Radiant barrier in a metal cargo van.

[Basement Yeti]

http://www.radiantbarrier.com/faq.htm

That website just confirms what I read. Radiant barrier requires an air gap or it's moot.

research "thermal bridge". if you screw from a warm place (finished interior) to a cold place (steel body rib) there will be condensation on your screw heads. you need to incorporate a thermal bridge to eliminate this.

I'm not up on sticking wood to the ribs and screwing my paneling into the wood, seems not as secure. There has to be some way to combat this, by coating the screws in something.

I have used insul-tarp on metal vehicle roll-up doors on two occasions and it worked great. I've also used scap pieces under foam sleeping pads for years when snow camping and it is very effective as a vb and reflective insulator.

The stuff seems thick, if I used it I don't think I'd have room for insulation.


I've been doing some more research and there are vegetable based expanding foam insulation. I wonder if they'd work in an application like this.

 

[Bogo]

I've been doing some more research and there are vegetable based expanding foam insulation. I wonder if they'd work in an application like this.

When choosing a foam, glue, or other material for use right up against the skin of a vehicle, make sure it can handle 250F. The exterior skin of a car can easily get close to that temperature on a hot sunny windless day. Not many foams are rated for that high of temperature.

 

[Token]

For some reason I'm not getting a visual on all this, but for insulating, maybe try some foam board used for prewrapping houses before putting aluminum siding up. If it's to ugly by itself you could wrap/cover it with a light cloth material.. Or even hang up material like curtains over it and give it a Turkish tent feel inside..

FYI, that foam board cuts very easily and neatly with a HOT soldering gun.. Not so much with any other way you can think to cut it..

 

[Bogo]

I've successfully cut foam with a thin bladed cheap knives. The trapezoidal mat knife blades work for up to 3/4" thick, or if you flip the board over up to 1-1/2" foam board.. You want one that has the same bevel on each side of the cutting edge. That is so it tracks straight. First make a light 1/4" deep cut to start the cut and cut the covering, then gently tension the foam to open the cut and cut the same line to deepen it about 1/2" or so with each cut. I always cut along a straight edge that is set on top of the foam.