Getting ready to take a big trip next year and I was planning on mounting up my Leer camper shell. I got to thinking that a little insulation might not be a bad ideal. First thought was maybe spraying the inside of the shell with Lizard Skin or similar product. Second thought was using spray adhesive and the reflective coated insulation from Home Depot or such. I know I can't be the first so what has everyone else resorted to?
Fiberglass camper top insulation ideals
- Thread starter 6gun
- Start date
JohninDetroit
Member
is the cap lined with carpet like the ARE caps are? If so then 2 sided velcro. If not then maybe 2 sided tape-I believe 3m makes some tough stuff
No carpet just bare fiberglass. I may see what it will take to bribe my buddy that runs the upholstery shop to put in carpet and insulation and make it look pretty, then again I may just glue as much reflectix as I reasonably can in. It was a free camper so I'm not out a lot if I don't like the result but I can't see a downside to what I'm thinking of myself. Also gonna take and make privacy covers for the windows out of the stuff, attaching with Velcro when needed.
rayra
Expedition Leader
seconding the closed-cell foams. But also suggesting something like radiant barrier, double layer. Seems to be highly effective at blocking thermal radiation in a very thin product. Been reading interesting stuff about Reflectix. www.reflectixinc.com
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Alloy
Well-known member
Here's a couple of write ups on foil faced (bubble wrap) plastic.
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/understanding-r-value
https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/stay-away-from-foil-faced-bubble-wrap
In the end it is the whole assembly that is the most important. i.e the best insulation is of little use with 16" O.C. aluminum framing that has no thermal break and air stop.
Hillbilly Heaven
Explorer
I can't disagree with that.
rayra
Expedition Leader
Nah, that's like faulting a Suburban for not having a 6sec quarter mile. Mylar products are not contact insulators and should not be faulted for it.*
The double-layer radiant is its own air gap. Especially in the very limited confines or covering a vehicle ceiling or camper shell interior. It will help. You just can't expect miracles from it.
You can put 1" of just about any purpose-made insulation mat or sheet product and not get better than R4.
Expensive and very messy spray foam claims R6 for 1"
You want to line a shell interior surface, with all its compound curves, a thin closed cell foam product, a radiant barrier, or better a combination / sandwich of both will give some decent results. Combined with a nice cosmetic layer on the inside. You aren't going to beat it with rigid sheet products without it looking like dogshit.
* eta same especially goes for a mylar emergency blanket - they work by acting as an air barrier, and trapping your own body heat as a radiant barrier.
The double-layer radiant is its own air gap. Especially in the very limited confines or covering a vehicle ceiling or camper shell interior. It will help. You just can't expect miracles from it.
You can put 1" of just about any purpose-made insulation mat or sheet product and not get better than R4.
Expensive and very messy spray foam claims R6 for 1"
You want to line a shell interior surface, with all its compound curves, a thin closed cell foam product, a radiant barrier, or better a combination / sandwich of both will give some decent results. Combined with a nice cosmetic layer on the inside. You aren't going to beat it with rigid sheet products without it looking like dogshit.
* eta same especially goes for a mylar emergency blanket - they work by acting as an air barrier, and trapping your own body heat as a radiant barrier.
I just insulated mine with 1/2" polyiso foam board, ran two 1/2 thick furring strips width wise accross the top. I used a bunch of this glue meant for foam board, forget what its called, used 2x4's to hold the foam board firm against the top for a couple hours to dry. then covered the whole thing with a cut to shape FRP panel. screwed the panel into the furring strips, and used aluminum L channel around the whole edge to secure the sides down.
worked really well. the only thing i'd do different is use some kind of lightweigh/thin/strong plywood instead of the FRP, it was way too flexy, made it a pain to mount, it sags a tad, and its pretty heavy.
worked really well. the only thing i'd do different is use some kind of lightweigh/thin/strong plywood instead of the FRP, it was way too flexy, made it a pain to mount, it sags a tad, and its pretty heavy.
Ducky's Dad
Explorer
If I wanted to insulate the inside of a fiberglass shell, I'd probably use ThermaXX jackets or something like it. Flexible, peel and stick, somewhat tear resistant, and comes in thicknesses from 1/8" to 2". That means that you could put thick stuff on the overhead where the shell is relatively flat, and then use thinner stuff (maybe in multiple layers) where you have to deal with tighter compound curves. There will be a lot of heat transfer through the floor of the bed, so you could even put a 2" layer down as the base of a sleeping pad. There will also be a lot of heat transfer through the glass, so plan a way to insulate them when you are in the shell, and find a good gasket seal around the tailgate.
