The Answer to insulating C/Vans and trucks.

purgoose10

Veteran Expediter
It's hard to believe but this stuff works. 2 gallons will do a C/Van or Maxx. Brush, roller or sprayer. It's clear. Amazing stuff.
Tip, Wash the top of your cab or C/van top and let thoroughly dry. Apply thin coat with a sprayer. Let dry an hour and reapply. Try not to get wet for 72 hours. You can't insulate the inside of you cargo area for less and achieve the same results. Amazing stuff.
Read entire site. Also will follow up with another.

Nansulate Home and Industrial Thermal Insulation and Asset Protection Coatings

http://www.nansulate.com/nanoboost.htm
 
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asjssl

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
Seems like a snake oil to me....pretty big claims...i was in the mechanical insulation field for 18+ yrs....dont see how/understand how it would work...maybe i am missing something??
 

Rocketman

Veteran Expediter
The Terramax and Ultramax vans used to have something similar to that as an option. They would spray it on the inside..or something. They claimed some pretty large increases in R value. It was hard for me to believe also...but... I have an open mind to technology. I would love to hear from someone who has tried it.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
When it comes to testing and evaluating the properties and performance of insulation, the most anal of the anal is the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Ankorage, AK. They put Nansulate ( Nanotherm, and it's sister product Super Therm) through the ringer, and both came out smelling like caribou droppings.

Materials with a low average infrared emittance will have values of 0.1 or lower. Through carefully controlled testing, they found that Nanotherm had an average infrared emittance 0.92 and Super Therm had an average emittance of 0.9. The white latex painted used in the tests as a control had an average emittance of 0.85-0.9. So latex paint is better at stopping radiant heat than either Nanotherm or Super Therm.


Their conclusions based on testing for energy savings, heat emittance and R-value were:

1. The coatings did not demonstrate an energy savings in the realistic box tests we conducted;

2. Neither product has an emmittance that would make them effective in reducing heat loss by infrared radiation;

3. Neither product contributed to the R-value of the building material on which they were applied.

A salient comment in the report: "This contradicts the claims by the manufactures that these coatings provide energy savings on the order of 20 to 70%."

You know the saying - if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Here's their findings: http://www.cchrc.org/docs/Insulating_Paint_Final.pdf
 

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I lined the inside with 3/4" foam board and that stuff in the spray cans. Duct tape to close up some of the seams. Ugly as home-made sin, but it seems to do the job.
 

purgoose10

Veteran Expediter
When it comes to testing and evaluating the properties and performance of insulation, the most anal of the anal is the Cold Climate Housing Research Center in Ankorage, AK. They put Nansulate ( Nanotherm, and it's sister product Super Therm) through the ringer, and both came out smelling like caribou droppings.

Materials with a low average infrared emittance will have values of 0.1 or lower. Through carefully controlled testing, they found that Nanotherm had an average infrared emittance 0.92 and Super Therm had an average emittance of 0.9. The white latex painted used in the tests as a control had an average emittance of 0.85-0.9. So latex paint is better at stopping radiant heat than either Nanotherm or Super Therm.


Their conclusions based on testing for energy savings, heat emittance and R-value were:

1. The coatings did not demonstrate an energy savings in the realistic box tests we conducted;

2. Neither product has an emmittance that would make them effective in reducing heat loss by infrared radiation;

3. Neither product contributed to the R-value of the building material on which they were applied.

A salient comment in the report: "This contradicts the claims by the manufactures that these coatings provide energy savings on the order of 20 to 70%."

You know the saying - if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Here's their findings: http://www.cchrc.org/docs/Insulating_Paint_Final.pdf

The box test that they are refering to is done when R ratings can't be figured. The only way to measure R value is by thickness and naturally this isn't thick.
The Maxx vehicles are using this technology and claiming R-11, again where they get the R's I don't know. I will give an update as soon as we get results from one of my old vans that we are doing this week-end. We ordered a gallon to try it out and will let you know. They use this stuff on race engines and it displaces heat on engines and fuel lines and were also doing that. Will take awhile but we will update it later when the results are in.
 

jay1966

Active Expediter
I have a GMC Corsair Van with the Fiberglass Air swoop over the cab.
I find in summer it let's in much heat. The box is insulated with 1/2 in foam board and expandable foam covered with 1/8 ply sheets.

The air swoop is such an odd shape that I've been wondering what's the best way to insulate it.?
I'd like to save about 1/2 of the opening for storage.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The box test that they are refering to is done when R ratings can't be figured. The only way to measure R value is by thickness and naturally this isn't thick.
Of course the R-value can be figured. Saying, "the only way to measure R value is by thickness," indicates you've read, closely, the information on Nansulate's Web site, because that's the position they (and all the other insulating paint peddlers) are sticking to. They want to avoid mentioning the actual R-value (because the ones who do get the attention of the FTC). While it is true that R-value is a measure by thickness, you can nevertheless determine any material's effective R-value regardless of how thin it is.

The R-value of a material, which is the inverse of thermal conductance (thermal conductivity divided by the thickness of the material), is the value that indicates how well that material resists heat flow. You measure the R-value of the plain material, then paint it with Nansulate, then measure the R-value of the same material with the coating, and the difference in the two R-values will be the R-value of the coating. Easy peasy.

