# Panel Van Insulation



## ob1

The time has come when we are having to think about downsizing and panel vans, as well as the new coachbuild compacts arriving, are on the agenda. One thing that is concerning us is whether panel vans, good quality ones that is, are really well enough insulated for use in sub zero weather. I am not talking about water tanks and pipework freezing issues but the actual body insulation. Is it good enough to be comfortable in such conditions?

I would really like to hear from folk who have experience of both panel vans and coachbuilts in adverse weather so as to know the difference and can give an opinion.

Thanks

Ron


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## waspes

Hi Ron
Well we downsized 19 months ago from a autotrail 660 to a panel van and are regretting it both in size and build quality.
We went away in Feb this year and froze, Swift reckon that my van is well insulated :lol: what a joke there is no insulation in any of the steel box sections.
We went away to one of the shows and in our sliding door there is a shelf and it dropped into the door so I took the door lining off and what a shock to find just 10" in the bottom of the door and just 6" in the top. I must say that the workmaship inside my Autocruise is disappointing. We thought that we had done the right thing, how wrong we were. We love going away in the winter but if its too cold the van stays on the drive.
Well, as you can tell from my post we intend to go back to a coachbuilt asap. The one good thing is that the pvc is nice to drive and park but I am afraid comfort comes first.

Peter.


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## MikeCo

waspes said:


> Hi Ron
> Well we downsized 19 months ago from a autotrail 660 to a panel van and are regretting it both in size and build quality.
> We went away in Feb this year and froze, Swift reckon that my van is well insulated :lol: what a joke there is no insulation in any of the steel box sections.
> We went away to one of the shows and in our sliding door there is a shelf and it dropped into the door so I took the door lining off and what a shock to find just 10" in the bottom of the door and just 6" in the top. I must say that the workmaship inside my Autocruise is disappointing. We thought that we had done the right thing, how wrong we were. We love going away in the winter but if its too cold the van stays on the drive.
> Well, as you can tell from my post we intend to go back to a coachbuilt asap. The one good thing is that the pvc is nice to drive and park but I am afraid comfort comes first.
> 
> Peter.


I've just done my own conversion on a Peugeot Boxer and putting in the insulation was one of the longest jobs.
All the internal ribs were filled with expanding foam or sheeps wool insulation and then 25mm Kingspan was applied over the top.
One of the reasons that you need to insulate everywhere is to stop condensation forming on the inside.
The van is also as comfortable as the larger coachbuilt ones that we have had in the past.

Mike


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## DABurleigh

If you get a quality conversion the insulation in floor, walls and roof is fine. I've stayed in -11 and was cosy. That said, no, I wouldn't take a panel van for a week's skiing for example. There are just too many weak spots around door seals, especially if it's sub-zero AND with a wind.

Dave


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## Mike48

I can only compare a panel van with a caravan but am sure the insulation in a panel van is nowhere near as effective as my caravan. 

My Swift panel van uses thinsulate by 3M for insulation. It's reasonably effective but I would not use my van in sub zero conditions as I would my caravan.

Although I'm a huge fan of panel vans I would not consider buying one if my intended use was in the winter months in temperatures below freezing.


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## ob1

Thanks for the replies gents. I should have explained that we won't be looking for sub-zero weather but we do travel down through France and Northern Spain in the winter and often meet these temperatures, including being snowbound on a couple of occasions, hence our concern. Also we don't want to become nine months of the year only campers over here.

Peter - Here's hoping your problem might just be due to the make.

Dave - It will be either a Murvi or an IH if we go the panel van route. Both these seem to be well put together from what I can make out. The Tio RL does away with the rear doors as you probably know so that would help a bit.

So far there does seem to be some cold weather issues then that we need to take account off.

Thanks again.

Ron


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## korky24

Hi there,
I think you are worrying overmuch. Yes, Coachbuilts will have a better standard of insulation over a PVC, but it's generally a smaller volume that you're trying to heat up in a PVC.

