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To maximize comfort level on your van adventures, we strongly recommend soundproofing your van with a vibration damper – Damplifier Pro and Spectrum are the best performing options for a van soundproofing project. They also will help a bit with thermal regulation, by making it harder for heat to penetrate the van’s metal.

The van insulation then goes on top of your vibration damping as a second layer. Here are the best insulation materials to use in your van.

Heat Wave Pro

Heat Wave Pro is recycled jute insulation with thermal foil on either side. This product has an R-value of 3.91 per inch, with a higher R-value possible when used in combination with an air gap due to it’s foil layers. If you are tight on space and want the best possible results out of a thin, budget friendly material – Heat Wave Pro is your new best friend. Install it on the walls and ceiling of the van with 100% coverage for best results.

Mega Zorbe Pro

Mega Zorbe is a hydrophobic open celled melamine foam. We offer the ½” Mega Zorbe, which we often use on the roof, and then the thicker Mega Zorbe Pro which can be used on the walls. This aerospace-grade insulation product has an R-value per inch of 4.16, and it’s temperature rated up to 350°F so it is used in a wide variety of transportation projects – including planes, trains, and buses. It’s also commonly used in military and industrial settings. In addition to being an excellent insulation material, Mega Zorbe is hydrophobic so it repels water and is an excellent sound absorber to help reduce noise inside the vehicle. This product is commonly used on the walls and the ceiling because it is lightweight and easy to install.

Luxury Liner Pro

Luxury Liner Pro is a premium automotive MLV product unmatched for noise reduction in a vehicle. You can use Luxury Liner Pro block sound and thermally insulate. So if you want to reduce the amount of outside sound coming into your van, Luxury Liner Pro is the best option!

The dense automotive MLV is fused to a decoupling layer of closed cell foam, allowing it to block sound and contain the temperature in the van’s interior. Luxury Liner Pro also has an impressive R-value of 4.45 per inch. However, due to the sheer weight of Luxury Liner Pro, we don’t recommend using it on the ceiling of your van. The #1 place to install it is the floor, where it adds insulation and blocks road noise, tire noise, and other sounds coming up from below the van – substantially reducing noise inside the cabin and cargo area. The other place Luxury Liner Pro is commonly used is the walls, for installations that want to quiet their van as much as possible.

CelluZorbe

CelluZorbe is a budget friendly insulation product that is mostly made of recycled cellulose fibers (newspapers). The material has an R-value of 3.7 per inch and comes in 1” and 2” thickness options. If you want to upgrade from a fiberglass based insulator to a no-itch, recycled product, then you won’t find a better value than CelluZorbe. CelluZorbe is also an effective sound absorption product with a high NRC rating, helping reduce the noise level in your van by absorbing reflected sound.

The first thing to do when converting a van is to strip the factory interior of the van and place your sound deadener of choice directly on the metal. Next, install your insulation as a second layer. For the walls and ceiling of the van, we recommend using Mega Zorbe, Mega Zorbe Pro, Heat Wave Pro, or CelluZorbe depending on your budget and priorities. You can cut any of these materials to size with a utility knife although there are other options for large jobs. Reach out to us to discuss your project!

Once you have installed your chosen insulation material with full coverage on the walls and ceiling of the van, you can finish installing the interior knowing you’ve done the best possible job for regulating temperature and reducing noise.

Just like with the walls an ceiling, start with a sound deadening material. For insulation, the absolute best product to use on the floor of your van is Luxury Liner Pro. To install it, measure the dimensions of your floor and cut Luxury Line Pro to size. Next, secure the product with a strong double-sided tape or high temp adhesive. Once correctly installed, place your flooring directly on top of the Luxury Liner Pro. There isn’t a better combination of soundproofing, insulation, and ease of installation out there for your van conversion.

Feel free to contact us and we can help you find the right materials at the right price to finish your van insulation and conversion project. Once you’ve completed your project, send us pics and helpful tips so we can continue improving our guides! We love working with van conversion project and the Second Skin community is here to help!