L300 insulation with stock interior

[rezdiver]

all that effort to seal in the heat with expanding foam, yet the whole van is made of huge sheets of glass with little rubber seals that is probably the cause of the majority of heat loss in the first place.

hopefully all that foam wont absorb too much moisture and get soggy from the steel sweating with the extreme temperature differences with that stove in there, and you end up with a van twice the weight it started with in 2 years time.

Personally i would have used that roxal sound deadning fire retardant home insulation material that does not absorb any water and you can tear it or cut it apart and stuff it into the panels.

you would also be amazed at how much difference is made by just removing the side interior panels and replacing and adding 6 mil poly vapour barrier with the vapour caulking to close up all the open holes. with a vehicle this age the original vapour barrier behind the door panels is always ripped or coming apart.

[Firesong]

Actually the foam will probably reinforce and make it stronger than it was before the holes
were cut. Just hope you don't trap any moisture in there :)

FS

[AJ Boombox]

I admit that this method would not be everyone's choice but it really works for me. I appreciate the efficiency of good insulation and this is an important step (along with insulated floor, ceiling, and window covers) towards creating that nice thermal bubble. Because of my future adventure plans for my Delica, my rig needs to be comfortably livable for entire winter seasons, not just survivable for a night or a weekend. It would not be a thorough job to insulate only some parts while ignoring others to high heat loss areas. I am building based on a combination of home and sailboat construction techniques.

The closed cell foam could add some stiffness to the structure, but you would really need an engineer to know for sure. I wouldn't rule out some change in structural characteristics, positive or negative... many bumpers these days are plastic filled with foam, but again, I'm speculating. My point of view is that it is still a lot more structure than the motor bike I ride, or all the convertibles on the road, and many other less burly vehicles.

Folks do have a point about moisture. Keep in mind that this is closed cell foam, the skin and individual gas bubbles that form inside are waterproof and fill all areas, there is no space for condensation to form. I will be covering all of the trimmed foam circles, which could admit a small amount of moisture, with a vapor barrier liner, so there will be no place for moisture to penetrate.

I like the discussion on this topic, there are lots of varied opinions, which helps everyone to formulate their own ideas and solutions to suit their needs. For me this forum is so useful because it brings up so many ideas, from which everyone is welcome to take what they like.

As always, have fun with your awesome Delica;
AJ

[Firesong]

When you close the doors you get a nice solid 'thunk'
same as those expensive cars

:)
am I right??


FS
(yah the foam definitely won't be absorbing moisture.. tough stuff when it's
cured)

[AJ Boombox]

Oh Yah; closing the doors makes me smile from ear to ear. It is a special, deeply gratifying, solid "THUNK".

I snapped off all the old, hard black sealant that used to hold the inside metal panels to the outside metal panels. They stopped holding some time in the past and made the van vibrate crazily. I slid pads of dense, closed cell foam between all of the tabs and then traced/tacked them with PL9000 construction caulking. This took care of so much rattling and shaking that I don't even think about putting it into neutral at traffic lights anymore. My rear hatch shook recklessly, it was really embarrassing. Simply playing with the adjustable positions of the little rubber bumpers on the rear door made it noiseless.

I also pulled off the tired driver and passenger door seals, pinched the "U" shaped edge channel together to let them grip the door trim tightly, like they did in their youth, and then re-conditioned the gaskets with Auto Glym. Window seals got a strategic shim with thin self-adhesive weather stripping tape, so they don't shake anymore. And yes, now with the foam in place and cured, the interior feels like quiet, posh luxury that I could never afford to buy, only create with labour. I didn't think I would appreciate it as much as I do.

All that being said, to keep this posting on track... anyone who removes their interior panels, to insulate, or perhaps for another reason, might want to consider the steps I tried above. Not suggesting you need the serious foam fill up; just the shims, gaskets, and window stripping makes your van feel and sound amazing.

Keep it Fun;
AJ