insulation yes or no ?

[FlyerSkip]

Ive been wondering about the insulation I was going to put in the teardrop. At first I thought I would just cuz it seemed right. BUUUUTTT after I've thought of it I'm not sure I need it. With the inside of the tear so small to start with is it really needed ? The heat or A/C shouldn't have any trouble keeping up. Seem the ply walls would do the trick.
Can I get some thoughts on this from both sides please. It would be much easier to build with just the ply walls and skip the insulation but I don't want to regret it later . Most of the camping will be around Oklahoma or in that type of climate.

[Boodro]

Flyerskip, I went with insulation mostly for the noise factor. It does help muffle sound . When I play music inside I don't bother other campers & also when they play music I don't hear it unless it is real loud. As far as heat or cold , I don't think it is a huge factor as the thickness would have to be at least 4 - 6 inches to make a big difference. It is going to get cold & or hot to a certain point no matter what. Ya just try & keep it to a minimum using ac or a heater. just my 2 sense worth . Good luck!

[len19070]

To not insulate the ceiling I think is not a good move. If you have used a sandwich style construction, to not fill that void with some kind of insulation is just silly. Its so easy at that point. And you can never go back and do it with this kind of ease again.

Now the side walls, The easiest way I've found is just use a rug with a foam back and glue it to the walls.

Is stick building the wall and insulating it between the studs better? Probably.

What is the "R" value of 3/4-1" Styrofoam VS. Wood and a foam backed Rug? I don't know. I'll bet there not that far apart.

Your house walls don't have as much insulation as your roof either.

I find that the rug on the wall is adequate, easy, quiet and gives me a nice finish on the inside.

JMHO

Happy Trails

Len

[exminnesotaboy]

We insulated our on all sides, primarily to keep condensation from forming when we camp in the winter(and it works reallllllllly well). If we didn't camp when it was cold, I probably would have just used plywood on the walls and it would've been fine

[oklahomajewel]

I only have 1/4" ply exterior then 3/4" foam board then 1/4" wallboard inside ... so my "insulation " has three functions

Gives lightweight stability for my sandwich walls. Roof is 2 layers of 1/8" on the outer, 3/4" plus 1/2" foamboard then 1/8" interior... Again, stability!

Some insulating factors... while I'm in Oklahoma too, there have been some cold nights/early mornings camping at LCG, early spring at Beavers Bend... Missouri, north Texas (in December)... you never know. I have not had any condensation on my interior like some have described... don't know if the insulation has anything to do with that.

SOUND .... I take my laptop to play a movie and turn the sound up ( did anyone hear me late night at Caney Creek?) .. but here's the BEST example....
At Beavers Bend the first year , I was tent camping and about 20 folks were TDing. About 6 AM in a perfectly silent campground, I rolled over to get up and hit my car key fob and the alarm went off BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP for probably 30 full seconds!!!! OMG!!!!
but everybody said they didn't hear it.... whew!!!
(The car was parked right next to Hap's camper, but he didn't have his hearing aid in anyway...!)

[Nobody]

If you do insulate, you'll not regret it later. If you don't insulate, you might have some regrets/second thoughts. It's easy & very little more expense to do it while building.

[Sparksalot]

The condensation, sound and other considerations above are valid discussion items, but what about the geekiness factor?

Geekiness factor you say?

Sure. I supervise a group of mechanical engineers who do HVAC systems design for buildings. One guy saw the insulation in a picture. He asked what the R value was. When I told him I have R3 walls and an R6 roof, he replied, "SWEET!" Geek factor is high.

[McBrew]

Now the side walls, The easiest way I've found is just use a rug with a foam back and glue it to the walls.

I like that idea. I was originally thinking of making a "stud" wall, but there are two issues: 1) A single 3/4" wall would be easy to build and would give me flexibility when it comes to attachment points for cabinets, etc. 2) A single 3/4 ply wall will give me a little more space in my 4' wide teardrop than a sandwich construction wall.

Also, I can get 3/4" oak veneer plywood pretty cheap at Home Depot.

My father built a theater room addition a year or so back and used carpet for the walls. It really helps to deaden the sound and was also very easy to install.

[doug hodder]

One cool damp night and when the ceiling gets "drippy", you'll wish you insulated the ceiling. Damp clammy blankets aren't much fun, if you don't insulate, for sure put in a ceiling vent, that'll help with the moisture...I only do the ceilings. Doug

[boardhead]

If you don't insulate, be prepared to wake up in a cold, wet mess. It doesn't have to get very cold at night for moisture to condense inside the tear.

[FlyerSkip]

Retta want to do some kinda rustic designs on the tear so insted of rugs perhaps I can hang hand made quilts on the inside for the sound deadening and to help insulate. Then they can be removed for washing. This way she can make the quilts to look like what she wants them to look. Or I'll make them and surprise her with them.

[Juneaudave]

Retta want to do some kinda rustic designs on the tear so insted of rugs perhaps I can hang hand made quilts on the inside for the sound deadening and to help insulate. Then they can be removed for washing. This way she can make the quilts to look like what she wants them to look. Or I'll make them and surprise her with them.

Boy...I can sure see hand made quilts hanging on the wall of a cozy Tear!!!! The ability to remove them for a wash or for storage would be a plus!!! If you do it...I'd sure like to see the results!

[Woody]

After six plus years of teardrop building and camping I can honestly say the following. I would insulate the sidewalls, galley bulkhead, doors, and the roof. Insulating the galley and hatch is not needed. The mattress insulates the floor in most cases so it is not needed. The benefits of the insulation go beyond keeping us cool or warm. Teardrops do get warm in the sun and even with A/C running you might have condensate problems in high humidity conditions like Florida and other areas without it. A/C installed is a whole different topic which I will not go into at this time. The other advantage of insulating is that you may down the road camping in conditions that may require it to be comfortable. You never know where you might end up down the road and wish you had done it in the first place. I have been in the Florida Keys (Key West) at 97 degrees with miserable humidity then two weeks later in the moutains of North Carolina and it dropped down to 26 degrees at night with a heater on. I had a thick coat of frost covering the teardrop and was perfectly content inside. It kept the wife happy and then so was I and slept peacefully. Nothing worse than someone not happy if you know what I mean when trying to sleep. We (I)were blissfully comfortable in either condition. The side benefit was sound deadening, not so much us for other campers, but outside noises disturbing us while we slept from others not so considerate. I had no idea how this was so welcome in some camping situations we have encountered. Even in thunderstorms didn't really know it was raining until the thunder got louder and eventually heard it inside. It also helps to cover the teardrop with a awning to keep the heat and weather off the teardrop also. Just some thoughts on the subject

[McBrew]

Hmmm... some things to think about. Maybe I should stick to my original plan of insulating the walls.

[Larwyn]

I insulated the walls, floor and ceiling. The galley is not insulated. Didn't cost much, wasn't much trouble and I am glad it was done. I used the pink foam in the walls, some white form in the floor, and the pink stuff again in the straight part of the roof, while I used the foil (bubble wrap) stuff in the curved portions (2 or 3 layers, don't remember which). I have no idea of the R value, I only know that it is insulated....

The AC will bring the cabin temp down from 96 to 70 degrees in a really short time. And will get into the 60's given a bit longer. Good enough for me.