Nansulate claims the nanoparticles in Nansulate have an R-value of 8.5 hr ft[SUP]2[/SUP] ºF / BTU, but that's the nanoparticles thenselves, when stacked up in 1-inch globs. But using the numbers posted on their Web site, an R-value of 15 would be for a 5 mil thick coating of paint. Tests show otherwise. You know a company is in a gray area when thehttp://www.tprl.com/Insulation_Paint_Claims.html testing lab it hired has to devote a Web page to debunking the exaggerated claims made by the manufacturer that asked it to perform tests.

The Maxx vehicles are using this technology and claiming R-11, again where they get the R's I don't know.
I do - out of their butt. :D

I will give an update as soon as we get results from one of my old vans that we are doing this week-end. We ordered a gallon to try it out and will let you know.
I look forward to it, as do many others, I suspect.

They use this stuff on race engines and it displaces heat on engines and fuel lines and were also doing that.
Yes, "they" do, but "they" tend to be those who are being paid to do so.

Insulating nano paints were developed by NASA's Ames Research Center (interestingly enough, initially inspired for beekeepers to paint their hives with), so they're real, and they do work in limited situations and applications. But they don't work anywhere near as well as the manufacturers claims. Beekeepers don't even use it, and that's who it was developed for.

Insulating paints will not, by a long stretch, replace traditional insulation. What insulating paints do is help (albeit marginally) somewhat with thermal reflectivity, but they do not in any way slow down heat flow and transfer any better than regular paint does. It'll reflect direct sunlight and high heat (hundreds of degrees) in the short term, but in the long term it won't keep anything cooler, as the heat energy will simply transfer right through the material, as would be expected with any low density material such as one-to three coats of paint. Meaning, white paint on roofs and black paint on engines give you the same results with and without nano paints.

If someone could come up with a product, any product, that could give you R-19 for 10 cents a square foot, everybody would be using it.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Maybe they said R one - one and someone misunderstood that for R 11 so their R1 became R11. :D
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The air swoop is such an odd shape that I've been wondering what's the best way to insulate it.?
I'd like to save about 1/2 of the opening for storage.
I've got the slope of my Sprinter insulated with this stuff: Window Insulation Kit.

I've just got it glued right to the surface with Loctite Power Grab Construction Adhesive.

It's designed to cut it yourself, sew on edging to prevent fraying, add grommets and the supplied suction cups, for custom window insulation for any type of vehicle. I already have the Sprinter Cab Window Insulation Sets. Each do-it-yourself kit is 11.48 ft x 61 inches, or about 1.5 to 2 times what it takes to do one Sprinter window set.

But the do-it yourself kit lets insulate whatever you want (including custom windows). I've got the rest of the van insulated with foam board, canned foam, and Reflectix bubble pack, but if I were to do another one I'd likely use the do-it-yourself insulation instead of the Reflectix. Cost a little more, but not by much, and it's awesome for insulation (the exact same stuff they use on the Space Station and the Mars Rovers). It would take about 8 sets to properly insulate an entire Sprinter, though. :D

But it's perfect for insulating something like that swoop. That or Reflectix bubble pack (at Lowes).
 

Rocketman

Veteran Expediter
Turtle, would either of those two products be sturdy enough to use as a stand alone windshield shade...as in....to custom build into something that would stay in place with just the sun visor holding against it? I think somebody told me they made one out of reflectix?
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
The Reflectix is sturdy enough. It's not as rigid as cardboard, but it'll do. The sun visor will definitely hold it in place. The tighter you can get it, the better, or course, so that you don't get a lot of thermal heat caught between the window and the Reflectix seeping into the van. Some use Velcro for a better seal, but it's really only on those truly hot summer days, the ones with the abundant sunshine, that you really need to get it tight. Basically, you want it reflecting as much back out through the window rather than some of it radiating through gaps back into the van. Some people lay Reflectix on the outside of the window and use the windshield wiper arms to hold it in place (I feel sorry for them when it rains, though, and on days when the winds are crazy - talk to OVM, I think he does his like that).

The Thermo-Mat Isoflex (that's what it's called, honest) has much higher thermal insulating properties than the Reflectix, but it's not rigid at all. It's a cross between a stiff wool blanket and the Reflectix. It's a quited7-layer material, with each layer being akin to a thin fabric or aluminum foil (depending on the layer). Although, there are times when mine has gone up and the suction cups didn't hold it (happens when the cups or the window is dirty) and the visors kept it in place, sagging though it was.

Here's some more pictures of the Thermo-Mat Isoflex, as well as some shots of some really-nice-but-really-expensive pre-cut Reflectix. Window Insulation
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
Turtle, would either of those two products be sturdy enough to use as a stand alone windshield shade...as in....to custom build into something that would stay in place with just the sun visor holding against it? I think somebody told me they made one out of reflectix?

I made one out of Reflectix by cutting a slot for the rearview mirror and just used the sun visors and mirror to hold it in place. I also cut some pieces to cover the side windows and used to just roll a small piece of the edge up in the window to hold it in place.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I guess from now on I will get a clearence before offering any potential help. Sorry won't happen again.

Why? Like I said, I look forward to hearing your experiences with it. I'm sure others are, too. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Three times as efficient as Thinsulate. I want a jacket and blanket although at $30 a square foot even a blanket would be expensive. I don't know about doing the inside of a van with it at that price.
 
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