inside where it already is. The backing is probably insulative. Wood is a pretty decent insulator, if you are going to line the walls, that might be enough. No matter how well you insulate, interior will be pretty much at ambient in a day or two, unless you heat/cool. Me, I would look for a tree to park under. And dress for the great outdoors.

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

Spot on.

[@des2610]

If you put a tin of veggies in a pot of water on a stove and apply heat, the veggies will get as hot as the surrounding water. No amount of insulation around the veggie can will stop the veggies from reaching the water temp eventually. The only way to reduce the temp of the veggies is to remove the heat source or inject cold energy onto the veggie can to counter the heat applied. As applied to a van, move it out of the sun and or turn on the Aircon.

[@daviniusb6798]

Good to see Angel again! Greetings from Austria

[@daveh5629]

Mate, you did the Kilmat right.As you mentioned, they only need to cover 25-30% of the flat sheet metal panels. Too much Kilmat (especially on the roof and walls) can add wayyyyyyyy too much weight, make it top heavy and by extension, increase your risk of rollovers.

[@mikemaxwell2591]

I bet the clothing really helped the building of the clicks ;-).............good job.

[@nilsmuhren303]

Tory, what you should do to make an accurate test is to add your havelock insulation into the mix, this will not be accurate due to the foil which has some kind of filling material will act as an insulator. What you should do in my opinion (if you want it 😂✌) is to add foil, then your insulation on one spot and measure it. Then add the insulation without foil in the second spot and measure this in comparison. This would provide you with real life data of how this foil would support your wall insulation. Hopefully this works out perfectly for you, it is not a bad idea to add the foil in my opinion, I'm doing the same on my van, however i'm adding it like: 1. van metal chassi, 2. armaflex insulation, 3. foil. Love the contribution to the community and that you are inspiring others - peace & love from Sweden!

[@jerrytalley802]

Tory, I enjoy your videos, and you have the perfect voice that’s so nice to listen to. My sincere question is, where are you on this van build? It seems I watched months ago and you were living in a non insulated van. I’ll keep checking in to see if you ever get past this part, thanks

[@shanmcarthur]

The biggest concern I have had with any reflective barrier on the external body is the concern for it to trap moisture. The nature of these barriers is that they are waterproof and do not allow for circulation behind them. If the van gets condensation on the inside, it could get trapped and cause rust. That said, you have your insulation on the inside of the reflective side of the material and perhaps the place where the condensation is going to form is on the reflective side instead of on the van body. The internal air flow and ventilation should take care of that. Any thoughts on this topic? I am now considering using reflextix against the body followed by thinsulate insulation everywhere. Will there be concerns for condensation on the van, or am I likely going to be OK? My logic is that the van body is likely to be the same as the outdoor temp and the inside air is going to condense against the reflectix and be allowed to evaporate due to the thinsulate.

[@leeadams3198]

Admit it Tory, you wrapped your van in foil to keep the aliens away! . . . just kidding!!! 🙂

[@martinhansen4381]

Love your technical approach. Maybe talk about how condensation is formed. I did use a vapor barrier in my van. There is a lot of different options in the inter web🕸️

[@glf001]

Nice job Tory! Thank You for sharing.

[@jimw966]

Very informative and so great to see Angel, if only for a montage. I hope she is doing well 😃

[@BigDrinkTEA]

Dynamat xtreme and dynaCore together for the first layer. Frost King & foil taped all joints before spray foaming everything tightly.

[@gloriako7185]

I appreciate all the details & info you give. Thank you & wish you nice days...

[@MonkeyPunchZPoker]

It's a little late now, but once you determined Frost King was the best radiant insulator you should have done one more test: naked wool vs Frost King + wool. Everything I've always read about radiant reflectors for insulation is that they are pointless if you're using another type of insulation on top of it. Of course most of the time people were talking about things like attick insulation, but it would have been an interesting experiment to see in a van application.

[@ToryDelury]

I’m glad you commented this! I will definitely add it to my list of tests I want to do in the future! I hadn’t heard that but I definitely would be intrigued to study it too, Thanks!

[@wizdomalexander2298]

Would’ve loved to see reflectix with an air gap comparison

[@dunckeroo1987]

The radiant barrier increases reflectivity and decreases emissivity. On average, around 30% of heat flow can be due to radiant heat transmission, more in direct sunlight -- less effect if you park in a shaded area. In cold the foil will reflect heat back in. One could add a reflective film behind finishing wood to act as a vapor barrier. One should seal the finishing wood and caulk the joints : To avoid condensation in winter. 4 types of heat flow: Radiant, convection, conduction, and latent heat of evaporation/condensation.

