(You need a good air compressor if you do it yourself.) Anyway, as suggested we ended up using a layer of Thinsulate and a layer of Low-E reflectix in the walls. We feel the Lizard Skin is helpful and definitely worth the $275 we have into it. I decided against using any on the roof since the roof is already corrugated and doesnt resonate like the walls do. Installing Offroad Lights on Our Sprinter Van Cheap and Awesome! We are here to help, call us at. In most places we placed it over the Thinsulate, toward the inside of the van, but in the cab area under the headliner it made more sense to glue the Low-E on first. Tip: if you pull the dome lamp out you can access the forward part behind the headliner area. Sprinter Van Ceiling Install: White, Clean, and Simple! The Sprinter Headliner Shelf is the perfect way to utilize all the wasted space directly above the Driver and Passenger seats in the new 2019+ VS30 model Sprinters. Product information Technical Details You only get one shot at it, once it touches the glue on the wall, its stuck. Then I used the insulation from window level-ish up. One thing to note here is how little Fatmat is required to sound deaden a panel. You showed a few clips, but the whole video alludes me. Mechanical work listed below done within the . It does work. The interior of most modern vans will have strips of it from the factory. Most of our vans have body-side mouldings that clip-on using plastic clips. *. Hi Chris, you are welcomeIm guessing many of these videos would be very useful at putting one back to sleep. Radiant barriercan be used when an airspace is present to reflect radiant energy. Where did you source your closed cell foam padding that goes between your wall panels and tweed from? A word on the flaps located in vehicles. FMVSS 302 certified motor vehicle safety standards. Some people will use Reflectix, which is designed as a radiant barrier. I only used Fatmat on our floor (also corrugated like the roof) to try to eliminate road noise and because it didnt take up any space to roll a layer on. Detach and remove all of the seatbelt covers, lights, speakers, visors and clothes hangers. . Lots of latches, sensors and moving parts. Im pretty sure this material is used in boiler housings to shield the heat from the cast iron sections, cant really speak on any other applications. Having some additional thermal insulation is appreciated. Thanks for your thoughts. Spray Foam: An absolute mess from what I have seen in other peoples installs and its permanent, Moisture Resistant: Its hydrophobic fibers resist moisture, mold, and mildew. Thank you Hugh! Heat-Insulating Glass with Filter Band on Windscreen; . I have had a wall panel off the van and there was no evidence of Lizard Skin delamination. It's recommended to get a high heat resistant glue for carpet and upholstery, otherwise you risk the carpet peeling from the walls in higher heat. Any amount you add, even when used very sparingly, does help. The first and most important factor to consider, , is to consider how well the insulation resists moisture. The matte-black colored textured surface is the ceramic insulation. I apologize if my question has been answered in a previous thread but I was wondering the best way to secure the factory floor to the vehicle once the floor has been built up. Im happy with how quiet it is though. One of the best ways to do this is with van window covers. I know itll help some with sound but Im trying to quantify & measure what the actual result will be. Hi, Im not sure what you mean by layering but I have the combination of Lizard Skin, butyl mat (noico) and thinsulate all layered in my walls. If youre doing the everything we described here, the Lizard Skin gets applied against the bare metal of the van. No worries; good luck with insulating. Thanks, Hi Dean, Making the van a hot box. Second, the thin-foiled aluminum will efficiently absorb heat and conduct it through the wall of the van. Needs cutting to shape and fitting into awkward panel areas. The vans sliding door contains a lot of moving parts including cables, latches, sensors, etc. Thats how certain they are that water will penetrate. Live your site, so much useful information and so well presented. Then Foam/Foil insulation is attached to the back of the panels, Side-panel protection from dents and scarring on the inside, Insulation material provides noise reduction and thermal barrier, Custom fit for your Mercedes Sprinter van, Precut and predrilled sections are lightweight and install easily. Water is a bi-product of its combustion. If you watch our YouTube video on Part 1 of our insulation install, you will likely be able to hear the difference in the rear door panels before and after installation of the butyl dampener. Wellthats what we did anyway with our Sprinter, La Bonita Negra (aka Bonny Lass). cleva customer service. Its super thick at 80 mil, and provides