Insulation options for CT conversion?

[Tallbald]

Hi. Might have read that Penny and I ordered a 5x8 Homesteader today for our conversion. I decided I will insulate it myself, and am looking into types of material to consider. I know some have used foam board, but having seen foam board burn and put off clouds of black smoke, I am wondering about other options. Here in the South, pole barns are often insulated with aluminum foil faced bubble wrap. I don't remember the R value, but wonder about the practicality of this insulation. Fiberglass can't be compressed much without losing insulation value I was told. Suggestions from voices of experience? I see an obsession with this whole CT conversion camping thing in my future. Fishing rod rack overhead? Nifty storage things all nestled in their assigned spots? Sure do love the vintage Coleman stuff too........oh my gosh here I go..............Don

[capt4903]

I used the blue 3/4" styrofoam sheets from Lowes....some builders here then overlay that with the bubble wrap to insulate the metal studs from wallboard.....

[Goatdog]

I too used the blue foamboard. I think the majority of CT builders do and it appears to hold up. I do think the Reflectex will work also but probably not any better and certainly not any cheaper. It may be more fire resistant but I don't really know.

I'll be watching your build.

[bigbendhiker]

I'm insulating my trailer now and I'm also using the blue foam boards from Lowe's. They have 1/2" which is R3 and 3/4" which is R4. I was able to get 2 layers of 1/2" in the front for R6 and think I will be able to get that much in the ceiling as well. It's easy to cut to fit between the studs and I'm also running my wiring as I go. Man it's hot outside.

[d30gaijin]

Hi. Might have read that Penny and I ordered a 5x8 Homesteader today for our conversion. I decided I will insulate it myself, and am looking into types of material to consider. I know some have used foam board, but having seen foam board burn and put off clouds of black smoke, I am wondering about other options. Here in the South, pole barns are often insulated with aluminum foil faced bubble wrap. I don't remember the R value, but wonder about the practicality of this insulation. Fiberglass can't be compressed much without losing insulation value I was told. Suggestions from voices of experience? I see an obsession with this whole CT conversion camping thing in my future. Fishing rod rack overhead? Nifty storage things all nestled in their assigned spots? Sure do love the vintage Coleman stuff too........oh my gosh here I go..............Don

Welcome to the forum!

Granted the various forms of foam board insulation will give off clouds of black smoke when it burns, that is the least of your worries. Your worry should be getting the heck out of your CT if it catches fire. Most trailers have a burn down time of about 15 minutes, and it doesn't matter whether it is giving off black smoke/noxious fumes or not. Just get the heck out and away from it ASAP!

I worked in the environmental remediation industry for the last 30 years and know that your problem isn't the black noxious smoke, your problem is getting out alive. Bubble wrap is poor insulation. It is no more than trapped air. If trapped air was good insulation you wouldn't need insulation since air is trapped between the plywood or Luan paneling and the exterior walls of your CT. Trapped air by itself doesn't do squat for insulation. I suggest going with blue, pink, or white foam board. They have the highest R rating per inch, and that's about all you'll get in there is an inch of foam board. I went with the blue because of availability to me.

Don

[pappaw]

Hi Don:

I agree with Don (but don't tell anyone).

If I were to build again, I would use the high density foam board as discussed.

For what it's worth department, I ordered my trailer insulated and paneled from the factory. They used fiberglass bats in the ceiling, and white (like a cooler) styrofoam boards in the walls.

Just my 2 cents, hope it helps, Cheers

[Tallbald]

Would foam board be correct for the roof? I have wondered about the blanket type insulation like you see used in car hoods. Or is that type for sound insulation more than heat/cold? Don.

[GPW]

Tall, foam will be good in the roof and provide some support ... The roof is where you do want the good insulation , that's where the most heat /cool loss occurs ...
Fires , Only two basic fire types on a CT , electrical or cooking... A couple handy Fire extinguishers handle it all ... Don’t bother with re charging , just get new ones every year .... cheap insurance ... The fire only endangers the foam once it’s way outta’ hand ... and in such case you and yours should be long gone ...
Smoke alarm’s not a bad idea either ...

[surfdog]

Howdy... I'm in the same position, trying to decide what product to use to insulate.
My limited research shows that:

1) the Pink foam at my HD, 'Owens Corning Foamular' (extruded polystyrene insulation) is rated at R5 per inch, same with the Blue Foam at Lowes.
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Mater ... reId=10051

2) R-Max (Polyisocyanurate foam) is rated at 6.4 R per inch, and is less expensive (at least where I am located).
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Mater ... reId=10051

Both claim to be designed for exterior, non-structural use. I have no experience with either, but R-Max looks better on paper (less expensive, higher R value).

Is there a reason the Pink/Blue foam is the common choice?

TIA

[Tallbald]

Thanks for the links. We have a HD here and I will look into it. Don

[Pyrofish]

I used the 2" white foam on my walls and ceiling. It has a good R value but it's a mess to cut. Then for Father's Day, I bought my dad some of the Blue foam from Lowes to insulate his fishing shed. Wow does that stuff cut nice! No little styro balls all over everything... It had a great R value for the thickness too... I'm sure the pink is similar. When I cut the 2" white styro, it looked like it snowed inside my CT...

[jjvw]

We used the blue stuff in the first 6x12 CT. Yes, it's stinks when it burns. Everything that didn't burn, smelled so bad it was worthless. Walking thru the remains made us gag. You won't last long if your were caught in those fumes. (see galley)
For the replacement trailer we used the white stuff because it was on sale at half the price. But it was harder to cut, often broke when stuffed too tight and very messy.
If I had to do it again, I would use the pink or blue stuff. It has a clear backing that held it together when it broke. Sometimes we used a 12V panel saw to cut the tricky parts.
You really do need to insulate cargo trailers. An 6x12 only takes 10 sheets. Well worth the $120. It was 100 + over the fourth, but parked in the shade it was only 85 in the trailer during the day. With the doors and windows open and a fan it was tolerable at night. It got down to 10 last deer season but with a small propane heater fired up for a couple hours before bed, the insulation held it above 50 till morning.

[lmajeff1]

Hello,

I used the foil faced bubble rap glued to the underside of the metal roof. I then used 3/4 inch R-Max foil faced against it. I then ran 1X3 furring strips the length of the trailer with 1/2 R-Max between the furring strips. I learned from this site that if you do not insulate the ceiling panels from the ceiling braces you might as well open the door. I insulated the walls of my CT with 1/2 inch R-Max foil faced of course. All vertical spars where filled with expaning foam.

Sincerely

Jeff

[Mud_Bug]

Very good info here. I'm about to start insulating my CT, these are some questions I had. Thanks for the valuable info.