Insulation

Well, it has been a very long time since I was last able to do much of any interest on the van - other commitments just did not allow it. However, with the summer here (in date only, sadly), we want to use the van more, so it's time to make it a bit more 'homely'. First up is the insulation. One of the previous owners had stuffed the voids with insulation - a man-made fibre type that looks like cotton wool. Doubtless, that did a good job of keeping things a bit more snug, but it had a bad downside - moisture from condensation inside the van had worked it's way down to the bottom of the panels and the insulation had soaked it up like a sponge. The van failed it's MOT this year due to corrosion at the front of the nearside wheel arch - rust caused by the panel being permanently wet. So, with this in mind (and with the rust repaired) I'm now stripping out the 'cotton wool' and replacing. Reading around the internet, it seems that many people recommend foil backed insulation - used for homes. As this is cheap, readily available and easy to install it was right for the job. I bought a roll from Wickes and a roll of strong 'carpet tape' to stick it to the van. Another thing that I'd read about is trying to dampen the vibrations/boominess that you get with a panel van. The product here was a flashband (again, from Wickes). This is high tack with a tar backing. I cut the strips and stuck them to the inside of the panel expanses: First impressions, having done most of one side and the ceiling of the van, are that it does indeed dampen things nicely - doors close with more of a 'thud' and less of a shudder! So, I now need to finish off the rest, but that means removing the rock 'n' roll bed - and as I need the van for a couple of overnighters, that will have to wait for now. I also need to refit the window into my newly sprayed window door and install it instead of my panel van door. I'm keeping the panel van door so that the van can be reverted back to a panel in the future - too many panel vans have been cut up for campers. More soon...