tremendous bang for the buck. Lizard Skin appears to be reasonably environmentally friendly and it is water based. I was thinking maybe I could layer (Id have to see if it can peel in layers) that between the sheet metal and thinsulate in some areas. Posted at 06:48h in jewellery box designs handmade by faux brick feature wall. We used one 36 sq ft pack for our 144 wheelbase Sprinter and it was plenty. This is the best article Ive read about insulation. for example if i were to run piping in the channels on the floor of the van for example, then fill it with hot water somehow? The Lizard Skin does help but its only one small peice of our vans insulation package. Includes all mounting hardware. From what I have gathered, when someone clicks on the link and buys an item within a certain amount of time (I think its around 24 hours), then I get credit. Sprinter Van Convertible Folding Dinette and Bed, Installing CR Laurence Windows in Our Sprinter Van, Installing a MaxxAir 7500k Roof Vent in our Sprinter Van, Sprinter Van 200 Watt Solar System Install, Installing Sprinter Van RTS523 Rhino-Rack Roof Rails, Sprinter Van Sportcraft Swivel Seats Installation, Upgraded Sprinter Van Wheels: Method Wheels & Nitto ATs, Dual 6 Volt Underhood Battery Tray: Sprinter Van, Our New Sprinter Van: Building the Ultimate Adventure Rig, How To Build Your Own DIY Outdoor Shower For Under $30, Denim: Easily soaks up moisture which causes rust and is also treated with chemicals. Insulation and ventilation work hand in hand so consider both before you start your installation. Thanks again! We now find that the shaded area of the ceiling (under the solar panel) remains cooler for longer. We decided to attach the wooden battens before the foil wrap was up, so that we wouldn't have to screw through the foil bubble wrap. We offer all of our write-ups and instructional videos for free. If the Lizard Skin breaks away, you now have an unprotected area that could rust. Free shipping for many products! Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review. . Enjoy discovering additional uses for the variety of available interior fabrics and colors, such as adding styling to dashboards, door panels, consoles, speakers and trunk liners. acts as a panel dampener. Good luck with your build and let me know if you have any questions. -Ken. If I use one of your product links to get to amazon and then navigate and buy something else(maybe a different style or model) do you still get credit? I hadnt heard of Lizard Skin, but it sounds like really interesting stuff. I put Noico down, mini cell in between the ribs followed by another layer on top, followed by the stock floor (crew). Van Insulationoh the subject of much debate. Im working hard on adding additional content. Give us a call at 503-427-2270. These are some of the products we chose NOT to go with and why. Ken Thank you for the great resource by bring all the DIY van conservation info into one place, Hi Scott, sounds about right. Be sure to subscribe to get updates whenever I post up something new. Kens father initially told us about this, as it is commonly used by people with hot rod cars putting very large engine in very tiny classic cars. My van already had Noico installed and we sprayed over it. $605,000 Last Sold Price. Conclusion: We need to do something to reduce the sheetmetals efficiency at conducting heat. So I think thats proof-positive it does work! -Pete, By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our. Typically were heading up the cooler mountains but certainly see adventures to the western side of the state and beyond where 100 degree days arent uncommon. Just thank you for sharing so much and for being so awesome and authentic. It isnt efficient enough on its own for insulation because of its small air gap, but I feel it blocks a great deal of the heat. The R-value of insulation helps describe an insulating materials resistance to heat transfer. We live in a place that has many days over 100-deg F during the summer. Thanks for following! I cant imagine the Lizard Skin would be as effective as a good insulation like Thinsulate. Their purpose is to alleviate the issue of overpressure (of air) when you close a door. Hi Dana, I did not scuff the paint. To make your vehicle specific selection and place your order. Removing excess spray foam with a kitchen knife. Good luck with your build and thanks for stopping in! I taped off the ribs because I was concerned the additional thickness and texture of the Lizard Skin might make it difficult for the headliner to reattach using the clips. Alternatively you mayconsider using the donate button below to make a simple Paypal payment, or message us if you prefer Venmo. This enables you to close your doors without slamming them. Van type: Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, and Freightliner Sprinter High Roof Crew, Cargo, and Passenger models, 144 & 170 