[@LivingProcess]

Brilliant as always 💚 always informative Hope you are doing Fantastic Enjoy the Weekend looking forward to reading your Adventures 💚🤟

[@dougjohns5115]

I thought about using reflectex but decided against it 1- because it MAY trap waterr from condensation and cause rust or mold issues and it will for sure influence your cell phone signal.... I used styfrofoam and non metal sound insulation.

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

Reflectix is the wrong product to use against the metal. What Tory used but failed to describe properly, is closed-cell foam insulation with aluminum foil backing. 10mm of closed-cell foam, with or without aluminum foil, will do the job and act as a vapor barrier too. Just don't buy the same brand as in this video because it's crap (unless you are willing to put 10X the effort to roll it over a hundred times until you make 100% sure that it stick so well that it will never fall off). Find one with a super strong adhesive that will not forgive any mistakes. It's safer and faster.

[@sicchuckie]

Hey I’m lazy; thanks for doing the research! Frost king is the winner 🏆

[@MP2Tablet]

Can't wait to see some panels up.

[@applesbighatranch6906]

Will this 1-foot wide Frost King adhesive foam/foil adhere to and then stay attached to the underside of an aluminum roof in 120* temps and while in full sun beating down on the exterior? Thank you for any experienced replies. Cheers.

[@davep2945]

Yep, I see a lot of videos like this where people try and equate what one does for home insulation to what you should do for a vehicle and they just aren't close enough to being equal to translate. On a home your best bet is to thermal break from the outside which you can't do on a van. The spray foam adhesive your van has on the ribs is all you can really do to separate the layers and the factory has done it for you. People confuse R-value and thermal conductivity as well. Technically wood has a relatively low R-value but even lower conductivity. Properly sealed log cabins are easy to heat and cool even though the logs represent the only structure and insulation. Because a 10 inch log is really hard to drive heat or cold through. No, three quarter inch plywood doesn't have the same density as a log and the surface area on a van rib is small but that means the bridge is also small and statistically meaningless when it comes to insulation effectiveness.

[@spazoq]

PS there are electric rive nut tools. Rive nuts are the way to go, you can remove things without stripping the attachment points, you can remove things to work on broken things behind them. PS, Aerogel insulation for insulation. Super expensive, but the best you can get period.

[@MoonbeameSmith]

I put one of those mylar silverized plastic sheets on the roof of my 2000 Saturn wagon and now my A/C works better than ever. Just keeping the sun off worked a treat. In your case a sheet on the roof wouldn't do any harm

[@greenhometony]

On the actual roof or ceiling???

[@MoonbeameSmith]

@@greenhometony roof.. outside.. reflecting the sun away from my car.. Years of doing outdoor music festivals taught me that white just isn't enough.. we started putting mylar sheet on the production tents and the difference is significant. So I decided to put on on my car during a period of A/C failure.. it is a suprise how much it helps a gold car stay cooler

[@AndrewMagee01]

What are your thoughts on getting this frost king and 4x layering it to a half inch for certain areas that are extremely curved? Would that bring it up to an R value of 12? If it does bring it up to 12, then I would almost think to just throw out everything else and put it all throughout the van, but I feel I might be missing something.

[@tinkering123]

Good testing. I do it all day with my wild ideas. Keep a tinkering..you may find that perfect solution.

[@bennylamera2559]

It’s only common sense to do this insulation. You build a home either a house or a van, it’s only wise to insulate it. Nice job Tory and keep up the good work :)

[@thyme-wm8pt]

What specific Frost King product is used here? Is it the FV516 ? Thanks!

[@AdventureOtaku]

Ive done two van builders, the first time I did reflectix the second time I didn’t, and I see no difference. The thing that bugs me is that there is no consensus, there is no real science being seen - this is probably the most science I have seen, thank you! - we need someone with professional insulation experience to do a big test of materials in a van build.

[@dukecitywildcat]

Is the Frost King thermal layer similar in concept to using Lizard Skin? Is there any particular reason you went with Frost King over other options?

[@Woman-Kisser]

Cool stuff. I wonder how big of a difference it will make when there are solar panels shading the roof

[@jerrytalley802]

Awesome job on the insulation, looks like a long project. Unbelievable how long this finish work takes?

[@PaulMoulds]

Hello from the UK where we need insulation for a different reason🥶😂 Nice video and channel 👍🏻

[@jacobiejacobs8668]

When you get back on the road are you going to visit spooky places like you have in the past. Like ghost hunting?

