Homemade internal roof insulation

[Sunshine&Snow]

Has anyone made their own internal roof insulation? Surely a chopped duvet, a run of a sewing machine and a couple of hooks will do the job?... Or am I missing something that means it really needs a budget in the hundreds?

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Has anyone made their own internal roof insulation? Surely a chopped duvet, a run of a sewing machine and a couple of hooks will do the job?... Or am I missing something that means it really needs a budget in the hundreds?

Somebody on here made an external one using foil covered bubble wrap. Cheap and apparently quite effective. His dimensions attached.

Somebody on here made an external one using foil covered bubble wrap. Cheap and apparently quite effective. His dimensions attached.

Sealed the edges with silver foil tape.

 

[Dr-Snickers]

Somebody on here made an external one using foil covered bubble wrap. Cheap and apparently quite effective. His dimensions attached.View attachment 68165

I can confirm I followed their instructions and it works a treat. £30 for the roll of insulation from Screwfix and a roll of silver duct tape = bargain!

Only downside is I need a folding stool to reach, but that’s useful to have in the van anyway.

Let us know if you come up with something for the interior though.

 

[CampervanTime]

Has anyone made their own internal roof insulation? Surely a chopped duvet, a run of a sewing machine and a couple of hooks will do the job?... Or am I missing something that means it really needs a budget in the hundreds?

Isn't the isotop made from a breathable fabric? I heard they were goretex in the old days but their own fabric now. That may account for quite a bit of the cost?

 

[Cali4nia-Dream]

There was a post about one in 2017, https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/diy-thermal-roof-liner.17471/ using silver bubble wrap insulation

We were in the midst of making something more like the Brandup internal one using a set of thermal curtains, it is currently 4 separate panels (front, back and 2 sides) which overlap in the corners and are held up by velcro.
We haven't left it fitted, and probably wouldn't because it is quick to fit, the separate panels were partly for ease of making, but also it allows the ability to roll one up (or remove one) to use the zipped windows in the pop top.
Sorry no pictures of it
We have only had the opportunity to try it for one night, and when we did discovered that we had too much fabric at the bottom front corner because one corner was wet, either it touched the outer and let some rain in or was sat in a small puddle of condensation. The lockdowns and other issues linked to Covid have prevented us getting away to try it again and try and refine the shape to fit better.
So far I think it has cost us about £30 for the curtains and velcro.

 

[Elly Swanson]

Has anyone made their own internal roof insulation? Surely a chopped duvet, a run of a sewing machine and a couple of hooks will do the job?... Or am I missing something that means it really needs a budget in the hundreds?

If you make it with something that isn’t waterproof on the canvas side it’ll get wet and be a nightmare.
If you make it out of something that’s not really thin you’ll have to remove it before the roof comes down.
You’ll also want something that’s breathable.
That’s why the good manufactured ones are expensive.

 

[Gigi]

I bought an internal one that can stay in place when the roof comes down from Thais €270

 

[Juliette ryan]

I use foil bubble wrap - works a treat - a bit bulky to store but ....

 

[Claremacrob]

I bought an internal one that can stay in place when the roof comes down from Thais €270

Hi Gigi,

Are you happy with the Thais insulation? It's a lot cheaper than the isotop so is tempting!

 

[TripleBee]

I bought an internal one that can stay in place when the roof comes down from Thais €270

I have been wondering if I would buy one from them or not. I have their external one, and it's much cheaper than a Brandrup (less than half the price), and very easy to put on, even on your own.

Can you show me some pictures of the internal installed? Did you screw the push buttons on your ceiling? That is holding me back for buying one at the moment (and for the few times I might really need it for keeping the cold outside).

 

[gt_63]

I created a made to measure internal black out from a pair of black out curtains from Dunelm - not thermal but damn good at cutting out the light.
Be careful though of stick on Velcro ...... the adhesive just melts in the heat from the sun and falls off leaving a sticky mess. Try stiff plastic sections that will wedge up the joints in the roof lining and staple/sew (tough but do-able) the Velcro to the plastics. Sew Velcro to curtain sections. I don’t leave them up but quick and easy to rip off and leave flat on the bed
With a bit of adjustment the measured drawing for the external topper shown earlier would make a decent template for an internal version - then it’s your choice of materials : blackout / thermal. Do remember to allow the curtains to hang free so the air gets in and out the vents. So far not affected by rain either
Bit of creativity, plenty of trial and error on the holding up mechanisms but much satisfaction and pride. Cost about £20 all in but for some £250+ might seem better value and hassle free