Fridge Insulation

[svent]

I replaced my electrical socket and water inlet. To do so I had to remove the back panel of the hanging clothes cupboard. After removing the panel I found a piece of grey blanket. It was located between the panel and the bodywork of the van. I am assuming it should be behind the fridge for insulation, if so it has moved. Anybody know where this piece of grey blanket belongs?
Thanks
Sven

 

[Andresz]

When I removed my fridge for earth shunt repair I found nothing like this next to the fridge, there.
Perhaps somebody applied a DiY solution in your?

 

[westfalia]

I might investigate and see if mine has one in there.

 

[clarinetbcn]

2013? Ok: If I'd been around then I would have told him it was sound deadening material applied to the inside of the sheet metal, which is one of the things that make a Multivan based California quieter than a Transporter and derived conversions.

 

[westfalia]

2013? Ok: If I'd been around then I would have told him it was sound deadening material applied to the inside of the sheet metal, which is one of the things that make a Multivan based California quieter than a Transporter and derived conversions.

He said it was a sheet so i thought it wouldn't be a piece of butyl stuff
stuck on.
I was wondering about trying to stop the fridge heating up extra in the
hot sun.

 

[clarinetbcn]

He said it was a sheet so i thought it wouldn't be a piece of butyl stuff
stuck on.
I was wondering about trying to stop the fridge heating up extra in the
hot sun.

Once you get the interior panel off, the "extra" factory sound proofing is just some hilariously random pieces stuck on any old way. If this makes a difference, which is does, imagine if VW did a professional job on a vehicle in this price range.

VW T5 Sound Proofing

We did have a chuckle in the Coast VW workshop when we removed the interior rear panels. Bare in mind our VW T5 is a 'Trendline' which comes with 'extra soundproofing measures' !!! Now that we have fully soundproofed side panels, floors, doors etc in Sile

www.coastvw.co.uk

I love my van. I just wish VW loved it as much as I do and picked up their game with this sh!t.

 

[TripleBee]

So you don't think this is sufficient insulation for a sliding door?

 

[clarinetbcn]

So you don't think this is sufficient insulation for a sliding door?
View attachment 60976

I think it's good for as far as it goes, although they have made a decision not to finish the job below, without even a symbolic attempt above, on what is a very big surface. What is more surprising are the randomly stuck on rectangles on the insides of the rear quarter panels, as shown on the link above, the remains of which the OP apparently found. We should perhaps make clear we're talking about sound deadening, the more the merrier, not thermal insulation.

 

[Erbster]

I’m not saying that insulation looks half-arsed, but I suspect that adding pieces of foam that size would be enough to damp a large proportion of the vibration. In other words “good enough”, but not as good as you or I would do for our own vans.

CaliVentures

Adventures in a VW California camper van

caliventures364847572.wordpress.com

 

[TripleBee]

What is more surprising are the randomly stuck on rectangles on the insides of the rear quarter panels, as shown on the link above, the remains of which the OP apparently found.

That is the bitumen to make the rather thin panels (for their size) sound like "boof boof" if you tap it.
When the bitumen (rectangles) were not there you'd hear: "boingggg, boinggg".
You can hear a small difference when you tap the big panel parts under the horizontal line of the body, and the small piece under the windows and above the line. But as that part is smaller, there is no bitumen.
It is a small difference in sound, but you can clearly hear it.
That 'insulation' will be more like wheel sound deadning, or noise deadning, more than real insulation.
That is why it's only on the lower part of the panels.

 

[Perfectos]

As with anything it’s cost vs acceptable results, you can sound deaden a vehicle massively, but it costs time effort and materials
Where do you start and where do you end ?
Cost vs benefit?
If you have a trim panel off you may want to beef up the factory spec, if not the cost and hassle may out weigh the benefit!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[clarinetbcn]

That 'insulation' will be more like wheel sound deadning, or noise deadning, more than real insulation.
That is why it's only on the lower part of the panels.

 

[clarinetbcn]

Yes, that's why I have to admit that I was surprised when I opened my Beach jack locker to see that there is zero sound insulation on the wheel wells, which are smaller areas of metal but the largest source of road noise below highway speeds. There are some videos of professional shops doing sound (not thermal) insulation, and they start with the wheel wells. Like @Erbster says, VW did "good enough" to get by, but if I had only done "good enough" in my profession as a symphonic wind instrument soloist, I certainly would not have worked once over the last 40 years. What if our doctors only did "good enough?" I guess my early years working on VW motors as a hobby, combined with the price VW charges for these vehicles, made me think that the level of finish would be high, not just "good enough."

I know we are all passionate about our vans and the life we lead with them (I'll finally be back in the Pyrenees this weekend!), but from what I have seen of the build quality that comes to light when you start to look under the rocks (we won't even talk about customer service, as we've now seen VW dealers taking advantage of the opening up by sending out notices to customers for a cam belt change at 18 months and 16,000 miles which are not part of the T6 cam belt recall), VW does not have pride in it's work, let alone passion. I guess I need a dose of looking at the finish level of a Transit Custom to remember how lucky we are that VW builds the California at all, and even luckier that we have the collective knowledge of this incredible Forum to help us deal with some of VW's more embarrassing mistakes.

Edit: Rereading this, obviously there must be a relation between my profession and this rant about sound insulation! Which also explains that while I have cold appreciation for the efficiency of my 4 cylinder 2.0, it will never warm my heart like the music of the 5 cylinder 2.5.

 

[WelshGas]

Yes, that's why I have to admit that I was surprised when I opened my Beach jack locker to see that there is zero sound insulation on the wheel wells, which are smaller areas of metal but the largest source of road noise below highway speeds. There are some videos of professional shops doing sound (not thermal) insulation, and they start with the wheel wells. Like @Erbster says, VW did "good enough" to get by, but if I had only done "good enough" in my profession as a symphonic wind instrument soloist, I certainly would not have worked once over the last 40 years. What if our doctors only did "good enough?" I guess my early years working on VW motors as a hobby, combined with the price VW charges for these vehicles, made me think that the level of finish would be high, not just "good enough."

I know we are all passionate about our vans and the life we lead with them (I'll finally be back in the Pyrenees this weekend!), but from what I have seen of the build quality that comes to light when you start to look under the rocks (we won't even talk about customer service, as we've now seen VW dealers taking advantage of the opening up by sending out notices to customers for a cam belt change at 18 months and 16,000 miles which are not part of the T6 cam belt recall), VW does not have pride in it's work, let alone passion. I guess I need a dose of looking at the finish level of a Transit Custom to remember how lucky we are that VW builds the California at all, and even luckier that we have the collective knowledge of this incredible Forum to help us deal with some of VW's more embarrassing mistakes.

Edit: Rereading this, obviously there must be a relation between my profession and this rant about sound insulation! Which also explains that while I have cold appreciation for the efficiency of my 4 cylinder 2.0, it will never warm my heart like the music of the 5 cylinder 2.5.

Have a look on the other side of the wheel arch.
Many conversions, from respectable companies, with lots of sound proofing + insulation under the ply and stretch carpet are noisier than a California and why is that? Internal trim panels designed and made to absorb sound , which they lack.
There are more ways to skin a cat. There is the scientific approach rather than just lather everything with Dynamat and bubble insulation and cover in plywood and grey carpet.
Your comment about Dealerships, once again a generalisation, which is false. 1 Dealership and it was probably a personalised marketing email sent to an email list rather than 1 email to 1 customer about a particular vehicle. My Dealer has certainly not sent anything similar only information emails regarding warranty extensions, MOT extensions and service extensions and details about their new Covid 19 regimen for dealing with customer vehicles.