Insulation, necessary would you say?

[seaweed1992]

Hi all,
Newbie here, so be gentle with me…..
We have been looking to purchase a campervan for a while now, after much research we took a long drive to a dealers at the weekend.
The vans were brand new, very well priced, and ticked all the boxes for what we wanted.
Anyway….. decided to ring them today with a few questions I forgot to ask at the weekend, one of which was are the vehicles insulated/ sound deadened?
He told me they weren’t, and Volkswagen recommend you don’t insulate them, the cavity is there for a reason.
Explained the vehicle came with a diesel heater which would be more than adequate etc.
I am still concerned however with the hot summer weather.
There have probably been countless thread in the past, but what are your thoughts on this? Is it absolutely necessary etc?
Cheers.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Hi all,
Newbie here, so be gentle with me…..
We have been looking to purchase a campervan for a while now, after much research we took a long drive to a dealers at the weekend.
The vans were brand new, very well priced, and ticked all the boxes for what we wanted.
Anyway….. decided to ring them today with a few questions I forgot to ask at the weekend, one of which was are the vehicles insulated/ sound deadened?
He told me they weren’t, and Volkswagen recommend you don’t insulate them, the cavity is there for a reason.
Explained the vehicle came with a diesel heater which would be more than adequate etc.
I am still concerned however with the hot summer weather.
There have probably been countless thread in the past, but what are your thoughts on this? Is it absolutely necessary etc?
Cheers.

Camperking?

 

[Scruffy]

Not insulated for a reason? That's a new one. A properly sound deadened and insulated van is a much more pleasant place to be whether in motion or not, summer and winter. Anyone who advises against insulation, is well worth staying away from.

 

[Bav]

Insulation weakens the correlation between internal temperature and external ambient temperature, thereby reducing the risk of condensation in your van and increasing comfort levels without the need to resort to powered heating or cooling.

Sound deadening minimises the resonant vibrations that are inherent when driving/camping in a metal box and isolates the inside of the van from external noise sources, such as wind, tyre, road surface and traffic.

 

[Pete C]

Sound insulation is really useful on campsites. We were on a site in Wales, and it was windy overnight. Chatting to our tent based neighbours the next day, they commented on how they were kept awake a lot. We heard absolutely nothing.

Pete

 

[seaweed1992]

No, not camperking, I believe they somehow have a link to camperking though from a few years ago, so maybe following their example?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, like I say, ticked all the boxes for a reasonable price, then I’ve found this out, which could be a deal breaker maybe.

Is insulation/sound deadening something you would all look for on a new conversion as a must have?
Cheers.

 

[T6ChrisO]

No, not camperking, I believe they somehow have a link to camperking though from a few years ago, so maybe following their example?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, like I say, ticked all the boxes for a reasonable price, then I’ve found this out, which could be a deal breaker maybe.

Is insulation/sound deadening something you would all look for on a new conversion as a must have?
Cheers.

Yes, 100%

 

[Pete C]

No, not camperking, I believe they somehow have a link to camperking though from a few years ago, so maybe following their example?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, like I say, ticked all the boxes for a reasonable price, then I’ve found this out, which could be a deal breaker maybe.

Is insulation/sound deadening something you would all look for on a new conversion as a must have?
Cheers.

Yes

 

[Bav]

No, not camperking, I believe they somehow have a link to camperking though from a few years ago, so maybe following their example?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, like I say, ticked all the boxes for a reasonable price, then I’ve found this out, which could be a deal breaker maybe.

Is insulation/sound deadening something you would all look for on a new conversion as a must have?
Cheers.

Yup.

 

[Salty Spuds]

No, not camperking, I believe they somehow have a link to camperking though from a few years ago, so maybe following their example?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, like I say, ticked all the boxes for a reasonable price, then I’ve found this out, which could be a deal breaker maybe.

Is insulation/sound deadening something you would all look for on a new conversion as a must have?
Cheers.

Absolutely. As an example, we use our van for skiing in winter (-20C) & southern europe in early summer (+40C). We have a well insulated van & use thermal blinds on the inside of the windows. When we remove the blinds in winter, there is invariably ice between the blind & the window, the interior surfaces of the van are warm to the touch. In summer, when we remove the blinds on a morning, the inrush of heat is phenomenal and that's only on the glass surfaces & glass being a half decent insulator. If that was repeated along the surface area of the van, we'd either freeze or cook, depending on the season.

