Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

here is my hypothetical situation I'm debating to fully seal my trailer in the form of a polyurethane type of product and was wondering then if insulation would still be a benefit or would it be just taking up space that could be used elsewhere....yes I know you still need air flow so you don't wake up dead but I'm debating the idea of living in a colder climate and not having insulation...What you think

Hi droid,

I can't answer your question. Though I do have a question, will condensation be an issue for you in a low temperatures? I would think that you would want to reflect your body heat and not loose it. I hope you get many insightful replies.

BobH.

Unless you are going to camp in warm temperatures only, I suggest that insulation is a necessity. Not only to help keep your body heat in the trailer but to prevent condensation from your breath on the interior of your exterior walls.

Insulation is about preventing heat transmission, not just to prevent air circulation and convection.

<Chas>

Even when it's hot out insulation helps keep the inside cooler. For the cost and benefit I wouldn't build without it

I've never seen a post complaining about insulating but I've seen a few from people wishing they had insulated. It's more work but pays off with a trailer that's more livable.

Bruce

I think I found my answer I never considered that condensation would factor into
Thanks everyone looks like I'll be insulating it as well as sealing it

Sleep in one without insulation during a big rain storm and then sleep in one that is insulated. The sound deadening that keeps it from sounding like you are in a drum is worth it to me. Even stuff like pinecones falling on it are much quieter.

All three of my sleeper trailers are insulated completely .... YEP ! walls ceiling and yes the floor.

I never even concidered not insulating.

I am blessed in that I have a never ending source of polystyrene (blue foam) from our plant. This material is scrap from window and door cutouts but the price is right and I can use the big table saw to cut them to the exact fit right in our shop.

I have hauled 3 full pickup loads home. The loads were already cut to fit in the walls and the ceiling of the caboose. I think 5 inches in the walls and 8 inches in the ceiling will make it easy to heat and cool.

You might want to investigate the VOC's generated by polyurathane based products I know the polyisocyanurate off gas. The blue (Dow) and the pink (owen corning) polystyrene are very user friendly with little to no VOC's to offgas.

Droid –

My first TD was built sans insulation with solid, 3/4" plywood walls and 1/4" plywood, open spar ceiling skinned with aluminum outside. These were deliberate choices to cut cost and build time. Living in SoCal, I figured I'd rarely freeze and that it would still be better than a tent. True on both accounts. However...

It did get REALLY cold on a couple of trips in the Sierras. But worse than the cold was the condensation. There was a LOT of it. A central roof fan/vent and two adjustable, louvered side vents could not keep up. The breath of two humans and cold differential from outside to in caused those panels to sweat like a bathroom mirror during a long winter shower. I expect a moist region like yours might even be worse.

My next TD will be insulated. Still researching the build methods though, to decide which is best for me...

I've stayed in many truck stops and parking lots many of which are fairly noisy with generators running and a lot of traffic during the night and was able to sleep very well in a large part due to my camper being well insulated and equipped with room darkening curtains. Even down to freezing I have yet to needed to run heat in the tear to stay comfortable. I wouldn't even consider building without insulation.

Being a Canuck, how can you even consider NOT insulating ???
If you have to scrimp on something, scrimp somewhere else

If you had asked me last year I would have said on something as small as a teardrop insulation is an added expense, added weight and added complexity in building. But after having a small camper with no insulation for one summer and the beginning of winter, I would now say that insulation is your best friend, summer and winter.

I always do insulation in the floor and roof.

But for the side walls (and even the ceiling and floor) I glue a Foam Backed Rug directly to the sides.

I have no idea what the "R" value of a Foam Backed Rug is? Nor do I have any idea what the "R" value of my coat is either?

Some things that work just don't have an "R" value.

Happy Trails

Len