[richy27]

at the moment i have just got the van ply lined thinking about insulting it. 

trouble is want to obviously insulate the roof  any ideas where i can get a ply kit for roof  and do you insulate with that silver bubble wrap like stuff. in between van sides and ply

regards

rich

[Simon@arenaclean]

Use rokwool that's what mine was done with a lot cheaper too. You can find kits on ebay, if not find a local diy man he could probably do it. Mine was done by a local company who were great but it did cost over £400 complete.

[Steve. Taylor]

The problem with the silver stuff like artic double from screwfix condensation can be bad in a van rockwall works better. it depends on what your thinking here. Is it just to protect your pump & chems
or are you looking to use the van for other use i say this cause a freind of mine wanted me to convert a sprinter lwb for a motor x / camper . Anyway back to the question if you get cardboard boxes large enough when cut open you can use them as a template they cut easy with sharp scissors & if you mess up dont cost you like ply will a bit  ( blue peter) i no but it works transfer template on to ply with a marker pen job done dont go to thick on the ply roof 6mm max if you want it to bend a bit

Or if you can run power to your van 500w heater from argos on a timer hour on hour off through the night works ok for me.

[Paul W Jones]

I'd just try and get the essentials indoors or at least somewhere above freezing.  If you search on the web you'll find quite a few van lining companies and most send them out in kit form for you to fit yourself.

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Easy job to do yourself I have insulated mine with 2" polystyrene walls and roof also put 1" on the floor.
Very easy to fix just use clear silicone to stick to panels before boarding out

CHEERS TONY

[Len Gribble]

I’m in the process of doing same got mine from wick http://www.wickes.co.uk/General-Purpose-Insulation-Slab/invt/161197?tapopen=cm

As for roof can’t find a ply company that dose them looks like an 8X4 sheet for me

Oh would not stick anything to walls of van just use gaff tape

Len

[Karl Wildey]

spray glued two layers of laminate floor underlay (from B&Q), to my roof. Cost less than £50 and works perfect. Not pretty, but its a working van

[Jim_77]

Rich, have a crack at it yourself, it's fairly straightforward, will kill a little time whilst work is slack!

The way I did mine was with fibreglass loft insulation, much better than that silver stuff or polystyrene and easier to use too.  I think it's best only use 50 or 75mm - cramming more in defeats the object because compressing it loses the air space between the fibres, which is what does the insulating.

You'll need:

1 or 2 rolls of fibreglass depending on size of van (my MWB transit took almost 2 rolls)
6mm ply for sides & roof (any thicker doesn't bend enough to follow curved sides)
9mm ply for back doors & bulkhead (better to screw into for mounting tools etc)
Battery drill (preferably 2 batt drills or an electric screwdriver otherwise you'll spend all day changing between drill and screwdriver bits)
pilot bits (have at least 3 cos you're bound to break 1 or 2, I think I used 3mm dia drill for no.6 screws)
Right length screws (I think I used no.6 screws, 1/2" for the 6mm and 3/4" for the 9mm)
A sharp hand saw
A big bench or 2 saw stools to cut sheets on, or 2 wheelie bins at a push
circular saw helps for straight cuts but hand saw will do
jigsaw to do fiddly bits
clamps
stanley
scrapers
sandpaper
permanent marker
6 pencils cos you'll lose 5 of them but don't worry they'll turn up after you don't need them any more

This is a 2 man job, doing it on your own sucks.

First, unscrew your existing ply lining and cut/insert insulation, being sure to fill all the space.  Then ply your roof, it can help to temporary fix the insulation with tape so it doesn't slide about.  Then do the bit between the roof and existing if there's a gap.

If you've got those hardboard panels on poppers covering hollow door sections, take them off, insulate and ply over the top.

Loads of fannying about measuring and cutting out notches and holes for lights/switches/handles etc but all fairly simple.

Grip your drill bit in the drill so it only just goes through the ply and steel and doesn't pop through the outside skin of the body work!  Always check you're fixing to a "hollow" part ands check you won't hit the outer panel!!  use a wood block as a stopper if unsure

When all your panels are fixed, you can tidy it up by running gripfill along the joints, rub with damp rag, sand off when dry.

If you want to completely seal off your load area from the cab, any stupid awkward holes etc you can fill with expanding foam.  Just use gaffa tape on the other side of the hole you're filling otherwise you'll fill your cab up with foam   Let it dry and scrape/sand it back.

Undercoat all round, then a couple of coats of gloss.  Use a mini roller they cost a couple of quid, thin the paints a bit to roll them.

JK sells stuff called protectacote, horrible to work with but waterproofs well and is non-slip, very effective, apply 2 coats to floor and a foot or 18" up the sides too.  Treat it like radioactive waste, don't touch it or you'll have to wait until your body sheds its skin, it doesnt come off!  Get some xylene off a guy on ebay, it's the only thinner suitable for protectacote, costs about a tenner.  Needs to be a decent surface temp for putting the stuff on though so leave a heater shut in there on max overnight before applying

Alternatively, if you're feeling flush, send it to Alltec who'll charge you about £700+vat to ply line it for you   And then get them to coat it in speedliner (similar to protectacote), cost you another £600+vat

You can see why I did it myself, set me back about £270 in total but had some insulation free so would have cost a little more.

