Sprinter insulation

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Yup, foam board-only is not all that different from putting on a winter coat and not buttoning it up, putting on a hat with a hole in the top, and wearing fingerless gloves. Yeah, you're covered, but you're still gonna freeze yer butt off.

And two panels to cover a Sprinter? Not even close.

Foam panels and canned foam, plus Reflectix will insulate a van very well. But it'll take you about 5 days to do it properly. Using professional spray foam, you can have that done one day, finish it off the next with Reflectix or whatever you like, and it'll cost about the same.
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
Be careful about spraying the doors, because the foam will expand and may really screw up the lock and window mechanisms.

Follow these words of warning, I made the mistake and I knew better but I didn't realize where one of the rods ran in the door and it took a lot of time to get the door open. I ended up breaking the rod when I was removing the foam.

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golfournut

Veteran Expediter
I got a bid for spraying foam from a commercial contractor for a Sprinter extended.$750 for the ceiling, walls and doors. Should come out to be about R8 or 9.
 

asjssl

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
The biggest advantage in a cargo van or sprinter...eliminates all that banging around inside a coffee can sound....almost 0 road noise...and as the other gentlemen was suggesting...DON'T use liquid nails on foam board...it will dry to be to hard...use a silicone based caulk...it is a great adhesive...but also makes like a rubber gasket...it will flex with all the bumping around...and less squeaks...

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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
DON'T use liquid nails on foam board...i will dry to be to hard...use a silicone based caulk...it is a great adhesive...but also makes like a rubber gasket...it will flex with all the bumping around...and less squeaks...
Well, if it flexes too much with all the bumping, the foam board will rub the metal skin just a little bit, and you get more squeaks. I used a combination of spray adhesive and Liquid Nails (Loc-Tite, actually). I used sweeping beads of Loc-Tite, then sprayed over it with 3M spray glue, then sprayed the foam board, then married them together. It ain't flexing, rubbing, or squeaking.

The main thing really, isn't Liquid Nails versus silicone, as you really can use whichever one you like, it won't matter much, as long as you use enough of it, or use it in combination with glue, so as to not have it separate down the road and start rubbing.
 

asjssl

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
Well, if it flexes too much with all the bumping, the foam board will rub the metal skin just a little bit, and you get more squeaks. I used a combination of spray adhesive and Liquid Nails (Loc-Tite, actually). I used sweeping beads of Loc-Tite, then sprayed over it with 3M spray glue, then sprayed the foam board, then married them together. It ain't flexing, rubbing, or squeaking.

The main thing really, isn't Liquid Nails versus silicone, as you really can use whichever one you like, it won't matter much, as long as you use enough of it, or use it in combination with glue, so as to not have it separate down the road and start rubbing.

Spray glue ...really...didn't you notice.how it ate up the foam board.....ok.whatever...I was just trying to give my PROFFESSINAL opinion as I was a mechnical insulation contractor .( Google my screenname).do what you want not my van....


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EASYTRADER

Expert Expediter
I was assuming a person trying to insulate their truck woul have enough common sense to use and adhessive that is SAFE for the material you are sticking. We all aren't retarded.

BTW 3m makes excellent spray glues which I have used in the past for carpeting speaker boxes. The 3 inch foam panels will work great and it won't cost 750 bucks either. If you're a total goof and completly unhandy then don't do it. Just park the truck at te lender. The idea that you have to be a "licensed" insulation contractor I find entertaining. How does that license effect the illegal allien you hire to do your work?

Its one thing to hire a proffesional to do labor because you want to play golf. Its another thing for that professional to insinute were all to stupid to cut and glue insulation inside if a sleeper or van body.

If you really want to trick it out nice WRap the foam panel with your choice of vinyl or cloth then you'll have a sprinter \ swinger party van.

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asjssl

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
I was assuming a person trying to insulate their truck woul have enough common sense to use and adhessive that is SAFE for the material you are sticking. We all aren't retarded.

BTW 3m makes excellent spray glues which I have used in the past for carpeting speaker boxes. The 3 inch foam panels will work great and it won't cost 750 bucks either. If you're a total goof and completly unhandy then don't do it. Just park the truck at te lender. The idea that you have to be a "licensed" insulation contractor I find entertaining. How does that license effect the illegal allien you hire to do your work?

Its one thing to hire a proffesional to do labor because you want to play golf. Its another thing for that professional to insinute were all to stupid to cut and glue insulation inside if a sleeper or van body.

If you really want to trick it out nice WRap the foam panel with your choice of vinyl or cloth then you'll have a sprinter \ swinger party van.

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Yikes....I.was giving my professional opinion as a insulator on the ideas being suggested here...what did you think I was getting at ?? Just trying to help....isnt what this is all about....


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chefdennis

Veteran Expediter
Originally Posted by EASYTRADER
I was assuming a person trying to insulate their truck woul have enough common sense to use and adhessive that is SAFE for the material you are sticking. We all aren't retarded.

BTW 3m makes excellent spray glues which I have used in the past for carpeting speaker boxes. The 3 inch foam panels will work great and it won't cost 750 bucks either. If you're a total goof and completly unhandy then don't do it. Just park the truck at te lender. The idea that you have to be a "licensed" insulation contractor I find entertaining. How does that license effect the illegal allien you hire to do your work?

