Earth car?

I am shopping for a cargo van now and need to find a media to use to insulate it. The walls are partially dual wall with about 1.5" in the hollow. I was thinking about using something like papercrete, possibly with some recycled crushed styrofoam or rice hulls mixed in with it. People usually fill these hollows with some kind of xx-rene or stuff them with the pink stuff. Any ideas? The goal is to get the highest r value.

You also have to worry about moisture. Big metal surfaces condense. Lots of the spray foam gick holds moisture and rusts out the car rather quickly. Papercrete would be worse.

Perlite, vermiculite, Styrofoam, bubble wrap, wool, aerogel, ceramic beads--there are options depending on your goals and budget.

Why are you insulating? From the heat or cold? Are you trying to turn it into a produce truck or a camper?

I want to turn it into a camper. I am hoping to get a job either this year or next teaching in a place like Nevada or Idaho, places that have both cold in the winter and hot in the summer. I am considering applying a coat of rubber - the same kind of stuff applied to the beds of pickup trucks - to the interior panels of the van and then adding the insulation. Another idea is to use a similar coating that is used for sound proofing.

Tom Connolly : I want to second R.Scott, you will be living in a well sealed tin box, moisture will drip off of your walls and ceiling, and this will occur
just from your breathing 1

Any other activities unvented space heaters, cooking and steam/water vapor released by cooking. simply rudimentary bathing will create gallons of
water into your closed box !

Not only will you suffer, but your bedding and clothing will never be completely dry. And on top of that vapor pressure alone transports the water from
higher concentration to lower Wet insulation is Zero insulation and you are setting yourself up for mold growth a health and safety issue !

For the good of the Crafts ! Big AL

Soooo...is venting the solution? A small dehumidifier?

Tom Connolly : Ventilation AND a major change in your life style ! See link below- Should start near the middle- replay if you need more information !


https://youtu.be/h4RxZB8l8Eg?t=7m46s

It is possible to build a simple heat exchanger that will collect and drain water vapor but again this still requires a Basic change in your personal habits.

For the Good of the craft ! Big AL

Roof vent is a must.

There are a couple ways people go with vans: plan on electric plug in (park in a friend's driveway) for heat and a.c. or completely off grid and no power heat and ventilation.

The small window a.c. units fit in the back door (buy a junk yard door to cut and weld on if you think you may sell the van). Electric heat is an electric mattress pad and small space heater--more to dry your stuff out than heat the space.

Off grid heat can be small propane heaters, but they have to be vented. The non vented once add a ton of moisture to the air. I have seen wood heat in a van, but it is really tricky to get it to fit safel--you need to know what you are doing.

Insulate the OUTSIDE of the roof! Buskote is a fancy paint with ceramic insulation in it, or elastomeric roof paint for mobile homes, both help summer and winter.