Insulate the floor or no?

[kludge]

What are the pros and cons of insulating the floor? Does the mattress provide adequate insulation?

I tent camp in all weather - heat of the summer, dead of winter; no covers and a fan to mummy bag in the 0's.

I did a search but couldn't find this specific topic.

[GuitarPhotog]

It depends!

If you are going to use a foam mattress that completely covers the floor of the trailer, such as mine does, there's no need for insulation. You won't add much insulation to that the mattress provides.

However, if you will have exposed floor, or are using an air-bed type mattress, I suggest that you insulate the floor because it will make a big difference.

I have a 3/4" plywood floor with no insulation, but it is completely covered by a 5" thick foam mattress and needs no additional insulation.

<Chas>

[pappaw]

To each there own I guess. Temps that is. Some like it cool at night and others like it warm and dry. That of which has cause many disagreements to couples.

Remember your not laying on the ground, your trailer is up and the cold wind can pass underneath.

I am considering a total redo of my camper to change "lessons learned", and if I do I will insulate the floor (no more than it will cost).

Just my 2 cents, hope it helps.

Cheers

[Lgboro]

I insulated my entire tear floor, walls and ceiling with 1 1/2 (2 x 3/4" blue insulation glued up) inches of insulation. Would do it again if I build a second tear. My tear is super quiet even in noisy environments and is well insulated (and it makes a mega strong camper in the process}.

[jonw]

I put a foam carpet pad and carpet down on my bare ply floor. It made it much more comfortable in cold weather without much work.

[Woodbutcher]

I believe if you are not regularly camping in below freezing temps and you are using a foam mattress I would not. You say you are use to camping in a tent when the weather is freezing. Being enclosed and out of the wind and above the frozen ground will be a huge upgrade. I insulated the floor on my first build but not the next two. I would rather have the inside clearance. I just returned from camping in Wyoming where the temps a few nights were below freezing. I have an 8" foam mattress 1/4" walls and ceiling and no insulation anywhere. I slept in sweat pants and a tee shirt with just a quilt and a wool blanket and was real comfortable, no heater of any kind. Also remember you will heat up the inside with just your body temperature. These are my thoughts, others may feel differently. Enjoy your build.

[webbaldo]

I built my floor last week and after alot of debate I did insulate it. I was gonna go with non-insulated 3/4 floor. Now ive gone for 1/2 top, 1/8 bottom and 1x2 framing with insulation. Its more or less the same weight as normal 3/4 would be.

Some people fear dry rot being a sealed cavity

[bobhenry]

Have you noticed it's the Kalafornia folks that rule against floor insulation

As a fellow Hoosier I have built 4 tiny trailers and all have insulated floors. I have found the simplest and easiest way is to cut the foam of choice to fit over the trailer floor. Yes I said over! Then cover with a sub floor of 3/8 or 7/16 osb or plywood sheets as a inside subfloor. I also carpeted the inside sub floor in my barn build, as portions of the floor would show when in couch mode. You better get busy on that trailer the Hoosier Shivaree is only about 100 days away ( 2nd week of January )

Too bad you are gonna miss the fall gathering this coming weekend , we could have a lot to talk about

[Oldragbaggers]

The disadvantage of not insulating your floor is condensation on the bottom of your mattress. Your body moisture migrates downward through your foam mattress and then when it hits that cold floor is condenses and you can end up with a wet mattress on the bottom.

I lived on an uninsulated boat for years and struggled with this constantly. During cooler weather the mattress had to be propped up every morning so the bottom of it could dry out until we purchased a special ventilating mat to put underneath it. If you camp in cold weather and you have an uninsulated floor, check your mattress in the morning to make sure is doesn't need to be dried out.

[kludge]

OK, I hadn't thought about the condensation, but that is definitely an issue in tent camping as well.

I stay pretty warm in just my long johns and wool socks in my mummy bag. Except for my nose. No air mattresses for me in the winter they don't provide any insulation from the cold ground, usually it's just a blue foam pad. (I'm a scoutmaster so we camp in all kinds of weather.)

My wife has been wanting a new mattress in the bedroom, so chances are that I'll have a double pillow top available for the TTT... but it seems awfully thick... maybe I'll cut off one of the pillow tops.

[halfdome, Danny]

If you can't decide or your teardrop just wasn't insulated just make up two 3/4" pieces of foam with the vynal on each side and duct tape the edges so it doesn't crumble.
When the need arises you can slip them under the mattress.
Making them in two pieces is easier to store and place under the mattress.
It works great as we have two pieces made up for the rare occasion where we would need the floor insulated.
This eliminates the insulation problem during the build.
It also makes the foam mattress a bit more comfortable. Danny

[aggie79]

Even though I insulated my floor - it wasn't much work to do so - I also used 1/2" foam exercise matts on top of the floor too.

[grant whipp]

As you can already see, this is a pretty contentious subject ... ...! But, here's my experience: in almost 30 years of building & using teardrops (in all kinds of climates), I have never insulated the floor, nor have I ever felt the need to (if, as previously mentioned, the mattress covers the entire floor) ... and I have never experienced any kind of unwanted condensation under the mattress.

Another factor to consider is that NONE of the major vintage teardrop mfgs. ever insulated their floors, and just look at how many have survived all these years, even with minimal consideration for upkeep & storage.

Kay & I are currently working on a 1958 Caveman Camper (small standee, 6-1/2' x 10-1/2' floor plan) that had spent its entire life in the PNW (yes, very wet climate) ... the floor is completely uninsulated and is fine! Now, I know we won't be sleeping on that floor, and when it gets cold we'll probably be wearing socks and slippers or shoes while inside, but I feel absolutely no need to insulate that floor, nor do I see the benefit for the added labor. That said, Tom has come up with an excellent, cheap, and easy solution for those who feel the "need" to insulate their floors ... ...!

To each their own, though ... ... and as always ...

CHEERS!

[Lgboro]

I wouldn't put to much stock in the commercial teardrop companies not insulating the floor in their campers. If it would save a penny per foot they wouldn't put an exterior on the units if they could sell them that way. As for the my floor in my house isn't insulated -- many homes in eastern NC were built without insulation at all before codes required insulation and I would hate to own one today! I built my tear to be equipped to go anywhere I want to go and provide all the comfort possible in a tear so I did and would insulate if I were building again.

[Oldragbaggers]

Even though I insulated my floor - it wasn't much work to do so - I also used 1/2" foam exercise matts on top of the floor too.

I plan on doing the same Tom. I would imagine some of that exercise mat could go a long way in preventing condensation in an uninsulated floor as well.

An awful lot of people say that condensation is not a problem so I don't doubt it. Maybe it is because my boat was fiberglass which tends to be much colder than wood. I don't have the scientific background to explain it. I only know it was a problem I grappled with constantly, and we lived aboard in southern (dry) California, not some cold, wet northern climate.

If you don't want to insulate the floor, don't. It would be easy enough later, if you find you are having a problem either with temperature or condensation to put down some foam on top of the floor under your mattress as several others have suggested. But if you find you don't need it then you will have saved yourself some time, trouble, expense and headroom.