Value of insulation--maybe a stupid question

[glenn_r]

Hello!

I'm planning out my spring teardrop build. Unfortunately I only got the trailer frame assembled before cold weather hit, and my garage isn't heated...

Anyway, I'm building a 4x8 for my wife and I. She wants a woody-sided trailer. I want it to be usable 4-seasons, and it'll have AC and a small heater.

My question is, how important or valuable is insulating the walls? The ceiling and floor will be done, but what's the insulating value of 3/4" plywood, if I used that for the walls? I don't want the headache of condensation or interior frost, but no wall insulation would give me another inch or so of interior width.

Insulate the walls, or go with 3/4" plywood?

[mikeschn]

For 4 seasons camping insulate the walls. Grow the walls to the outside rather than to the inside.

As you said, it'll save you the headache of condensation or frost on the inside of the walls in the winter.

It'll also prevent cold butt, but you'd have to ask Madjack more about that!

Oh, and welcome to the forum. Are you taking pictures as you go? We'd like to see them some day.

Mike...

[RAYVILLIAN]

The little guy has 3/4 sides with carpet on the inside. We've slept in ours down in the 20's and was warm and no frost problem on the walls but the glass doors they use frosted over bad. If I remember right 1" of wood equals 2 R value in insulation. Foam insulation is 4 to 6 R per inch depending on what type you use.

GAry

[Ira]

Glen, the other thing about framing and insulating your walls is that you now have extra places to run wires. This also opens up a whole world of inside wall finish options now. Any nice paneling that your wife sees you can use for the interior walls. Plus, depending on what you buy, they're pre-finished, so less work. Plus now your walls are insulated.

Framing the walls isn't that big a deal.

[glenn_r]

Great info. Thanks!

I was trying to keep the trailer at 48" wide because it's being towed behind a Toyota Corolla. If the trailer gets much wider I'll need wider rear-view mirrors! And I won't be able to use a 4' wide piece of plywood for the roof, and have to find 5' wide plywood, which I can't locate locally (I'm in the sticks). Ah well, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it, right?

Thanks for the help!

[wolfix]

I see you are from Wisconsin. Years ago I camped up in the Cable Wisconsin area in a pickup topper that was converted to a bed area. The first few years I froze my butt off. Then we put insulated foam board on the walls and ceiling and our body heat kept the thing warm when it was 20 degrees outside. I added an electrical heater and it stayed toasty without condesation. Figure out how to add the extra space. I think you will be glad you did.

[Ira]

Also think about how much interior width you're really losing:

If you use 3/4" solid walls, nothing else, you're losing 1 1/2" total off the 48" wide.

I used 3/8" walls, 1" by 2" for framing, which is actually 3/4" deep (the thickness of the insulation you would buy), and a 1/8" interior skin.

So 3/8 times 2 is 3/4. 3/4 times 2 is 1 1/2. And 1/8 times 2 is 1/4.

Add them up and that's 2 1/2" total--just one inch more than using the 3/4" solid walls. You're not losing anything significantly more on the interior width.

[glenn_r]

You have all sold me. Insulated it is. And the logic of actually examining how much space I actually lose, well, I should have done that...doh.

Thanks!

[Miriam C.]

Glen,
You get less weight if you frame it and use thiner outside walls too. It cost a bit more but in the long run you will be able to tow it up hill.