Sound Proofing ?

[Sol]

No mine is a van buddy, so it had no headlining and it sounded like a big drum in the albert hall when you shut the door....boooom lol. I got quickly fed up of that and put sound insulating foam sheet on the roof panels, massive improvement to the point it sounds like the car from just that one mod.

On an older caddy van, I did inject expanding foam into the frame strengthening rails around the rear body, blocking the tube end and letting it expand through the frame until it came out of a hole at the other end, repeating on each frame section. Once set, I cut the bits that stuck out with a stanley blade. Worked a treat, it was like driving a Merc instead of a van (the GTi seats helped too of course) so it may be something to consider when soundproofing a van. Sounds extreme but did work really well.

[Gryffindor]

Ah sorry - I forgot that vans don't have such vanity items as headlining! My last 'van' was actually a minibus so I must have lost the real plot years ago!

Very encouraging to hear that I'm not the only one with expanding foam on the brain - I will certainly give it a lot more thought, for both the roof and the rails.

Ta!

[paradox1001]

Something to be aware of with expanding foam is that it’s an open cell structure
So will absorb and hold moisture
If there is the slightest bit of water ingress or if it’s not fully sealed from the atmosphere then it will over time start rotting out the steel it’s stuck to.

I’ve seen a fair few campervans with bad corrosion after expanding foam has been used and personally wouldn’t use it.

I’d use butyl rubber sheets like silent coat in the centre of large flat panels to stop the panels resonating this will make a big difference from a standard vehicle.

[Gryffindor]

Ah, thanks for that. Yes I have rubber sheets for the panels and floor, but I was mainly thinking of insulating the roof without removing the headlining, and of course condensation is a possibility over time. Have you got a solution for that?

I'd imagine that frame rails don't suffer from moisture internally.

[ComboLifer]

This eBay seller comes highly recommended for sound insulation sheeting

https://ebay.co.uk/usr/ukvltuk

[Gryffindor]

Hmm very interesting. I see where you're coming from - replace the lining with some stretch faux suede stick-on carpet (I could install some LED strips as well while I'm at it).

Camel beige doesn't seem too bad but I'd prefer Leopard print, or maybe Cheetah.

Plus I have friends in Mytholmroyd too - small world.

[bikerbaker]

I'm a cheapskate.

I have a VW T4 ex builders van which I have improved on a budget over 3 or 4 years. It's still a builders van but much quieter. I used Flashband (Screwfix or wherever) patches on the inside of every panel, doors and covered the wheelarches etc. Took the roof panels down and added it in between the ribs.

I used foam interlocking flooring (from B&Q) over a plywood floor cut to shape and had a load of offcuts so double sided taped those over the flashband. It worked so well I bought more foam flooring and ended up covering all the panels before putting in new ply lining and varnishing it. It actually looks half decent and cost much less than proper sound deadening.

It's much more civilised but no contest with the Berlingo on a long run.

[Cooper]

Try something called Low-E. We use it alot at work. Its very thermally efficient and lightweight. 10mm is the equivalent of 50mm foam.

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