Thinsulate 3m?

[Zork]

Originally Posted by Oliveguam

In each of our apartments we can get up to 2 gallons a day of condensate from our split units, and with 8" of concrete (no appreciable r value?) Walls sweat it more than five degrees of temp difference. I worry if ac turned down for comfort, exterior sweating is my concern. Steel body or cars dont last here being bad enough but not trapping dew point is sentencing the bus to early death. Hope to learn of different products so i can acheive my goal with less than 5" of insulation or 4k (I hope either is realistic) i have a little kubota genset to put in a doghouse on front bumperette where one of two engine druven ac pumps will run off genset (also share coolant and radiator of main engine) and a mini split to run off of shore power. (Also of note in my avitar photo picturing my bus in front of my building, beyond and behind is another building, a cross street and the west facing shore.) Corrosion is the price of paradise

I come from the Caribbean and that is our daily bread. If you don't want something to corrode you have treat it regularly with anti-corrosion products like WD-40, or aviation products like Corrosion-X.

[Oliveguam]

Yes I left the west coast to come to Guam 18 years ago. Been dealing with rust ever since. Seems you have had similar experience thus certainly understand what I am up against.

[Zork]

Originally Posted by Oliveguam

Yes I left the west coast to come to Guam 18 years ago. Been dealing with rust ever since. Seems you have had similar experience thus certainly understand what I am up against.

Yes, I have, on all types of vehicles... cars, boats, aircraft, appliances, computers, musical instruments, you name it. The key, IMO, is to make it a religious habit to keep everything treated for corrosion. There are plenty of products out there, but Corrosion-X for aircraft and boats and WD-40 for cars are my bible. My problem is my wife's allergies. After any application I have to run a fan for a day or two to dry up any solvents in the spray and leave only the corrosion protection film behind.

[incubus]

I've used foam board of different types and brands . Problem I've found is they squeak against wood when driving. If not fastened tight to wall, condensation can cause, rust, mold can grow. I've put foam board in and used expanding foam around edges to seal panel in place works . However,and this isnt going to be popular, I spray foam walls and ceiling. I install all wiring and conduits first. Run 3/4" x 1 1/2" wood strips front to back on 8"centers,spray foam it. I now pay a local company to do it,though I've done it myself too. Spray foam no air infiltration, stops leaks, and the structural advantages are incredible. Yes spray foam has to be trimmed, I use tree saw blades, goes fast, over all way less time then cutting and fitting each piece of foam board. As far as R-value, all I can say is spray foamed busses seem easier to heat and cool, more comfortable over all. Just my opinion. Ric

[mitchk]

Thanks all for the help. I was able to find a local spray foam company who was willing to do the bus for only 1.25 per board foot and that includes prep and clean up. Seemed extremely cheap so we will see how it goes haha.

[mitchk]

Originally Posted by incubus

I've used foam board of different types and brands . Problem I've found is they squeak against wood when driving. If not fastened tight to wall, condensation can cause, rust, mold can grow. I've put foam board in and used expanding foam around edges to seal panel in place works . However,and this isnt going to be popular, I spray foam walls and ceiling. I install all wiring and conduits first. Run 3/4" x 1 1/2" wood strips front to back on 8"centers,spray foam it. I now pay a local company to do it,though I've done it myself too. Spray foam no air infiltration, stops leaks, and the structural advantages are incredible. Yes spray foam has to be trimmed, I use tree saw blades, goes fast, over all way less time then cutting and fitting each piece of foam board. As far as R-value, all I can say is spray foamed busses seem easier to heat and cool, more comfortable over all. Just my opinion. Ric

incubus just out of curiousity for your furring strips did you just rip down sheets of plywood or do you buy the wood strips somewhere? I found 1x2in furring strips at home depot but they seem significantly less strong then plywood...

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by mitchk

Thanks all for the help. I was able to find a local spray foam company who was willing to do the bus for only 1.25 per board foot and that includes prep and clean up. Seemed extremely cheap so we will see how it goes haha.

Board feet are usually calculated at 1" thickness, you want more. Does your price include a thicker than 1" layer?

[mitchk]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Board feet are usually calculated at 1" thickness, you want more. Does your price include a thicker than 1" layer?

Yeah board foot is a square foot x an inch thick. I'm planning on getting 1.5inch thick. So essentially it will be 2 bucks per square foot.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by mitchk

Yeah board foot is a square inch x an inch thick. I'm planning on getting 1.5inch thick. So essentially it will be 2 bucks per square foot.

Actually it's a square FOOT x 1" thick.

[mitchk]

Originally Posted by o1marc

Actually it's a square FOOT x 1" thick.

Shoot you got me haha. That would be an expensive insulation job!

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by mitchk

I am building another bus out in montana. On my original bus I used 1.5" foam board insulation. The customer is convinced that we should be using 3M thinsulate. She has talked to several high end van builders in the area and they all swear by it. I've noticed in the bus community this insulation is usually frowned upon. With the metal roof it does seem like this type of reflective insulation would be effective. Is there a reason I shouldn't use it on the roof.

I also looked into spray foam but all the experts in the area are booked for two months. I could do it myself but many of the kits are on backorder. The one I did find is Versi-Foam 600 board feet. Anyone have experience with this?

I'd appreciate any feedback! I'm assuming thinsulate in the winter isn't great due to to conduction and convection heat loss?

Thinsulate is a 3M trademarked name for several specific products. Which one are you referring to?

[incubus]

If I can get clean two by sixes I rip them down. The problem with plywood is it's not always economical because the ribs are not spaced to make use of about 2 foot of the plywood rip. I also put wider strips of wood where cabinets are going to be hung or things need to be attached to the ceiling. The bonus with a 3/4 inch strips is three-quarter inch more insulation and no metal fasteners coming from the outside of the bus in which form Frost in winter. It quiets the bus down oh, there's no squeak, and we've had 10 to 12 people on the roof before

[84chevyguyid]

This is a good video on insulation.

https://youtu.be/hw1UpnSjLV0

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by incubus

If I can get clean two by sixes I rip them down. The problem with plywood is it's not always economical because the ribs are not spaced to make use of about 2 foot of the plywood rip. I also put wider strips of wood where cabinets are going to be hung or things need to be attached to the ceiling. The bonus with a 3/4 inch strips is three-quarter inch more insulation and no metal fasteners coming from the outside of the bus in which form Frost in winter. It quiets the bus down oh, there's no squeak, and we've had 10 to 12 people on the roof before

For those who don't know:


Plywood is considered to be directional, meaning that it is stronger in one direction (lengthwise) when spanning multiple supports as in decking. OSB is considered unidirectional meaning it is just as strong in either direction, which allows for better use of waste/scrap pieces, which helped it to gain popularity in the construction industry, and it was cheaper. The first time (early 60's) that I saw a piece of OSB it was being used as interior paneling because people thought it looked "cool".

[Darrell]

3M Thinsulate Acoustic/Thermal Insulation SM600L (40' x 60") https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B074XGMJ47/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_JCBB3SQGZ60019FSV056?_ encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Says 2.5 R value for 1", which would be 3.75 to 5 after full expansion to 1.5-2 inches.

Some good reviews regarding temperature management. The ad text does emphasize acoustics, though.