wheelbases. Hi Tre, I used some polyiso in my floor but chose not to use it anywhere else. Woohoo. Before I came across your site, I was thinking that the dampener would stick better to the original bare metallic surface than a ceramic one. This product can expose you to chemicals including Carbon Black which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. Heres where more controversy and opinions come into-play. DuraTherm consists of dual polypropylene outer skins, vacuum heat sealed to a central honeycomb plastic core, resulting in a 5/16" thick panel for premium cargo van insulation. We used this method to feed insulation through the center of the overhead ribs. Whats the first thing you do after purchasing a perfectly good Sprinter? Im not saying that as a recommendation, but I was concerned about having thin paint in places I couldnt see rust forming. The panel dampener works best near the middle of large panels to absorb panel vibration. Would you say that LizardSkin is overkill for Colorado? As a finishing touch, we visited the pros at Automotive Outfitters in SE Portland. That said, wewould say a simple installation of a pack of Noico and a roll of Thinsulate will work excellent for 95% of you. -Ken, Hello Ken, Thanks again and hope to see you around. Thanks! Most headliner replacement fabrics are prelaminated with foam backing and are wrinkle-proof and sound-absorbent. Click & Collect. How are you feeling u dealing with the heat transfer through the ribs? Im not regretting it, but do question how much its performing. Insulation Kits are shipped within 5 days of payment. DIY Exterior Van Light: Solar, Magnetic & Motion Detected! Get the shell sorted, than start the interior build out. Now poke a hole in the black scrim of the insulation, hook it to the fish tape and pull it through. Overall thickness is 3/8" +/- consisting of 2 closed cell sections laminated to an aluminum center foil to maintain shape and van skin contour. Bravo! I dunno, Im not one to want to experiment too heavily with something as important as insulation. She is a 3500 Dually, 170WB EXTENDED, High Roof, with only 195k miles that have been meticulously cared for and uplifted with only the best equipment. A foam/foil insulation is then added to the back of the panels to get the perfect interior liner product. The surfaces in our van that have been sprayed with Lizard Skin are noticeably cooler than the ones that were not. Your info has been a great tool as I embark on my moto-van conversion of my new 2019 170 cargo. Lizard Skin is one piece of the insulation puzzle but not the end-all. I would never have the chutzpah to document the build out such as you do. First, is understanding the 3 Heat loss mechanisms and how insulation works in slowing down these reactions.Radiation or Radiant heat transfer can be the rays of the sun striking the vans metal skin, heating up the metal and transfer the heat to the inside or passing through the windows. All I know is I will stick up a sound deadening product like 2023 Pete Greep - WordPress Theme by Kadence Themes. It is flame resistant and meets FMVSS 302 certified motor vehicle safety standards. More important, the venting is required to allow the dash heating and air conditioning to distribute air inside the van. For drivers looking to convert their sprinter into a campervan, hot temperatures are especially . A single human will lose 800mL of water per day through a combination of perspiration and respiration. Want to help out as much as possible. So, its probably doing more than I think. I tested several panels in direct sunlight and it was over 30 degrees cooler to touch where Refelctix was installed versus not. In the upper wall cavities, of a Sprinter anyway, the Thinsulate stays-put without glue. With our smaller or raised headliner shelf ( #63009-49-01) you are able to keep your stock sun visor and storage above the driver and passenger areas. I consider LizardSkin as a way to further reduce the time it takes for the heat/cold to spread to the interior, but the Thinsulate is the main source of insulating. A link please? Thanks for this! No one ever says: "I wish I had less storage in my . Most of the heat from the sun comes from higher up the van walls, so it still served a great benefit in our van. Planning a trip up your coast next summer, on our way up to Olympic Natl Park. A big job! Let me know your experience. Lizard Skin is sprayed on the firewall and transmission tunnel to help keep the interior of these old cars cooler. . 