Keeping "Jane" a little warmer in the winter and cooler....

ANYTHING FROM BUFFING YOUR PAINT TO REPLACING A DASH PANEL
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Topic author
pengyou
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 175
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:20 pm

Keeping "Jane" a little warmer in the winter and cooler....

Post by pengyou »

and cooler in the summer. Would it be simple to add some kind of insulation? I have heard of some insulation that is pretty thin - maybe 1/2" - but adds a significant r value.

Is it easier to take off the interior panels? Are there pockets to stuff insulation in?
New owner of a 1996 Astro named "Plain Jane" - stock right now - with 200,000 miles on it and running like a champ

original_balzer
I get chills without my van.
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:48 pm

Re: Keeping "Jane" a little warmer in the winter and cooler....

Post by original_balzer »

There should be room to put some sort of insulation under the panels.
You would be better to remove the interior panels to make sure you get the insulation even across most of the body. I would also advise you use something that will not retain water or moisture. That could lead to future rust problems. Even if your not getting the interior wet in any way insulation will cause temp differances that will cause condensation. So you dont want the insulation to retain that and hold it next to your sheet metal.

You could look into products such as dyno mat its usually used for sound deadening but I belive they have a thermal product too. It is rather expencive but Im sure there are cheaper alternitives available.

However the windows are going to cause the most loss of heat and cold.

Topic author
pengyou
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 175
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:20 pm

Re: Keeping "Jane" a little warmer in the winter and cooler....

Post by pengyou »

Windows are nasty - there is no way around them. What I am thinking about now is something to make my fanny more comfortable (temperature) when it is sleeping on a mattress in the rear area :) I guess for the floor I could install some rubber pads - the kind you see in kids rooms that interlock? that would be cheap and pretty durable with a rug on top of them to hold them together.
New owner of a 1996 Astro named "Plain Jane" - stock right now - with 200,000 miles on it and running like a champ

ihatemybike
I plan to be buried in my van
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Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:57 pm
Location: Elgin, IL

Re: Keeping "Jane" a little warmer in the winter and cooler....

Post by ihatemybike »

You should check out the school bus conversion forums. Lot of experience on them insulating big steel shells.
Aaron

2005 Astro (Gandalf) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, 130k+ miles
1997 Astro (Grumpy - $250 Rally Van) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, LSD, 2" lift, 31" tires, 335k+ orig engine, $30 eBay fuel pump
Prev Astros:99,97,00,94,87,86
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