 

[The Bear78]

Insulation and especially sound deadening is a time consuming process on top of the material cost. It's easier to undercut some of the better quality competitors if they don't have to cover this cost.

Many people will just compare the visible parts of a conversion and be none the wiser. Either that or they'll be fobbed off with the "It makes no difference" or "VW recommend..." nonsense.

Sometimes things are cheaper for a reason but it's not always to save your money!

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

No, not camperking, I believe they somehow have a link to camperking though from a few years ago, so maybe following their example?

It’s a minefield isn’t it, like I say, ticked all the boxes for a reasonable price, then I’ve found this out, which could be a deal breaker maybe.

Is insulation/sound deadening something you would all look for on a new conversion as a must have?
Cheers.

Yup

 

[Bav]

Congrats @seaweed1992, you've managed to ask a question that has received a unanimous response - a rare feat indeed!

 

[seaweed1992]

Thanks for the advice and replies all.

Final question........

2 brand new conversions.
One is £2k cheaper but is a 23 plate, no insulation or sound deadening, rock n roll bed, 20" alloys but not VW ones. - Indium grey (original colour choice)
The other is a 24 plate, RIB bed, fully insulated and sound proofed but Mojave Beige (this colour is actually growing on me!) and official VW 20" alloys.
(I realise having 20" alloys is not important, but all the same.......)

What would you all go for?

 

[Salty Spuds]

Thanks for the advice and replies all.

Final question........

2 brand new conversions.
One is £2k cheaper but is a 23 plate, no insulation or sound deadening, rock n roll bed, 20" alloys but not VW ones. - Indium grey (original colour choice)
The other is a 24 plate, RIB bed, fully insulated and sound proofed but Mojave Beige (this colour is actually growing on me!) and official VW 20" alloys.
(I realise having 20" alloys is not important, but all the same.......)

What would you all go for?

I think you already know the answer & are just looking for confirmation

 

[seaweed1992]

I know pal.

Just looking for absolute confirmation.

We are at that stage of life now - kids have finally left the nest, we are looking to downsize the house etc, and relax a bit.

But its still a big investment whichever way you look at it, just need to take that plunge I guess......

 

[Salty Spuds]

I know pal.

Just looking for absolute confirmation.

We are at that stage of life now - kids have finally left the nest, we are looking to downsize the house etc, and relax a bit.

But its still a big investment whichever way you look at it, just need to take that plunge I guess......

That extra £2k is a no brainer in the big scheme. You’ll look back & think “2 thousand quid, pah!”
What are the conversions & specs?

 

[Greenmachine]

I’d go for the one with the RIB bed, just for that.
If the converter is skimping on insulation and sound proofing, what else has had the economy treatment?
£2k? Small change in comparison to all the extra spending you’ll be doing after being on here!

Oh, and 20’s are important

 

[seaweed1992]

Im a novice so pls bear with me.

I don't really want to disclose the convertor or the vehicle (vehicle isn't yet advertised on their website, will be Tuesday).

But it ticks all the boxes for us.
I've copied and pasted the basic description of the vehicle from the email we recieved from them.

Highline, 150DSG, Tailgate, Mojave Beige, NAV Media, Carpeted Cab,Climatic Air Conditioning, Adaptive Cruise Control with speed limiter, Auto Headlights, Front Fog Lights, Auto Wipers, Bluetooth, Multi-Function Steering Wheel, Parking Sensors Front & Rear, Electric Heated, Adjustable & Foldable Mirrors, APP Connect, Fixed RIB Bed, Captain's Swivel Seats, Microwave, Diesel Heater, Solar Panel, 20” Alloy Wheels,

We had a quick Look at it when we were down there on Saturday and liked it (went originally to see the Indium grey at the other dealer)

£64k - I know - crazy money.

However........ we were originally looking at 3-4 year old vehicles with a similar spec, but they seem to command prices in the high £50ks

So, 3-4 years old with 30k miles, or £5k more for a brand new vehicle with 3 years warranty?

 

[Greenmachine]

I was asking the same question when I was looking at vans. Went for a new one, my only regret is that I didn’t get one years ago.