60-feet is recommended for the 170 Sprinter and 70-feet for the 170-Extended Sprinter. What you'll need: Screwdriver with Flat head, Philips, T-25 & T-30 Torx bits. You can replace it yourself by following these steps for how to install a headliner. Reflectix alone has almost no R-value, and weve seen far too many van builds where it is glued it straight to the vans sheetmetal. Uncovered and uninsulated, these elements act as thermal bridges, extending the condensation problem into the envelope of the vehiclethe 2x4s in your home construction present us with the same issue. It can be used under floors to absorb noise, but when you install it with an air gap, it works to reflect heat back because of its foil layer and closed-cell foam insulating layer. You would need a way to heat the water, circulate it and a way to winterize it as well. Thank you for your fantastic posts and videos! https://www.foambymail.com/PR/polyethylene-foam-roll.html. Some insulation is better at resisting moisture than others. Closed CelFoam & UpholsteredWall Panels. We recommend 50-feet for a 144 Sprinter, 148 Transit and 158 Promaster. If other items are purchased I think I do get small credit as well. This will release the headliner from the roof of your car, at which point you can simply pull it out. I know it is recommended to scuff the paint. Finally, use aroller($6-$7) to compress the Noico until the pattern on the outside is flattened. Thank you I really appreciate the feedback! Believe it or not, driving straight-on into the sun is almost an enjoyable experience. Stay tuned for the next chapter in the Sprinter van conversion blog series. Subscribe & you will get an automatic email notification when I post up a new adventure, tip, or review on my blog. We use only the highest quality and most powerful N55 rare earth magnets for all of our shades. Sprinterstore.com offers the best selection of Insulation parts and reasonable shipping for tricking out your Sprinter Van. The only reason I didnt spray down low is I had existing cabinetry in the way. Thanks much, as the Lizard skin seems well worth the cost an time. In addition to adding a heater, roof vent and opening windows, we also have Flarespace flares in our Sprinter van, and the new Flarespace bed that is designed specifically for use with the flares, enabling us to sleep in a large bed, sideways in our van, saving space in the van. Remember, thats all we can do with insulation, is slow the heat transfer. Click below to watch our video update for Part 3 of our build! SPONSORED. It came a big heat mat. Just got a sprinter last week. The one that we bought was a spray kind, stable to 120c by T&A Upholstery Supplies. Heatshield Products has engineered our db Headliner Kit to help prevent a vehicle's interior from feeling like an oven and to make the drive quieter. Consider that your first source of moisture. This product can double both the heating and cooling efficiency of your vehicle no matter what the climate you operate in. For the Noico, install, did you go overtop any factory installed butle sheets, or did you remove, lean and install Noico fresh? We sincerely appreciate your visit as well as your support. There are many options for insulating a campervan. I am not sure if that is due to the cold temperatures not letting it set up right or the fact that I did not scuff up the paint first (too impatient also). Ceramics are not very efficient at conducting heat, unlike the vans sheetmetal. My question pertains to the exterior molding you removed and the body trim clips that leak. Both of those sound painful to endure. I didnt scuff my paint either. (Dont worry, well put most of the interior back together for Bonny.) We didnt pull the headliner but managed to stuff a few pieces in the important places. Our seat removal and subsequent sale offset this cost nicely. -Ken. A friend and I both wanted to do our vans, so we split the cost of the required spray-gun and each purchased 2 gallons of Lizard Skin. I hate to break it to you, but these leak. As you know, I only used the ceramic insulation and not the sound deadener. When we pulled the domed cab headliner, we glued Thinsulate to the ceiling of the van. The higher the value the greater the insulating effectiveness. Never hurts to do a little research before implementing! Being the a scientist by-day, weve been carrying a non-contact thermometer with us the past year and half in an attempt to learn how to keep our van cooler in summer. A single human will lose 800mL of water per day through a combination of perspiration and respiration. All in all, the insulation project didnt take that much time. Thanks for sharing. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. 