Ready to build your dream campervan? It all starts with researching the best materials to use and if you’ve started that process, you may be overwhelmed by all the options out there. Don’t fret, we’ve been converting vans into campers for years and have tested lots of materials. Basically, we’ve done the research for you. In this article we share the four most important and foundational building materials that we use in every van build so you can stop researching and get to building!
Vanlife is a popular topic and so are DIY campervan projects, which means there are a lot of building material options out there. The great thing about this growing industry is manufacturers are bringing new materials to the market every year and the options available to customers keep improving!
When converting a van into a camper, it's more than just aesthetics, it's about using the right type of materials for moving vehicles and the climate you live/travel in. Because vans are mobile, rolling homes that are subject to lots of vibration, they need additional considerations like sound dampening, temperature regulation, durability and comfort, all while considering the overall build weight for fuel consumption.
Let’s get to the four most important things to consider when selecting materials for your van build.
Sound Deadening
These sticky backed panels are important! The thicker, the better and make a world of difference in blocking out sound from the road. Sticking these sound dampening panels along the floor, the walls and ceiling in an empty cargo van changes the impact of road noise and sound vibrations while driving. Don’t forget the wheel wells, which are a big source of road noise!
The key is to add sound dampening to every part of your empty vehicle as one of the first things you do when building your campervan. You can find these panels on Amazon and several van product Insulation helps with sound deadening too!
Types of Insulation
Havelock Wool inserted between wall ribs.
We love using natural, hydrophobic fibers like Havelock Wool because they shed moisture. This sheep’s wool is also a sustainable, healthy type of insulation that does not require a face mask for protection or scissors to cut it. You can tear it and stuff it in all the nooks and crannies of your campervan. It’s just like your wool sweater or socks! Wool has a high R-Value. That means it’s a great insulating material that is resistant to conductive heat flow based on its thickness and density. The R-value of a material indicates its ability to insulate. A higher R-value provides better insulation while a lower R-value allows for more airflow and therefore less insulating power.
Havelock is a great insulating material to use on moving vehicles because when you’re in humid areas, the wool will shed the moisture that may get trapped behind your walls and ceiling panels. Naturally, once the moisture sheds, it allows your van’s weep holes to drain out and air flow to occur. Another great reason to use wool is that it doesn’t mold like other insulating materials.
Another product we use for insulation is Thinsulate. It’s not as natural as wool and does require scissors to cut, but has a great R value too. Thinsulate SM600L has more acoustic absorption per unit weight vs. competitive products. Hydrophobic fibers resist moisture, mold and mildew. Thinsulate is FMVSS 302 certified (federal motor vehicle safety standard), meaning it’s non-toxic and safe to work with.
Both types of insulation allow your van to stay cool in the summer and keep the heat in in the winter time. They’re also important in adding more sound deadening to your vehicle for those long road trips.
Flooring Materials
There are so many options for flooring! Moxie Van Co. starts with installing a subfloor. Doing this ensures that your van is well insulated and the vinyl flooring won't shift.
Preparing a subfloor in a Ford Transit Cargo Van.
One flooring company Moxie Van Co. uses is LonSeal coin flooring. They’re big in the aircraft and boating industry so you can expect durable UV and chemical resistant floors, which comes with a higher price point than other brands. Some things to consider before choosing your flooring is how you intend to use your van.
Are you a light camper in traditional RV sites or are you an adventure seeker that is going to put a lot of wear and tear on your floor? Do you have dogs? Do you travel with lots of outdoor gear/equipment? LonSeal flooring comes at a higher price point, but will be able to withstand the wear and tear over time. If you’re a low-key camper, a cheaper flooring option is a cost-effective way to go.
Durable LonSeal Flooring with dirt bikes.
Our best advice when considering flooring is to go with an adhesive, one-piece flooring set up. A one-piece floor installed across the length and width of the campervan can prevent water damage to the subfloor by offering a water tight seal and makes cleaning it so much easier, especially for those muddy adventures!
Fabrics
At Moxie Van Co., we utilize fabrics on the walls and ceiling to give the van a polished look. We glue these fabrics directly to the van structure and substrate. There are a variety of fabric options on the market, but we rely on acrylic fabrics like tweed and trunk liner because they work with DAP All Purpose Adhesive-Spray.
This spray glue is the ideal contact cement for automotive interior applications. Its high heat resistance is well suited for adhering headliners, fabric, and many other materials. It offers a permanent bond that is water resistant, which is great for the adventure camper vans we build.
When building ceiling and wall panels, Moxie Van Co. uses tweed fabrics which come in a variety of colors. We create wall and ceiling substrate panels using quarter inch plywood and use the tweed fabric to cover them for a custom, polished finish. This versatile, durable, and stain resistant fabric is used on church pews, theater seating, automotive seating, office seating, and many other applications. Its versatility is attractive and blends with a variety of environments.
We use a trunk liner fabric from the automotive industry to cover all the odd shapes and curves in a van. It's a stretchy, durable material that does a great job conforming around all those natural curves inside the van. This material only comes in one color — charcoal gray, but is a color that blends well with many of the other fabrics that we use in our van builds.
Now that you’ve learned about the foundational building materials to use in your van for sound dampening, insulation, flooring, and fabrics, the rest is up to creative interpretation. We offer a variety of floor plans to fit a variety of van sizes and personal preferences. There are even more DIY options out there for cabinetry, kitchen galleys, storage, bed platforms, seating, electrical systems, solar panels, roof racks, windows, exhaust fans, heaters and other exterior add-ons. All of these options add to the comfort and functionality of the van build and are highly individualized choices. That’s more than we can cover in one article but hope you found this information helpful in getting started with your DIY van conversion.
Moxie Van Co. West Coast Double Finished Floorplan
