Need ideas on improving my rig's insulation

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by booster

I am a bit surprised it uses that much power, I think you will be glad you got the 800AH batteries. Using 80ish AH overnight is quite a bit.

Booster,

We have an 800ah battery bank but Advanced RV has governed it down to 80% usage as a safety factor. Also because we don't want to go all the way down 80% before the autogen starts (for some technical reason that makes it a PITA to do so) we have further governed it some more. So we are using about 75% of our battery capacity or about 600ah. So if the percentage drops 10% we would be talking a drop of 60 amps not 80 for example. Of course the refrigerator, furnace blower, radio, TV, device charging, parasitic, inverter loss, lights and standby stuff would factor in as well. The electric radiant floor heat is taking about 26 amps per hour but if we just turn it on for a short period it is not all that much. The general stuff, including refrigerator, lights, and furnace fan is using about 11 amps per hour. Once we hit warm weather most of the battery bank will be for luxury. The Silverleaf controls are fascinating. It is nice to know we can survive 5 degrees easily overnight boondocking. That was an extreme test our first night out.

[Hein]

Originally Posted by rtz

The only thing new I've seen making the rounds is this Thinsulate for automotive use. Supposedly a couple high end cars have it in the headliner. I've also seen rolls of it for sale on ebay.

This guy is selling it and can send a sample:

http://www.promasterforum.com/forum/sho ... hp?t=36369

It's priced by the foot; but keep in mind; a one foot piece is 5' wide. It might seem expensive by the foot; but maybe not so much considering how wide the piece is.

Greetings Class B enthusiasts,

My apologies in advance for reviving and older thread.

I am the guy (with help from my wife, Kim) who are providing 3M Thinsulate(TM) to the DIYvan builders and also penetrating the professional up-fitters (class B builders) with this well known noise and thermal insulating material. You can request Thinsulate(TM) at a select number of builders and we will supply enough product for them to complete your build. The brand recognition can be beneficial to the resale value of your rig.

We do also supply samples for those interested in seeing and feeling Thinsulate(TM) first hand. It's the same stuff used in coats, hats, gloves and blankets. We stock SM600L which is the thickest grade engineered for vehicles. It's used by OEMs like Honda and others. It is lightweight and the fibers are hydrophobic (means they won't absorb water). It does not release loose fibers that can fall out and retain moisture in the bottom of wall cavities. There is no off-gassing or smell. It has been thoroughly tested for use in vehicles. One side is black scrim so looks nice with no further covering required

Thinsulate(TM) is easy to DIY install. It cuts with ordinary large scissors and you won't need protective gear when handling the product. It would be very suitable for those folks who want to make their rig more quiet and/or add to the the thermal insulation. It does both. You can stuff it into areas that aren't well insulated already. Thinsulate(TM) will also reduce resonance in unsupported panels so there is less need for Dynamat and other similar products.

Please feel free to PM, email or call at your convenience. We look forward to serving your needs and we appreciate your business.

All the best,Hein & Kim
Impact, Inc.
Hood River, OR
54l 49O 5O98


Our DIY Sprinter build: http://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27822

[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.