Best way to insulate van ribs

[rustyvan]

What's the best way to insulate van ribs was thinking spray foam but heard not a good idea

[Herbie]

The problem with the spray foam is that the normal Home Depot formulations have a LOT of expansion. Apparently some people have seen the sheetmetal actually deform if it gets into places where it doesn't have room to swell.

The sticky-backed sheet products are popular on the Sportsmobile forum and Expedition Portal, as are the rigid closed-cell foam products in various thicknesses.

[blacknome]

depends on your budget. semi-rigid 1/2" open foam cell then cover with a polystyrene riveted to the wall would give you a decent insulation and a wall you could wipe/hose down ( like the a cooler/ refrigerated van would have ).

Most of the courier vans I deal with use either foil wrapped bubble or krubble ( kraft paper backed bubble ) in their vans. Its 3/16" bubble wrap with foil or kraft paper laminated on each side. Stuff is really easy to cut and form. Couple cans of good 3m spray adhesive and you could do a van in an afternoon. I personally used the foil backed stuff on the floors, roof, and door panels of my monte when I replaced the headliner a few years back. It made a huge difference in both the reduction in road noise and the cooling ability of 80's AirConditioning in my old car.

http://www.uline.com/BL_2171/Cool-Shiel ... ords=uline cushioning

[vintageracer]

New guy here.

I have used the sound dampening products such as "Hushmat" and the other commercial products (Butyl rubber, spray & sheet) prior to insulation. Expensive? It can be however the HUGE benefits in sound control (no beer can sound if a cargo) and you will receive some insulation benefit. Insulation is nice however these sound control products provide a much greater difference in the reduction of passenger compartment sound & make the van feel so much more solid. Insulate on top of these products to make the van feel like you are riding in a "vault".

I prefer closed cell foam products for insulation particularly in sheet form. Closed cell is much better than open cell foam when it comes to condensation issues that you will have with any steel/aluminum insulated body shell. This alone makes Pink stuff insulation (fiberglass batting) not a good choice for insulation in trailers or vans up against a steel wall. Just go look at any older travel trailer or old conversion van and see the water issues at the bottom of the insulation and floor. Critter's also love it!!!