https://www.thermaxxjackets.com/products/insulation-materials/flexible-closed-cell-insulation/
https://www.thermaxxjackets.com/products/insulation-materials/flexible-closed-cell-insulation/
robert
Expedition Leader
Truck beds suck overall for trying to insulate, way too many curves and odd surfaces. Start at the bottom and work your way up. You'll need to isolate/insulate yourself from the bed floor and walls; metal beds are worse than plastic beds but not by much- they both suck heat away. Use a tailgate seal to stop larger drafts. Put some sort of insulation over the tailgate; unless you've got an eight foot bed most folk's feet or head will be against it (conductive loss even in a sleeping bag). Put some sort of insulation at the front; I tend to sleep with my arm under my pillow and it'll end up against the front of the bed- more heat loss. I have a carpet covered plywood sleeping setup (not raised as I prefer the headroom). I always have an old Mexican blanket on top of the carpet and use a sleeping pad under my sleeping bag but in the winter I add an extra closed cell foam pad that covers the whole floor.
My shell came with carpet (ARE CX) and it's better than my last shell that was bare fiberglass but I don't think it has a lot of insulating value. If I had to add carpet I'd get some of the style that has a foam insulating backing although I don't know how neat the install would be. As it is, if I expect it to be cold I hang wool blankets inside. I tie paracord to the rings attached to the Yakima track bolts and drape the blankets over them. It's not pretty but it makes a noticeable difference. Ideally I'd like to sew a wool tent-like setup with clips but it's not something I've gotten around to doing. I have pieces of Reflectix cut to fit all four windows. I used small squares of Velco in the corners to hold them in place. Throw in a couple of good blankets or a down comforter and it's not bad. I've got a couple of the old wool Italian officer's blankets that were selling for like $15 probably twelve years ago and they've great; I'm not sure what the best value in wool blankets is today.* I usually leave one window cracked a small amount and I'll use a candle lantern while I'm awake- they give off a surprising amount of heat.
*I'm not a fan of the Harbor Freight blankets that some folks recommend. I picked up one on sale to try it out but it still smells even after washing it in Woolite, hanging it outside and tossing it in the dryer (wool/delicate) for a short period with a couple of smell good dryer sheets. Wool doesn't normally bother me but that one is still a bit itchy/scratchy. I imagine it might work OK as tenting material but it's just generally poor quality overall. They also sell "moving blankets" but those also get poor marks for insulating on the different van dweller type forums.
My shell came with carpet (ARE CX) and it's better than my last shell that was bare fiberglass but I don't think it has a lot of insulating value. If I had to add carpet I'd get some of the style that has a foam insulating backing although I don't know how neat the install would be. As it is, if I expect it to be cold I hang wool blankets inside. I tie paracord to the rings attached to the Yakima track bolts and drape the blankets over them. It's not pretty but it makes a noticeable difference. Ideally I'd like to sew a wool tent-like setup with clips but it's not something I've gotten around to doing. I have pieces of Reflectix cut to fit all four windows. I used small squares of Velco in the corners to hold them in place. Throw in a couple of good blankets or a down comforter and it's not bad. I've got a couple of the old wool Italian officer's blankets that were selling for like $15 probably twelve years ago and they've great; I'm not sure what the best value in wool blankets is today.* I usually leave one window cracked a small amount and I'll use a candle lantern while I'm awake- they give off a surprising amount of heat.
*I'm not a fan of the Harbor Freight blankets that some folks recommend. I picked up one on sale to try it out but it still smells even after washing it in Woolite, hanging it outside and tossing it in the dryer (wool/delicate) for a short period with a couple of smell good dryer sheets. Wool doesn't normally bother me but that one is still a bit itchy/scratchy. I imagine it might work OK as tenting material but it's just generally poor quality overall. They also sell "moving blankets" but those also get poor marks for insulating on the different van dweller type forums.
Betarocker
Adventurer
I think you're going to go through a whole lot of effort for very little gain. Unless you swap out the windows for dual pane versions, insulate the box and tail gate, dual gasket the tailgate to bed seal, you won't really gain much.
Hnoroian
Observer
What are your realistic temperatures going to be? Are you trying to keep heat out or in?
I camp usually in cooler-cold weather when I feel like going so it could be from 0*-80*F. As far as in or out, a little of both. Planning a big road trip in Sept of '19 and thought it would be nice if inside the camper was not absolutely roasting by time we stop for the night. I'm smart enough to know to open the windows and let heat escape for a while before bedtime, and I've got 8" Radiator fan setup to go in the front sliding glass for ventilation. Underneath will be handled by way of spray in bed-liner and Rubber stall mat as well as insulation on the sleeping platform. Also going to paint the top of the camper/truck with white bed-liner to help reflect away some heat.