I tried two ways at the same time. I don’t think I insulated my van build properly, but it is very insulated.

How to Insulate

So there’s a couple ways you could do this

• Foam boards
• Spray Foam
• Pink Insulation
• Havelock Wool

I opted for the pink insulation and spray foam combo. I sprayed the entire van with insulation and assumed it would be sticky enough to hold my walls up. It was not. So then I got some more insulation that you use to insulate a house. I tore that up and cut it to custom fit my van and all the weird shapes it is. If you are planning on gutting your van and returning it to its natural state, don’t spray foam it.

Foam Boards

The foam boards are tough to work with when putting in a van since they are not very easy to bend. Depending on the thickness you get, these boards can be pretty stiff. With the difficulty of cutting them, it is time consuming to customize them to your van. Also the boards are too thick for the walls and you lose a lot space in your van for that.

Spray Foam

I would advise against the spray foam method. It it’s so time consuming, hurts your fingers, and gets on everything. This stuff is so sticky I ruined a coat for it. It is good for getting in tough spots but you can easily through a piece of insulation in the crevice instead. It’s is so time consuming too.

Pink Insulation

This stuff worked great for me. It’s like a thick blanket made of fiber glass shreds. This can be torn apart, cut to fit your van, and stuffed wherever you need it. It can also be squished to be very compact as well. The pink insulation worked great for the ceiling since there are so many grooves and notches. It formed right around those groves and laid flat on the ceiling. I would definitely recommend this method for insulating.

Havelock Wool

I have never used this type of insulation, but it is the most environmentally friendly. This looks like it will keep your van mega insulated just based on the thickness. It doesn’t retain moisture which is good to not have the possibility of mold growing in your walls. It is also non toxic, so a little bit safer to be so close to everyday. It is a little more expensive than the other methods though.

The Best One

The best one is the free one. I had some pink insulation readily available with no cost to me. The best one would be the havelock wool considering how safe and sustainable it is. If you have the budget for it do that, if not find the best one you think would work for you.