Its one thing to hire a proffesional to do labor because you want to play golf. Its another thing for that professional to insinute were all to stupid to cut and glue insulation inside if a sleeper or van body.

If you really want to trick it out nice WRap the foam panel with your choice of vinyl or cloth then you'll have a sprinter \ swinger party van.

Somebody "wizz" in your cereal this morning!?!? That whole post was totally uncalled for....take a pill...:rolleyes:
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Don't mean to be an a** about this but a few of us have done so much work on the insulating of sleepers, we got a good thing going and the thought of using Styrofoam panels seems to be a cheap way to go.

They have an rated R value of 3 to 4 per inch while closed cell spray on foam has an R value of 6 to 7 per inch.

We tried diffetent combinations to figure out what worked well with those ovens from that sleeper manufacturer. Between the four of us, and five years of messing around (and having fun with infrared cameras) the results of the work that we found to work good with aluminum boxes is a combination of spray closed cell insulation, vapor barrier, 3/8" coroplast and reflex type heat barrier works the best for closed small spaces. This combination has been tested in both sprinters and in truck sleepers, one sprinter spent a few weeks in the New Mexico/Arizona I10 coridor and the owner said that the heat wasn't a problem for the A/C to handle - even in Yuma. The biggest issue he found was heat soak through the floor and that was taken care of by using Dynomatt and spray on ceramic heat barrier.
 

bobwg

Expert Expediter
I had no problem using liquid nail on the foam board and the metal interior of my Sprinter just had to read the label and get the Liquid nail that is ok to use with foam and metal. I did the ceiling and the big areas of the walls with the foam board and then covered with the reflectix again using the liquid nail
 

purgoose10

Veteran Expediter
I've been doing alot of reading and have noticed that most everyone says to insulate your sprinter or cv. One of my sub-contractors does spray foam insulation and I could get him to spray the interior pretty cheap if I took it to an ongoing jobsite. I just wondered if anyone has ever done this or would it be detrimental in any way?

Strip the back out and buy some clear poly. Cover the front and the doors latch areas. Don't spray inside the door where the latch bars are and also tape some plastic along the edge of the floor where it meets the wall. Take it to your friend and spray 2 inch's walls and ceiling. R-8/9 you won't be sorry. Like the man said 1 day or less.

If everything is done when you get there it shouldn't take him an hour to spray it.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Spray glue ...really...didn't you notice.how it ate up the foam board.....ok.whatever
No, I didn't notice that. Granted, most spray glues will indeed eat Styrofoam, either because of the acetone or the toluene. Most plain white Styrofoam boards will be eat by most spray glues, but if there is a plastic coating on the board, the glue might or might not eat through it. The blue foam board from Lowes plays well and gets along with 3M 77 glue quite well.

The best glues to use on Styrofoam are the actual Styrofoam glues such as UHU Styrofoam glue, Weldbond and 3M 77. It is the 3M 77 that I have consistently recommended to others here. I recommend it specifically because I know that it won't eat the foam, and because it is easily available at places like Lowes.

...I was just trying to give my PROFFESSINAL opinion as I was a mechnical insulation contractor .( Google my screenname).do what you want not my van....
Believe me, we all appreciate those who give their opinions, especially those like yours which come from a previous profession. Expediting is chock full of people with previous professions and areas of expertise.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The idea that you have to be a "licensed" insulation contractor I find entertaining. How does that license effect the illegal allien you hire to do your work?
We're all talking about insulating a Sprinter, and you start talking about the hiring of illegal aliens, and directly imply that he has hired illegal aliens to work for him? What's wrong with you?

We all aren't retarded.
Well, not all. :mad:
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I was assuming a person trying to insulate their truck woul have enough common sense to use and adhessive that is SAFE for the material you are sticking. We all aren't retarded.

BTW 3m makes excellent spray glues which I have used in the past for carpeting speaker boxes. The 3 inch foam panels will work great and it won't cost 750 bucks either. If you're a total goof and completly unhandy then don't do it. Just park the truck at te lender. The idea that you have to be a "licensed" insulation contractor I find entertaining. How does that license effect the illegal allien you hire to do your work?

Its one thing to hire a proffesional to do labor because you want to play golf. Its another thing for that professional to insinute were all to stupid to cut and glue insulation inside if a sleeper or van body.

If you really want to trick it out nice WRap the foam panel with your choice of vinyl or cloth then you'll have a sprinter \ swinger party van.

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The sarcasm wasn't really needed or necessary...EASYTRADER....

Thank you....Ken aka OVM...:)
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Nothing like piling on. Speaking of piling on, let's get back to discussing Sprinter insulation. People reading this thread a year or two from now won't care about the extraneous crap.
 

golfournut

Veteran Expediter
Since my leg is better, I am going to play golf while I get the spray insulation because I can afford it and I want the best!
 

buckwheat

Seasoned Expediter
Turtle, is your suggestion about using foam board to cut down on the amount of spray on insulation? I was wondering if it would be reasonable to just fill the voids with open cell?
 
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