Need ideas on improving my rig's insulation

[maczero]

So I spent my first 20 degree night in my Coach House. It wasn't bad but the moment I turned off my furnace it got cold pretty fast. It looks like the problem areas are the windows, the fridge vent and air gaps between the interior panels and vehicle's metal exterior. I'm thinking of wedging some house insulation along the sides of the fridge to solve the fridge vent problem. For the air gaps, I'm looking at spray foam insulation. The problem with spray foam is that I don't think I'll be able to get to enough of the air gaps for it to really be effective (at least without tearing down my walls). As for the windows, I guess reflectix is an option but storage & covering the windows each night isn't something that appeals to me.

Any suggestions or improvements on my ideas?

[SiennaGuy]

I'd love to see a comparison of R-values of Thinsulate as compared to other materials commonly used in motorhome insulation. I'd love to see it compared to 2" denim, fiberglass, styrofoam and sprayed-in foam. Does 3M or anybody else have such info?

[Hein]

Wikipedia has a thorough document that compares the insulating value and performance of common materials. The most common types insulation used in vans are probably denim, fiberglass, spray foam, rigid foam and of course 3M Thinsulate(TM).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buildi...tion_materials

Below is a spec sheet for Thinsulate. We stock SM600L which is the thickest grade engineered for vehicles.



More info from 3M: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...2659035&rt=rud
The Safety Data Sheet is available under the Support tab.

Thinsulate(TM) fibers are hydrophobic so they do not absorb moisture. Denim is cotton so it must be treated with chemicals to keep it from absorbing moisture. Thinsulate(TM) is also used in the marine industry.

Thinsulate(TM) is the only material I am aware of that passes FMVSS 302 with no use of a borate solution that is sprayed on denim to make it pass the flammability test. Some people can be sensitive to borates. If you have a leak or condensation (which is not uncommon in vehicles but less likely in homes) then it is conceivable that the borate solution leaches out and the flammability rating is lost. But I'm probably overstating the risk a bit. Many Class B RV manufacturers do use denim. It's cheaper than Thinsulate(TM).

Many people are under the impression that all denim insulation is recycled from blue jeans. One pair of recycled jeans yields about enough insulation to cover the area of wall switch plate. I'm pretty sure that there are not nearly enough jeans being recycled to meet the need for denim insulation. So that means virgin cotton is being used. Growing cotton is particularly hard on the soil and the fields must be fallowed because of it. So I question the 'Green' aspect of it. But it appears to be a powerful selling point. More information in this article:

Why I Don't Use Cellulose or Blue-Jean Insulation - Fine Homebuilding

Spray foam is another product folks use in vans. If you are considering these products (or any for that matter) find and take a close look a the MSDS sheet. I am not aware of any spray foams that have been tested for vehicle use. We have it in our metal building and it does off gas (smells). It can warp the metal if not applied very carefully. Body shops don't like to fix dents or body damage if there is spray foam behind the metal. Here is the MSDS for Foam it Green:

https://www.sprayfoamkit.com/images/...0class%201.pdf

Some upfitters are still using fiberglass. It can release airborne fibers in a moving vehicle. These fibers can also collect in the bottom of the wall where they will trap moisture and can block drain holes.

We firmly believe that Thinsulate(TM) is the highest performance and safest noise/thermal insulating product available for use in vehicles.

PM me for a sample.