Guide to campervan insulation

What to use when insulating your van, caravan, motorhome or campervan.

Here we explain why it is necessary to insulate your self-build camper or motor home project and the popular wall and roof insulation materials used.

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Reasons to insulate your self-build campervan/motorhome

  • To prevent heat loss from your campervan when camping in the cooler months of the year
  • To keep your campervan cool when parked in sunny places or pitches when camping in the summer months
  • To stop condensation and water droplets forming inside your self-build/DIY camper van or motor home which will happen if you leave the sides and roof of your van to bare metal. If don't insulate your van the only way to reduce the condensation is to stop breathing!
  • To reduce noise, both from the vehicle itself and other outside disturbances (further acoustic insulation can also be purchased from specialist suppliers)

What types of insulation should I use?

Below are some of the more popular insulating materials used for campervan/motorhome insulation:

  • Rigid insulation panels such as Polystyrene sheets.
  • Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Styrofoam Flexible synthetic wool (such as that used to insulate a loft).
  • Thinsulate insulation from 3M which is polyester and polypropylene microfibre that won't absorb water.
  • Semi-flexible insulating panels which are often used to insulate cavities in brickwork.
  • Dacron foam or other similar foam products.
  • Most of the above insulation materials should be available from most builders merchants and DIY shops. If not then there are plenty of Web sites and suppliers online.