I spent 9 days, Christmas through into beyond New Year in South Shropshire, in winter 2010 with temps below -12c, in my 2004 Autosleeper Symbol PVC. I used the diesel heater only in the evenings as I was out most of the day. I was warm as toast and luckily had EHU which kept the batteries going. Now that particular Symbol was not well insulated in my opinion-just sheets of glass fibre wool(loft insulation) shoved loosely behind the panels with lots of voids. But I always fitted external cab screens and had a full length curtain to isolate the cab from hab area in coldest weather.

Some newer PVC's are better insulated, most importantly make sure the water tank and pipes are inboard-still not happening on a lot of Brit made vans. 

Finally look at YouTube and type in Winter Test Possl-Globecar Roadscout, that may allay your concerns. There's also a Globecar clip on Youtube showing the production line with the insulation being applied to a Globescout but I'm afraid I don't have the link. 

I used my Symbol all year round and was never cold.

You can probably guess what I'm having next though.

Cheers, John.


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## Andysam

The ONLY way to get a properly insulated PVC is to do it yourself. My "fully" insulated T5 consisted of fitting rectangles of pre formed insulating foam bonded to the panels where there was room! There was a single layer of flooring foam underlay underneath the floor. That said we had a heater and were comfortable at -7c.

Take that in contrast to the DIY conversion where all voids are filled with rockwool insulation, foam, wool, bottle insulation and building insulation boards. I'm betting a DIY conversion has better insulation than most coachbuilts.

The only way to get this insulation done without doing DIY is to source a van from a small converter. There are literally dozens of them throughout the country.


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## Don_Madge

Hi Ron,

We have been down to -6C and had no problems at all but that was just on night stops while in transit to Turkey.   

As DAB has stated would not want to spend a week parked up somewhere like a ski resort in minus conditions. 

Safe travelling.

Don


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## trevd01

Our Murvi is probably as well insulated as any production pvc is, and as long as you are either on hook-up or are willing to use a few centilitres of diesel, the whisper quiet Webasto Dual Top you can keep the van toasty warm. And on bright sunny days there is just about enough sun to keep the 2x110w batteries OK for a weekend from the solar pv on the roof.

In Winter, we use external cab screens as well as the built in double walled blinds, and some internal insulating screens on the back windows (Taylormade).

The big side door has a lot of edges that can leak cold air and that is very close to the sleeper on that side of the bed. The door can be carefully adjusted to minimise draughts but we think a 'sausage' draft excluder along the bottom is the answer (Murvi gave us the remains of the roll of upholstery fabric- every Murvi is custom built to order - so that was ideal to make it out of)

We like to go to Brotherswater/Sykeside all-year campsite for winter walking and we've been happy at -10 degrees C and with plenty of snow on the hills. We sleep in sleeping bags and have had to turn the heating down.

Last winter when we went to Morzine in late ski season, the temperatures were not as low as we have had in the Lake District.


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## trevd01

trevd01 said:


> And on bright sunny days there is just about enough sun to keep the 2x110w batteries OK for a weekend from the solar pv on the roof.


Meant to say

And _even in winter_ on bright sunny days there is just about enough sun to keep the 2x110w batteries OK for a weekend from the solar pv on the roof.

BTW the fresh water tank is inboard on a Morello, although we have a second (additional) tank underfloor, which we don't use in winter. And your clothes are nice and warm in the wardrobe when the Webasto heater is running - plus the floor level warm air outlet in the bathroom is brilliant on cold days.

The other thing to say about the Morello is the carpet style finish to the ceiling and top cupboards makes it seem warmer, although it only adds a tiny bit to the insulation. I think that also adds to the amazing quietness/lack of rattles in these superbly built vans.

I think the latest models may not have the carpet covering on the cupboards though.


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## ActiveCampers

They do vary.
We've wild camped at -20'C and been snug (+15'C  

We have some tips on insulation on our site.

Key things, floor, and also insulate away the cab. We've made thermal curtans that cut the cab area off, as the floor, seats, doors, cab, dash etc are what lets the cold in. Probably 15-20'C difference inside/outside the internal cab curtain.

Of course, pipes and water stuff needs protecting. -20 we froze, but -10 was fine.


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