[Jim_77]

that's another legendary ramble from my good self!

[alan lewis]

Yes another good ramble Jim but worryingly .....they all seem to make sense!!!

Alan

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Dont know how you can say that fiberglass insulation is better than polystyrene Jim thermal value mm for mm polystyrene is far better Working with it is very easy and it does not hold moisture.

Cheers Tony

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Dave Roelants insulated his van and when it got to the Summer the TM kept over heating as it was too hot in there and it kept tripping the safety over heat switch.

Shaun

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

LOL 

[richy27]

Rich, have a crack at it yourself, it's fairly straightforward, will kill a little time whilst work is slack!

The way I did mine was with fibreglass loft insulation, much better than that silver stuff or polystyrene and easier to use too.  I think it's best only use 50 or 75mm - cramming more in defeats the object because compressing it loses the air space between the fibres, which is what does the insulating.

You'll need:

1 or 2 rolls of fibreglass depending on size of van (my MWB transit took almost 2 rolls)
6mm ply for sides & roof (any thicker doesn't bend enough to follow curved sides)
9mm ply for back doors & bulkhead (better to screw into for mounting tools etc)
Battery drill (preferably 2 batt drills or an electric screwdriver otherwise you'll spend all day changing between drill and screwdriver bits)
pilot bits (have at least 3 cos you're bound to break 1 or 2, I think I used 3mm dia drill for no.6 screws)
Right length screws (I think I used no.6 screws, 1/2" for the 6mm and 3/4" for the 9mm)
A sharp hand saw
A big bench or 2 saw stools to cut sheets on, or 2 wheelie bins at a push
circular saw helps for straight cuts but hand saw will do
jigsaw to do fiddly bits
clamps
stanley
scrapers
sandpaper
permanent marker
6 pencils cos you'll lose 5 of them but don't worry they'll turn up after you don't need them any more

This is a 2 man job, doing it on your own sucks.

First, unscrew your existing ply lining and cut/insert insulation, being sure to fill all the space.  Then ply your roof, it can help to temporary fix the insulation with tape so it doesn't slide about.  Then do the bit between the roof and existing if there's a gap.

If you've got those hardboard panels on poppers covering hollow door sections, take them off, insulate and ply over the top.

Loads of fannying about measuring and cutting out notches and holes for lights/switches/handles etc but all fairly simple.

Grip your drill bit in the drill so it only just goes through the ply and steel and doesn't pop through the outside skin of the body work!  Always check you're fixing to a "hollow" part ands check you won't hit the outer panel!!  use a wood block as a stopper if unsure

When all your panels are fixed, you can tidy it up by running gripfill along the joints, rub with damp rag, sand off when dry.

If you want to completely seal off your load area from the cab, any stupid awkward holes etc you can fill with expanding foam.  Just use gaffa tape on the other side of the hole you're filling otherwise you'll fill your cab up with foam   Let it dry and scrape/sand it back.

Undercoat all round, then a couple of coats of gloss.  Use a mini roller they cost a couple of quid, thin the paints a bit to roll them.

JK sells stuff called protectacote, horrible to work with but waterproofs well and is non-slip, very effective, apply 2 coats to floor and a foot or 18" up the sides too.  Treat it like radioactive waste, don't touch it or you'll have to wait until your body sheds its skin, it doesnt come off!  Get some xylene off a guy on ebay, it's the only thinner suitable for protectacote, costs about a tenner.  Needs to be a decent surface temp for putting the stuff on though so leave a heater shut in there on max overnight before applying

Alternatively, if you're feeling flush, send it to Alltec who'll charge you about £700+vat to ply line it for you   And then get them to coat it in speedliner (similar to protectacote), cost you another £600+vat

You can see why I did it myself, set me back about £270 in total but had some insulation free so would have cost a little more.

Thanks jim

[Jim_77]

Understand what you mean Tony.  On paper yes it's got a bit better insulating properties but it's nowhere near as easy to use for this sort of thing, I've tried it before!  how do you get it in all the little nooks and crannies, odd shaped bits etc?  What about the different thicknesses you need with a van where there's different amounts of space under the ply? You just end up breaking it to pieces and the bloody stuff goes all over the place.  It's OK for a big, simple, flat area like a floor.  Fibreglass you can just rip off bits and stuff them in, piece of p  

[richy27]

Understand what you mean Tony.  On paper yes it's got a bit better insulating properties but it's nowhere near as easy to use for this sort of thing, I've tried it before!  how do you get it in all the little nooks and crannies, odd shaped bits etc?  What about the different thicknesses you need with a van where there's different amounts of space under the ply? You just end up breaking it to pieces and the bloody stuff goes all over the place.  It's OK for a big, simple, flat area like a floor.  Fibreglass you can just rip off bits and stuff them in, piece of p  

jim my father has insulated out poultry sheds with polstyrene sheets before the thicker sheets are easy enough to work with but the thin ones are a right pain when cutting

[richie]

im with Ji, on this one.  the way a van is shaped would make it impossible to cover the whole area.  Fibreglass type inulation woulld be much better.  Jim you are right about not compressing the insulation.  I used to fit roof insulation as a job.  So many people wanted to board over the top of the insulation that we had fitted which was a total thickness of 250mm.  Trying to explain why they shouldnt was a nightmare with some people.

Richie.