When you imagine life out traveling on the road, you probably imagine scenic views, new faces, and a lot of fun–and you should. Of course, you probably don’t imagine shivering in below-freezing temperatures or wasting extra money trying to stay warm. That’s why we’re here to show you several bus and van insulation options that will help you stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
Without proper insulation you will lose your heat and air conditioning at a faster rate. This means overall you’ll feel less comfortable in your build and be at mercy of the weather. Let’s explore a quick breakdown of the importance of insulation and some of the more popular options available today.
What is Insulation–and Why Do You Need It?
Have you ever gotten into your car on a cold winter day and felt a chill so deep it worms its way right into your bones? If you have, you’re not alone. Most vehicles are not designed to stay warm inside. After all, that is what the heater is for.
When you decide to jump into van life or bus life, your vehicle is now your home. We need more efficiency! You’re going to want your heat or air conditioning to actually make a difference. To stay comfortable and make the most of any warm or cool air that is generated, your vehicle needs to retain these temperatures. To do this, you need insulation.
Insulation is a material that can be used to create a barrier in the surrounding part of your bus or van. Its goal is to minimize heat transfer, which is a field of thermal engineering that focuses on the use, exchange, and conversion of thermal energy (heat).
With appropriate insulation, you can slow the rate at which heat leaves your bus or van. This means that it will stay warmer inside, and it also means that any heat you generate inside will be less likely to be lost over time.
Basically, it keeps your vehicle at a nice and stable temperature by limiting heat loss!
Many people will argue that insulating your bus or van is a waste of time – it is a vehicle after all! They’ll tell you to skip this step and save the money. We wholeheartedly DISAGREE with this and encourage everyone to insulate their vehicle before starting the build. Trust us, you’ll be happy you did!
Factors to Consider When Choosing Insulation for Your Bus or Van
No matter which vehicle you have–shuttle bus or van–insulation is important. If you want your bus life to be a good one, you need to choose good insulation for your van or shuttle bus conversion. There are several important factors that will influence your insulation choices, including:
- Price
- Ease of installation
- Moisture resistance
- Toxicity
Bus/Van Insulation Options for Your Conversion
Insulation comes in many forms, and companies keep on making new varieties. To make the most of your van life or bus life experience, you will want to explore your options.
Before we get started, you’ll notice each type of insulation is rated with an “R” value. This is a standard insulation rating system that tells you how well the insulating material can prevent the flow of heat in and out of the structure. The higher the “R” value, the better the material performs.
These are some of the more popular bus or van insulation options in use today:
Foam Board: R-5/R-6 per inch / Cost: $
For easy installation, this is another great choice. Foam board insulation comes in dedicated boards, making it fairly simple to adapt to a variety of areas. It is non-toxic, doesn’t off-gas, and is fairly environmentally friendly to produce. The panels are easy to cut and fit into your walls which makes installation very easy. Foam board is also completely waterproof, so you know it won’t ever soak up water if moisture was to get into your walls. The downside is that it may not be a good match for spaces that are less traditional in shape due to its rigid design.
Extruded Polystyrene Foam Board (XPS): R-5 per inch/Cost: $
- 1/2″ thickness = R-3
- 1″ thickness = R-5
- 2″ thikckess = R-10
Polyisocyanurate Foam Board (Polyiso): R-6 per inch/Cost: $
- 1/2″ thickness = R-2.7
- 1″ thickness = R-6
- 2″ thickness = R-13.1
Rockwool: R-4.3 per inch / Cost: $$$$$
This type of insulation comes in sheets of material and is composed of fibers tightly forced together. Since it comes in convenient sheets, it is easy to install (even for beginners). It also doesn’t keep moisture, which can minimize rot and other water-related problems. The downside is that installation can be a bit tricky. Rockwool will make you itchy like traditional fiberglass insulation and this can be a big pain, so we recommend wearing protective clothing. Rockwool does however have a higher R value than fiberglass. Overall Rockwool can come at a high price and theres much better options available for less money.
Havelock Sheep’s Wool: R-3.7 per inch / cost: $$
This non-toxic insulation material is a wonderful sustainable option that offers great insulation. It comes at a great price, works well, and it is completely green. Like Rockwool, it does an excellent job of controlling moisture and is branded as a “breathable” material. However, it is a little more loose to work with, so it may take more time to set it up. It may also be more prone to problems with insects.
Closed Cell Spray Foam: R-7 per inch / Cost: $$$
Closed cell spray foam comes in kits you can purchase at most big box stores. You may recognize this type of spray foam as the kind you can buy in smaller quantities under the name “Gaps and Cracks“. Full kits can be expensive but will get you the most complete, no gaps insulation with the highest R value. It will fill all the gaps on curved walls or if you have any hard to reach spots in your vehicle. We would label this as the messiest and least DIY friendly option due to needing the correct PPE to stay safe during installation, monitoring the surface and spraying temperature, and getting the mixture right so the foam sets up correctly.
3M Thinsulate: R-5.2 per inch / Cost: $$$$
3M Thinsulate is becoming a popular insulation option, especially in vans. It is both a thermal and acoustic insulator as well as being a cruelty free (vegan) option. Thinsulate is made of a synthetic material that won’t trap condensation in your walls but will allow it to pass trough and dry out. Installation is as easy as cutting it size and gluing it in place. In general, you’ll need to more sheets of this material to reach the R value of some of our other options. That means if wall space is limited, you might need to choose a more compact, cheaper insulation option.
Turn Your Bus or Van Into a Proper Insulation Station!
We hope our guide has helped you to understand why insulation is so important and provided insight into some of your bus or van insulation options. Only you can decide what is right for your conversion, so be sure to do plenty of research and make a decision that will help you live your best life in your bus or van. Adding insulation is DIY-friendly–we did it ourselves for Our Way to Roam!
For help bringing your build to life, contact us for a consultation!