[@ToryDelury]

Yes, for sure! :)

[@jarodofficer]

Your results are simple to explain. The superior CONDUCTIVE heat insulating property of the foam layer on the Frost King is, by far, the biggest factor. First of all, the only thing that is being heated by RADIANT heat is the outer metal skin of the van. More accurately, it's only the paint. The only thing you can really do to insulate against radiant heat on the body of the van is keep it painted a light color. Almost all other heat transfer beyond the paint is via CONDUCTION (heat from a warmer solid, fluid, or gas moving to a cooler solid, liquid, or gas, via DIRECT CONTACT). CONVECTIVE heat is also not a factor in your test. There will actually be a trace amount of convection within each bubble of the Reflectix, but that would just move heat from the bottom of each bubble to the top. So, if anything, the top of the Reflectix sheet (or the top of the walls of a Reflectix insulated van) should measure a tiny bit warmer than the bottom, from the vertical movement of heat within the sheet, caused by convection. But, for the overall effectiveness of insulations on the sides of the van, we are talking about the horizontal movement of heat. So, the horizontal heat transfer, even within the air bubbles, is CONDUCTIVE. This is where some people get hung up. CONVECTION is essentially based on less dense heated gas or liquid rising. So, when you lose more heat (per square foot) in the winter via the roof than from the sides of the van, CONVECTION plays a bigger role, by moving the warmer air to the ceiling. But, ALL of the heat is actually LOST to the outside via CONDUCTION. Conduction is actually a component of convection. In the end the particles have to transfer heat to each other via direct contact. About the foil: It can only reflect RADIANT heat if there's an air gap for the reflection to take place (1/2" min is usually recommended). Any substance the foil is stuck to or that is laid on over the foil kills its reflective properties. The foil then becomes a conductor of heat and has practically zero insulating properties. As applied during your test, it would do a fine job of keeping radiant heat IN your van, but that's it. Folks, none of these products are going to make much of a noticeable difference. What you want is either spray foam (professional or self-applied) or XPS foam sheets. And thickness counts big time. You should be shooting for 1" minimum. You also need to COMPLETELY seal off all of the outer metal skin of the van from the inside, using spray foam to fill in any gaps, to prevent condensation inside. This is more important for cold weather, of course. Here's a great video explaining most of what I've covered. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHSog2qOf7SVfqMsi=RnYFj9sQ1zHv4I52

[@BruceWayne-sf2de]

This is very informative. How about protection from cold weather? Would the foils do? Thank you!

[@ianrichardson3228]

Foil reflects heat back in. Especially noticable when getting out of bed early and naked! 😳

[@nothere7198]

Thanks for sharing the data. Not sure your measurements method is flawed (definitely on the mark not trying to laser measure a reflective surface 👍). Interesting so far but had to jump in at 4:20 re kilmat. Those squares will definitely help with sound by dampening body panel vibration because of their mass. Much smarter use of them than trying to cover every square inch, that gets heavy and expensive quick 😁 EDIT : ah, you did get to the squares of kilmat note a bit later 👍

[@owenparker6651]

Look into spray foam if you are truly concerned about insulation... There is nothing more effective and the price point will be similar or maybe less than tinfoil foam plus havelock wool if you apply it yourself... Be prepared for the mess, however...

[@KPHVAC]

Spray foam can be amazing but if you ever have to make changes in the future it can be a nightmare mess. I wouldn't do spray foam for a van.

[@AlexGagnon-g8o]

Spray foam is the only option for insulating a camper/van for winter use 🥶

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

@@AlexGagnon-g8o Best, yes. Only, no.

[@spiroszaharakis2648]

@@KPHVAC The only valid argument against spray foam is that since it's permanent, it will be a nightmare for the repairmen in case of an accident if welding is needed. However, when you have put so much work and effort into a van build, and you have such a serious accident, you will have much greater problems than just the bodywork repair and you will most likely end up trashing or selling the van anyway.

[@KPHVAC]

@@spiroszaharakis2648 That's a good point. Coming from residential HVAC spray foam is a nightmare for future changes or repairs.

[@AZRockRunner]

better and cheaper yet, cut and glue polyiso board (1/2" and 1") then glue onto flat section. On curve section, use 3/8 (9mm) closed cell XLPE foam and 3M 90 spray glue.

[@jcusan2011]

Do you have a link to the Reflectix self adhesive insulation?

[@Liimpy]

Just Google frost king

[@Trapster99]

Wow, excellent information in the video, thanks for that guide. But....looks like you got really fit and trim this summer! Ya look great, You Look Marvalous!

