lining and insulating a defender

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matt harvey

matt harvey

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liverpool
got a defender with van sides, and fook me its been pretty cold in there the past few days, doesnt help the heater doesnt work but thats also on my list to fix, ive been thinking about lining the back with some wood panels with a bit of insulation between the wood and the van sides, what insulation could i use, ive got a few rolls of loft insulation laying round could that be used?? also what wood panels? i plan to line them wih carpet aswell but would just some cheap panels do or has it got to be outdoor ply? sure ive got some mdf laying about. helpful for any views on this
 
hi again, im in the same situation. no heater and no headlining etc. i will be insulating over my christmas break from uni so if you want to do both vehicles together that would probably make things easier and cut down on waste etc.

from having looked around here and a few VW forums the general consensus is closed cell foil insulation ThermaWrap held on with high temp spray glue so it doesnt fall all over you half way down the M6 in june. i think loft insulation will trap alot of moisture and add to rust problems.
then ontop of this goes the car audio Lining Carpet as it is very light and stretchy so its easily shaped around the many angles in a defender.

in an ideal world i would have the MUDSTUFF.CO.UK, Defender 90 Interior Side Panel Trim, and a http://www.lasalle-trim.co.uk/headlinings , but i think thats all going to be waiting till ive finished uni and have a job.
 
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If you want to go to town, get it all dry, high temp spray adhesive (trimfix) - other glue lets go in the heat!

Also need to track down as many leaks (usually gaps where panels meet) as you can, and seal with either seam sealer or dumdum

Foil backed cell (stuff sold in DIY stores for lining behind radiators), foam camping mat on top of that, then plywood covered in whatever takes your fancy.

Important that you don't use anything between the metal and ply that can absorb and hold water
 
I was gong to get some Kingspan for in there.. Not so sure if it absorbs water now.. Wouldn't have thought so?
 
Karlos28 said:
I was gong to get some Kingspan for in there.. Not so sure if it absorbs water now.. Wouldn't have thought so?
Click to expand...

It'll absorb water over time as it's full of microscopic holes.

Any insulation isn't going to gain much tbh, door panels never quite fit, gearbox tunnel is full of gaps, bulkhead is full of gaps, you'd all be better spending money getting your heaterbox working and sealed up properly, with the heat thrown out by it, it'll componsate for any low temperature in the Landy. Also consider blocking off the rear of the Landy with a sheet of cheap carpeted ply over the winter to make the cab ' smaller ' thus easier to warm up ;)
 
Badger said:
. Also consider blocking off the rear of the Landy with a sheet of cheap carpeted ply over the winter to make the cab ' smaller ' thus easier to warm up ;)
Click to expand...

that was. My plan too, got my eye on some nice thick curtains of my mums! Haha hmm not sure what insulation to try..
 
Its all well and good insulating the vehicle to the eye balls, but without any heat to keep in - i.e from your heater, there isn't much point. Get the heater fixed, then use some 1" kingspan, celotex or similar cut to the size of the panels and 6mm ply on top of that. Unfortunately unless you do the tub floor and sides etc it won't make that much difference. Bere in mind that they are glorified tractors after all and not cozy chelsea tractors!

Tom
 
ive got a heater but just brought one of these, pick it up tomorrow night, its a propex gas heater same as the gas board use in there vans and you get them in camper vans also,
it has a thermostat and a timer so can be set to come on in the mornig to defrost the landy, its instant heat;) connect to battery and gas cylinder and away you go:)
 

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Hamsterberg said:
ive got a heater but just brought one of these, pick it up tomorrow night, its a propex gas heater same as the gas board use in there vans and you get them in camper vans also,
it has a thermostat and a timer so can be set to come on in the mornig to defrost the landy, its instant heat;) connect to battery and gas cylinder and away you go:)[/QUOTE

Thats the same as the night heaters that they used to fit in trucks. I used to drive a truck with one of them fitted had hellish condensation in the morning.
Click to expand...
 
Badger said:
Any insulation isn't going to gain much tbh, door panels never quite fit, gearbox tunnel is full of gaps, bulkhead is full of gaps, you'd all be better spending money getting your heaterbox working and sealed up properly, with the heat thrown out by it, it'll componsate for any low temperature in the Landy. Also consider blocking off the rear of the Landy with a sheet of cheap carpeted ply over the winter to make the cab ' smaller ' thus easier to warm up ;)
Click to expand...

So line up the doors so they do fit. Re-fit the gearbox tunnel with new seals. Re-fit all the proper seals and grommets in the bulkhead. If there are faults, fix them and then the vehicle will be sealed!

My 90 has the standard heater and it's f-ing hot! I've got carpets throughout, ply-lined rear sides with more carpet and polystyrene sheeting behind, full headlining and properly lined-up and sealed panels and doors! Crucially, there are no non-insulated direct-to-outside panels on show as there are by standard, so no condensation to occur. And helps cut out the re-verb sound levels as well!
 
Just did the whole roof in mine with LaSalle head lining and it works a treat,the sides i have done in felt stuck on with trimfix and after xmas i will fix LaSalle side panels,but at the moment with the roof done and the felt on it is really warm and the noise level has drop quite a bit.
 
SCOTSMAN said:
Hamsterberg said:
ive got a heater but just brought one of these, pick it up tomorrow night, its a propex gas heater same as the gas board use in there vans and you get them in camper vans also,
it has a thermostat and a timer so can be set to come on in the mornig to defrost the landy, its instant heat;) connect to battery and gas cylinder and away you go:)[/QUOTE

Thats the same as the night heaters that they used to fit in trucks. I used to drive a truck with one of them fitted had hellish condensation in the morning.
Click to expand...

Unsurprising as the by by products off propane are CO and water.....
Click to expand...
 
Guys, having insulated a couple of yachts the best way to go is use flexible closed cell foam. this is the stuff that looks a little like camping mats. Use high temperature spray adehesive. This foam can be stretched and goes around corners. to stop condensation is it advantagous to ensure you leave no bits of the roof bare. 2 or 3 layers of 6mm foam with staggered joints would give you a very warm cab and condensation free. cover it with ply on the sides as its prone to damage. If you use anything thicker than 6mm it is hard to get it to stretch and bend, so multiple thin layers is best. On the roof you may not need any coveringunless you are putting the headlining back. You can get the foam in various colours so final layer can be a light colour to keep the cab bright. Dont use black as the final layer. You wont beleive how dark it makes it!
 
i bought from amazon tin foil quilted sheets with sticky tar on the back, this insulates sound and keeps the heat in at the same time, cost is about £20 for ten foot square sheets in a box and they just peel and stick on with no mess or time wasting. they are designed for stereo sound deadening but work as heat loss shields just as well, i then put weatherproof ply over the top.:)
 
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