Should I paint my roof white?

7echo

Adventurer
Jimbo, you wrote...


"using Thermal/acoustic insulation"
"Which is what I've used on my Jeep JKUR and it makes all the diff. in the world for quiet/cool travel and the A/C just has to be cycled on/off occasionally-"

Can you let us know what you used? I am looking at options in this thread and your comment about insulation is interesting.

Thanks.
 

DaveNay

Adventurer
Jimbo, you wrote...


"using Thermal/acoustic insulation"
"Which is what I've used on my Jeep JKUR and it makes all the diff. in the world for quiet/cool travel and the A/C just has to be cycled on/off occasionally-"

Can you let us know what you used? I am looking at options in this thread and your comment about insulation is interesting.

Thanks.

I can't answer for Jimbo, but if I were to do a project like that, I would use a product like this...

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...01&langId=-1&division=FarmTek&productId=11801

103861a.jpg
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Does your rig have a roofrack tray ?
A solid floor makes a great reduction to thermal absorbtion.

Also, If you are worried about legalities of window tinting. You might research what the law really permits.
For example all glass back of the driver is usually exempt from this.

Yep, typically the requirement is two sideview mirrors and you could obscure everything behind the front row.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
There are similar products akin to that Tekfoil available as roof / attic insulation / reflective heat barriers. And it's a helluva lot cheaper than the Tekfoil product.

http://www.ecofoil.com/All-Products...Insulation-Foil-Both-Sides-4-x-125-500-sq-ft-



I have to pull my headliner at some point in the coming year to make some antenna mounts, a ceiling-mounted fishing rod / antenna rack and delete an obsolete flip down back seat entertainment unit. I'll likely test fit and bond some of this material to either the ceiling or the upper headliner surface.

I've had the cargo area side panels apart for other purposes and laid down multiple layers of peel and stick butyl rubber window flashing as a sound deadener on my rear wheel wheels and cargo area skin, really attenuated the higher frequency road noise back there. I don't think the material would help much as a ceiling insulator. But if you are working there anyway, it's something else to consider.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...wer-lines-under-vehicle?p=1848235#post1848235

butyl04_zpsypqetqji.jpg
butyl05_zpseftvf2lj.jpg
butyl06_zps73plrfzy.jpg
butyl07_zpsfteutbut.jpg
 

JIMBO

Expedition Leader
:sombrero: The insulation I've been using for several years is--


Jimbo, you wrote...


"using Thermal/acoustic insulation"
"Which is what I've used on my Jeep JKUR and it makes all the diff. in the world for quiet/cool travel and the A/C just has to be cycled on/off occasionally-"

Can you let us know what you used? I am looking at options in this thread and your comment about insulation is interesting.

Thanks.

Blended Logic BLIP11406 Thermal-Acoustic Auto insulation AND WAS SOLD BY JC WHITNEY 4'X6'X 1/2" FOIL SIDE ROLL FOR $10 BUCKS--

It's Auto insul and has worked extremely well

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO
 

Ducky's Dad

Explorer
I've had the cargo area side panels apart for other purposes and laid down multiple layers of peel and stick butyl rubber window flashing as a sound deadener on my rear wheel wheels and cargo area skin, really attenuated the higher frequency road noise back there. I don't think the material would help much as a ceiling insulator. But if you are working there anyway, it's something else to consider.
I would not use that stuff for thermal insulation. The reason it works as a sound deadener is that it adds mass to the metal panels and reduces vibration and harmonics. That mass is the reason it would not help with heat insulation and may even make things worse. It adds thermal mass that will heat up from contact with the roof metal, and will then radiate that heat into the interior, even after the sun goes down.
 