[@HeyMichaelLeo]

Nice job on both the video and the Van

[@OWK000]

I always wonder how foil products work when the van is already made of painted steel so there is already one layer of metal. Maybe it's the two layers of metal and some foam that works?

[@ianrichardson3228]

Plywood lining over insulation with foil face is good. 😎

[@goober9983]

That's too funny Tori, your dog likes the laser. There are a couple experts in the comments, enjoy. 😮

[@michaelohara2161]

Foil only reflects where light gets through. It’s works on windows. It is a waist on a metal metal wall. It can’t reflect darkness.

[@MLenninger]

I predict in the winter, you will have a greater cindensation problem. But you alsobwon't need as much heat. I think you could invent a new pad that combines all of the performance values with one material.

[@ToryDelury]

@@MLenninger Luckily my heater creates dry heat so that should help a lot!

[@MLenninger]

@@ToryDelury Sucks up the moisture and humidity, then. Good job, Tory. 60 days until the first snowfall.

[@MelaniesCryBabyTuTu]

I LOVE UR VIDS AND CHANNEL GURLLLLLLLLLL

[@MJ-ge6jz]

Outstanding video! Great info on insulation approaches which can be used in multiple situations, not just van builds. I am suprised you don't wear long pants during your build process. I'm in the middle of DIY work with my Tiny House and I always have long jeans on for protection. However, each to it's own as you have a hell of a pair of legs.

[@MrOpresley]

I like that you did your own controlled tests with the radiant heat the best you could to reinforce your thoughts on the products. Well done!!!

[@mythicalnomadadventure969]

Bet after the reflective layer ? You wouldn't have needed the KilMat. Ahhh, hindsight ! 👍 Rock on 🙂.

[@ToryDelury]

Exactly! I regret the Kilmat completely but it DID NOT want to come off 😅

[@mythicalnomadadventure969]

​@@ToryDeluryHandy to know for future builds 😉.

[@lamiglass1]

I do spray foam insulation for a living and we’ve sprayed a handful of vans to be used as cooler delivery vans and the customers were very impressed with how well it retained temperature!

[@ToryDelury]

@@RLTango Interesting! Good to know, thank you!

[@musiconly7447]

Tory, please use some basic gloves! Dipped gloves are pretty cheap and have good grip and feel.

[@icebergx3141]

Yes good 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@R-cg4on]

Should you have run your wiring and or plumbing BEFORE you totally insulated???

[@ToryDelury]

My wiring I installed the week after & had no problems :) But I went back and forth on that choice for a while

[@ianrichardson3228]

Wiring and plumbing should both be accessible.

[@jo100]

You Did A very very very Great Job On Building Your Van 🚐 Tory.

[@Tofu_Slayer]

It's a no for Havlock wool and a yes for 3m thinsulate

[@MattWedelich]

Great video 😊

[@lyfandeth]

Ask the nice folks at Embassy. Their pricey vans are highly engineered--and all 4 season insulated.

[@gamemenot]

Your experiment is not measuring radiant heat, its measuring conduction. Any regular insulation material like XPS, PSI or sprayfoam at the same thickness as frostking would most likely yield similar results/The radiant barrier is facing inwards so its useless to prevent radiant heat from outside. The title is incorrect, you do not need to insulate the inside of your campervan in foil as it does nothing more than provide a vapour barrier, plastic sheeting would work as well for this purpose. Edit: I see you linked the video from Chuck Cassidy in your description, he literally explains in the video why sandwiching foil insulation between other layers has no use, around the 12:00 mark.

[@ToryDelury]

How would you like to explain the 13 degree difference then? You don’t think that’s worth something no matter the definitions of how it was achieved?

[@gamemenot]

@@ToryDelury the 13 degree difference is because the frostking has some actual insulation material, it is 1/8 inch of foam with a foil layer. You are comparing it with reflectix which is just bubblewrap with a foil layer and kilmat, which is butyl rubber with a foil layer. The result is good indeed, but any other 1/8th inch of foam insulation would yield similar results. You specifically mention foil in your title, but the foil does nothing. Nice that you actually tested something with an experiment though, lot of people like me just talk.

[@Mickaelcrob73]

Good Job👏

[@bobprima3274]

Troy i love all your amazing videos and I hope you’re having a wonderful fantastic day 1:14

[@ToryDelury]

Thank you so much, I hope you have a fantastic day too! 🎉🙏🏼💛

[@bobprima3274]

@@ToryDelury you’re so very welcome troy