Deadening V Insulation etc.... - Newbie alert!

[BigDean]

Hi all,

After reading a lot of threads on here, I was under the impression that at least some dodo and/or silent coat was standard, then dacron or similar insulation, then ply and carpet lining.

On asking my converter (not placed official order yet) what they were going to use, I was given the answer that it is dacron only, then ply and carpet lining. They are telling me that this will achieve the same as using dodo.

Also they are planning to bond the floor to the ribs in the rear to the floor so it can breath. No insulation/dodo etc.

Can I have your thoughts please? I am not interested in it being quiet for music/audio, I am an old fart; but do want to remove as much road noise as possible.

Thanks
Dean

 

[Donk]

Nope. Should use sound deadening really and some insulation lining then something like dodo in between the panels.

Regards the floor normally put in packer pieces in the gaps then floor screwed down through these packer pieces. Not sure what he's going to do by just bonding it to the ribs...

 

[boxelder]

I went with three layers:
1. Silentcoat, approx 50% cover - stops panel boom/reverberation whatever. Some people go for full coverage but it's not cheap and very much diminishing returns.
2. Foil backed foam, fullish cover - insulates the panels reducing condensation which will wet your dacron. Fairly costly. Also reduces noise.
3. Dacron, stuffed into all voids and space behind carpeted ply. Cheap as chips (well, hipster organic halloumi chips)
Finished with ply/carpet.
For layers 1 and 2 I used Kiravans stuff. Got the Dacron from Harrisons Trim.
Floor was the 2 or 3mm foil backed foam stuff from Harrisons, under 12mm ply.

It's time consuming on top of the cost of materials, so convertors working to a budget will probably cut corners. I'm sure a van doesn't 'need' sound deadening and thermoliner, but dacron next to bare metal is likely to end up damp I reckon.

 

[bootsam]

Dacron is for thermal insulation. SilentCoat etc for noise abatement/vibe suppression. I also added dodo ontop of silent coat in doors and rear panels before a thermal insulation.

 

[Donk]

I'd clarify exactly what you're converter is planning to do along with all the other bits they are doing - electrics … gas etc . Wouldn't want them to potentially "skimp" on a job.

 

[benp1]

Not all campers are insulated. Don't think Camper King do theirs and the California is also uninsulated I think?

 

[Lukavell]

Not sure about the insulation for heat conservation but I know all the sound deadening I did in my T5 made a HUGE difference to road noise, the floor and wheel arches making the biggest difference in my opinion. Therefore I would definitely recommend a thorough job if cancelling road noise is important for you. I've done a bit of sound proofing in my Caravelle when I've had various panels off but not really noticed much difference. Heat insulation wise, I've not had to put the diesel heater on when sleeping in it yet, although I might try it mid winter somewhere to see for sure!

 

[Superowls]

A couple of converters I went to said they don't use anything under the floor either
It's an easy job though so I went ahead and did it myself, bought pre cut batons and a one piece floor (rather than 2 piece that a lot of converters use)
Total cost was just over £200 so even if it's not essential i thought it made sense to do it right, glad I did as I actually enjoyed doing it
Same with walls and roof too

 

[BigDean]

Thanks all,

Seems to be best to do it myself (as in me watching one of my mates do it!) to make sure it is done properly. Guess I will watch a few hours of youtube and see what I think then.

Thanks again for all your advice.

BigDean.

 

[Superowls]

Get yourself (or your mate) one of these.....will save hours of measuring and cutting

 

[boxelder]

The thermal insulation makes a big difference. I left the factory headlining/ceiling in my Kombi, but insulated behind it. I get condensation on the ceiling along the strips with the fixings (hollow metalwork and no space for insulation). It keeps the van cooler in sun too.

 

[Mike j]

Hi reading your thread on floor insulation where are the precut floor packer sets from ?

 

[Superowls]

I got mine from a company called blue sky conversions, they're down south somewhere but posted it out for £7 extra!
They were having problems with the website when I bought mine so if it won't let you buy online just phone and they'll send you an invoice

Full list of everything I used here

Kombi camper conversion

Hi all, I have bought my 1st Transporter this week & am intending to convert it to a part camper It's a 2017 T6 Highline 150 T32 I spent quite a while trying to find one in the right spec as a good base for conversion and eventually found one with the engine & gearbox that I wanted, tailgate...

www.t6forum.com

 

[airhoguk]

T5/T6 FloorPacker Set

Set of ply floor packers for LWB & SWB T5, T5.1 & T6 (all models) with single/twin sliding side doors. Made from recycled ply materials. Layout schematic provided. Instructions :- Bond packers to clean dust free floor using Soudol/Sikkaflex or equivalent bonding adhesive. Either screw

www.blueskyconversions.co.uk