Stumpalump

Expedition Leader
White paint makes a huge difference in AZ. Other things that help are the thick vinyl RV windshield covers that wrap around and catch the side glass. Common sizes are at Camping World but you will may have to order. It beats tint because the sun never hits the glass. A huge raised solar panel is a huge shade right on the middle of the roof. It's great for heat reduction. The last important area is the floor. The radiant heat waves off of the hot ground constantly pump heat into your rig. I use the foam puzzle piece flooding from Home Depot. Extra foam is placed where needed around the interior. For example I cut perfect sized pieces to snap into the rear glass cutout. I pull them down when driving or when I need solar gain. Sitting in the van is as cool as sitting in the shade.
image.jpg
 

Lykos

Super Trucker
White paint makes a huge difference in AZ. Other things that help are the thick vinyl RV windshield covers that wrap around and catch the side glass. Common sizes are at Camping World but you will may have to order. It beats tint because the sun never hits the glass. A huge raised solar panel is a huge shade right on the middle of the roof. It's great for heat reduction. The last important area is the floor. The radiant heat waves off of the hot ground constantly pump heat into your rig. I use the foam puzzle piece flooding from Home Depot. Extra foam is placed where needed around the interior. For example I cut perfect sized pieces to snap into the rear glass cutout. I pull them down when driving or when I need solar gain. Sitting in the van is as cool as sitting in the shade.
View attachment 292394

I'm adding solar panels and got to thinking they would probably help.

Insulating the floor is great advice. Thanks!
 
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Lykos

Super Trucker
All really good comments! Thanks.

I have a friend of mine who's a cancer (melanoma) survivor. I'm going to mention the window films to her for her car and home.
 
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Ducky's Dad

Explorer
I have a friend of mine egos a cancer (melanoma) survivor. I'm going to mention the window films to her for her car and home.
I've had three separate separate early stage melanomas removed in the last four years. Not fun. Watch your time in the sun, wear SPF and a hat that covers your ears. Baseball caps don't cut it.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
I would not use that stuff for thermal insulation. The reason it works as a sound deadener is that it adds mass to the metal panels and reduces vibration and harmonics. That mass is the reason it would not help with heat insulation and may even make things worse. It adds thermal mass that will heat up from contact with the roof metal, and will then radiate that heat into the interior, even after the sun goes down.

just to clarify my earlier post, I wasn't recommending it for temp insulation. I didn't make the transition clear enough with separate paragraphs addressing the different materials, I should have been more explicit.


eta the foam floor mats are a great budget idea. I was just flipping thru the HF mailer and they are on sale again, $10 for the 4-pc set, so $1.60 a square foot. And they are pretty durable. I use a set at my reloading bench and increasingly when I'm working on my knees doing floor tiling, building furniture etc. I use them gardening as well, they hose off pretty well / aren't absorbent. Much.
 
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jlocster

Explorer
I used the Henry roof coating from Home Depot ---> link

I don't know that it's lowered interior temps much but the roof surface temps are drastically lower. It's inexpensive, looks OK and durable.
 

NMC_EXP

Explorer
Everything else remaining equal, a light colored surface reflects more sunlight than a dark colored surface. More light absorption means more heat.

A glossy painted surface reflects more light than a flat/dull painted surface.

A glossy, white or silver roof will reduce the temp. The amount of reduction might debatable but the physics ain't.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
The physics of it aren't quite black & white. Pun intended. The other variable at work is time/duration. Round about 1pm in the summer desert it doesn't much matter what color it started out as, it's still hot as hell. But moving in the woods, tight canyons, in and out of shade, sure it's of benefit. Out in the wide open, or on the surf line, it don't matter. Even so I like the look of it, especially on FJs. Something is just 'right' about it.

1982-toyota-land-cruiser-fj-40-suv-lot-748-2014-barrett-jackson.jpg
 

4x4junkie

Explorer
One time I got out my infrared thermometer and measured the roof surface temperature of a black vehicle (my Ranger pickup) on a hot summer day here in So-Cal... It was over 190°F! My dad's bright white Camry parked right next to it measured 140°F. How that isn't significant I guess I don't understand...
 

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