Aluminum Topper Insulation

[bobbyinredwood]

Anyone try Kool Seal?

I was thinking a product like Kool Seal might work in this application. It supposed to be a sound reducer and insulator, it expands to get in all the small seems and cracks. Worth some investigation maybe?

http://www.koolseal.com/product_family.asp?family=elastomeric

 

[rusty_tlc]

years ago I had a job coating roofs in Las Vegas with urethane foam. We did a lot of other stuff as well. One thing we did was under coat beverage delivery truck under-bodies. We also did an application similar to a truck canopy. the builder had attached wood forms perpendicular to the inside of the body. We sprayed foam over the surface and he sanded it flush with the forms. The forms were used to attach a thin plywood skin over the foam. I never saw the finished product but by the time we finished it was a lot stronger and very well insulated.

If anybody wants to insulate a metal shell I'd look in the phone book for urethane roofing companies. You could probably use the Great stuff foam but it might cost more.

 

[AlwaysExplr87]

Just got an aluminum topper and was planning to insulate it and put in a wall or headliner. I know this would be great in the winter when I want to stay warm but I am wondering about the summer time. Im in NC and do most of my camping in the summer, I really want to keep this thing as cool as possible. Would insulation prevent heat (mostly radiant heat I assume) from heating up the inside and keep it cool, or will it hold in heat and make it warmer? This thing is not going to have AC, just a circulating fan, so keeping cold air in isnt much of a concern.

 

[Bella PSD]

For those of us who don't facebook, do you have photos any place else?

I tried to find it on Facebook and got nothing. BUT he posted a picture in his albums here on portal



I would love to see more picture. This is about what I had in mind for my DCU.

Louie

 

[failsafefabrication]

Aluminum DCU insulation

the basic structure I have going in the DCU is:
Aluminum inside skin
3M High strength 90 & liquid Nails
First layer of 1" R7 aluminized foam insulation
3M High strength 90 & liquid Nails
second layer of 1" R7 aluminized foam insulation

this combination went into all bays between the aluminum frame, on the frame went a layer of butyl rubber window and door flashing self adhesive product (home depot) to act as a thermal barrier to the outer skin/frame. next went 1" x 3/4" strips of wood which were then caulked with silicone III. I then did a second layer of wood with the screws offset this part is important; to the original framing screws so that there was a minimal chance of heat transfer even from screws through to the aluminum frame. At this point I have furred in the interior about 1" in total which in practice when I mount my final interior skin of 1/4" birch ply to the inside should give me 1/4" to 1/2" of airspace between my final layer of aluminized insulation and the interior skin. the gap is critical because the insulation is designed to reflect heat in wall cavities and needs that airspace to work. It was a bit of a pain to do all of that work but I can say that with a 50" wide by 23" tall by 78" long bed platform with a 4" memory foam mattress and nothing but one person's body heat (mind you with the 9" roof vent cracked 1") I was able to repeatedly show a temp rise of over 20 degrees from outside when it was 25 deg. F outside over the course of a night with very little humidity accumulating inside. Needless to say, I probably will heat this thing eventually. Working on the water system for now and that with work is taking all of my time. more to come.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Just got an aluminum topper and was planning to insulate it and put in a wall or headliner. I know this would be great in the winter when I want to stay warm but I am wondering about the summer time. Im in NC and do most of my camping in the summer, I really want to keep this thing as cool as possible. Would insulation prevent heat (mostly radiant heat I assume) from heating up the inside and keep it cool, or will it hold in heat and make it warmer? This thing is not going to have AC, just a circulating fan, so keeping cold air in isnt much of a concern.

The insulation will help keep it cool inside.

 

[Bogo]

I did one years ago. I just cut 1" styrofoam from lowes or home depot then just taped it in with aluminum duct tape. The aluminum stuff is very stiff so I just ran it along where the insulation met the frame tubing and it held fine.
I never did cover it though, was thinking of using pegboard or the same board they sell like it without the holes then covering it with headliner to match the truck.

I'd be worried the tape would tear over time.

the basic structure I have going in the DCU is:
Aluminum inside skin
3M High strength 90 & liquid Nails
First layer of 1" R7 aluminized foam insulation
3M High strength 90 & liquid Nails
second layer of 1" R7 aluminized foam insulation

this combination went into all bays between the aluminum frame, on the frame went a layer of butyl rubber window and door flashing self adhesive product (home depot) to act as a thermal barrier to the outer skin/frame. next went 1" x 3/4" strips of wood which were then caulked with silicone III. I then did a second layer of wood with the screws offset this part is important; to the original framing screws so that there was a minimal chance of heat transfer even from screws through to the aluminum frame. At this point I have furred in the interior about 1" in total which in practice when I mount my final interior skin of 1/4" birch ply to the inside should give me 1/4" to 1/2" of airspace between my final layer of aluminized insulation and the interior skin. the gap is critical because the insulation is designed to reflect heat in wall cavities and needs that airspace to work. It was a bit of a pain to do all of that work but I can say that with a 50" wide by 23" tall by 78" long bed platform with a 4" memory foam mattress and nothing but one person's body heat (mind you with the 9" roof vent cracked 1") I was able to repeatedly show a temp rise of over 20 degrees from outside when it was 25 deg. F outside over the course of a night with very little humidity accumulating inside. Needless to say, I probably will heat this thing eventually. Working on the water system for now and that with work is taking all of my time. more to come.

Note if you use 4" spaced beads of the liquid nails on the inside face of the AL shell, and press the foam sheet insulation against it, it will form an air gap between the AL and insulation board. That will allow the reflective layer to work properly.

 

[Every Miles A Memory]

I've never done this myself to a topper, but my parents had it done in their house and it looks like an amazing product

The company sprays it in and if forms to any angle or surface. It expands just like the stuff you buy at the local hardware named Great Stuff

They then use a wire that is hot and melt it down to the studs or what ever they've sprayed it into so it's flush to cover with either drywall (When sprayed in a house or attic) or carpet or which ever surface you plan on using in your topper

I'm thinking the inside of a topper would be pretty inexpensive for how insulated it would be using this product

This Link brings you to their site and it offers a Find a Dealer link so you can at least call a dealer in your area to get a quote

 

[SportsmanJake]

Resurrecting this thread.

What have people been using lately? Any inexpensive options?