1/4 plywood was used for the final wall panels. Verified Purchase. Was it worth it and did it work? Love your show!!! The walls of the Sprinter have metal ribs running along them and up and down them, creating these three different levels of "pockets." The segments on the top and bottom are deep but . Seems to us that moisture will instead take the path of least resistance and go out a vented window and/or vent fan. Commercial Van to Camper Van Registration. Downsides of Thinsulate: its not cheap and there are other products with a higher R-value. We will cut to the chaseof the four products that make up our insulation package, we can easily recommend two of them that will work great for 95% of you. To summarize, our van only has it sprayed from the ceiling down to the bottom-of-window level. The factory butyl is very effective, so I left it. I wouldnt use it by itself, but certainly would in combination with other insulation. The effects during the hot summertime is easier to notice. For California Customers: I just managed to find a van to convert and am trying to decide an insulation package for up in the Pacific Northwest. Every little bit does count in a metal box. Hi, and thank you! Keep in mind, you don't need to cover the whole surface to be effective. Generally 20-25% panel coverage is all you need. They had know condensation and used propane heater. Procedure that worked for me for removal of headliner (as usual, your experience my vary - hopefully better than mine): Starting at the front: Move the driver and passenger seats fully forward and angle the seats down Remove the D-ring bolt at bottom of the driver's and passenger side "B" pillar using a Torx T-45 wrench. If you feel you desire more, simply apply more around the existing butyl. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser. . The interior of most modern vans will have strips of it from the factory. Many metal sprinter vans do not come with insulation, so the interiors can quickly become uncomfortable and filled with rattles and road noise. One gallon can cover 23-25 square feet at 0.040" (40 mils) thickness. In our opinion, we would skip Reflectix entirely. Lizard Skin is water based and can be cleaned up with relative ease before it dries. UV resistant? I second the wonderful compliments in previous threads. If you find the information on this website helpful, you may use our various links when you are ready to make purchases. Specifically, theNoico acts as a panel dampener. Before or after sound dampening? Ft $399.95 Add to Cart 2007 - 2018 Window Insulation Set for Sprinter Vans (Front Or Rear) $69.95 - $164.95 View Options Sprinterstore.com offers the best selection of Insulation parts and reasonable shipping for tricking out your Sprinter Van. First off, Im an industrial designer and I have no qualms about taking anything apart so I can rebuild it later. In addition to working out the length of the wood panels for the van's walls and ceiling, at this stage we also needed to cut around the ceiling fan space, and mark and drill the holes in the ceiling panels where our low-profile LED spotlights will get installed. Do more with less! 2) I also read that you already have your floor finished before the Lizard Skin decision. We used 50-feet in our 144 wheelbase Sprinter, which has the crew windows (in the second position) and rear door windows. Insulation is another controversial topic and I won't get into it what is "best" but from my experience I would at least say to stay away from anything that holds water - especially fiberglass home insulation. However, we found that application of small amounts of butyl mat, helps further reduce noise intruding into the van. The purpose of insulation is to slow the transfer of heat in and out of the vehicle. I couldnt bring myself to do it. Given that I am just starting my conversion, do you think its overkill to spray the van floor with Lizard Skin prior to insulate it with mincell or XPS, and then putting the stock floor back on? Holman RV is not responsible for any misprints, typos, or errors found in our website pages. I didnt spray mine at all because I was worried about gumming up something important. With LizardSkin's spray-on ceramic thermal van insulation, heat entering the interior is reduced by 30F or more, making for a cooler, more comfortable ride. I was surprised at how loud it is while driving (almost 80 decibels). Heres where more controversy and opinions come into-play. now sports amino complete side effects . 39 reviews. What product did you use to cover (insulate) the wheel wells? So, we sold the seats for about $500 each and made out like bandits. So basically, there was more of the vans diesel-heated air escaping through the lower wall panels (where there was no Lizard Skin), which heated the sheetmetal and prevented condensation. We will cut to the chaseof the four products that make up our insulation package, we can easily recommend two of them that will work great for 95% of you. No. What we found is the bare metal ceiling in our dark gray van can get so hot you can barely touch it. Insulated Storage Doors; Rear Wall Insulation (R-9) Side Walls Insulation (R-9) Slide room Roof and End Wall Insulation (R-9) Main Floor Insulation (R-11) Roof Insulation (R-40) Interior. Polyethylene Foam Roll (50 roll of 1/8 thick, 4 lb, white). 4.5 out of 5 stars (36) $ 355.00. It also prevents the windows from popping out in their frames and other damage from taking hold. Thanks for your great content!