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It is important to insulate your campervan ceiling to maintain a comfortable temperature. On hot days insulation will help keep the heat out and you cool. Same goes for when it’s cold. Campervans are made up of very thin sheet metal which contain no insulation on their own. Therefore, the temperature outside is easily conducted and transferred to the inside of your van. Since the van walls are so thin, we also decided to apply a sound barrier to help with noise transfer. See below for the steps we took to insulate our campervan ceiling.

We chose to use Kilmat as the sound barrier because it was highly recommended in the #vanlife forums . To apply the sound barrier follow our steps below.

Step 1: Clean and Prep the Surface

Supplies Needed

• Simple Green
• Rustoleum spray paint
• Rags

Before applying the sound barrier, make sure you clean the surface thoroughly. I used Simple Green cleaner mixed with soap and water. After your walls are cleaned, examine and treat any exposed metal to prevent rust. We used Rustoleum spray paint for this.

Step 2: Apply Sound Barrier

Supplies Needed

• Kilmat
• Roller
• Razor Blade

First, cut each sheet into four sections. Once you have your all of your sheets cut, you can apply the sound barrier. Peel off the protective backing paper from the piece and carefully apply the Kilmat onto your wall. After that is complete, take your roller and roll your Kilmat until the bumps are flat. This will take some elbow grease so be patient and take your time.

Step 3: Repeat

Repeat steps 1-2 throughout your van walls and ceiling.

Once your sound barrier is in place, you can move on to the next step…

Step 4: Apply Foam Board to Ceiling

Supplies Needed

• Insulation Foam Board
• Aluminum Tape
• Razor Blade
• Measuring Tape

We left the ribs of the ceiling exposed to utilize them as furring strips for our ceiling and insulated in between.

First, you will you will measure the length and width of the ceiling cavities then transpose those dimensions on to the insulation foam board.  

Next, secure the foam board to the ceiling cavities with insulation tape. To secure, place the insulation tape around the perimeter of the your piece of foam board.

Repeat these steps until your ceiling is complete.

Step 5: Cover Foam Board with Reflectix

Supplies Needed

• Reflectix
• Measuring Tape
• Aluminum Tape
• Scissors

The Reflectix will be acting as a vapor barrier for the ceiling. Creating a vapor barrier adds an extra layer of protection and insulation to the foam board. To install the Reflectix, tape it over the installed poly foam board . The Reflectix will need to be slightly larger than the foam board to insure the entire perimeter of the foam boards is covered.

Once complete, your ceiling should look something like this.

Now that you know How To Install a Subfloor in a Campervan, you can move on to your next step: Installing the vinyl flooring.

Install Plywood Base Layer

Supplies

• 1/2 inch OSB Plywood
• Saw
• 1 inch screws
• Drill
• Liquid Nails

First, you will need to measure the perimeter of your floor. Some vans come with factory lined flooring that you can use as a template. Unfortunately, ours did not so it took some trial and error to get it right.

Once you have your template you can then cut your plywood to size. After you cut your flooring, dry fit it to ensure you have snug fit.

Now that your flooring fits, you can install it with a combination of liquid nail adhesive, screws, and nails. Apply the adhesive over your framework.

After the plywood is glued down, further secure it by screwing down through the 2×2 framework.

Mark the Center Line

Supplies

• Chalk line
• Rubber mallet
• Vinyl Planks
• Utility blade

It is important to mark the center line before you install your vinyl flooring in our campervan so that you know your planks will be straight and even. Measure the width of the area you will be installing the planks on and find the center. Next, mark the center line. We used a chalk line to achieve this.

Next, start on your first row. We started by splitting the plank in half with a utility blade. Then, we placed the tongue side of the plank against the wall. Below is the diagram from the instructions to give you a better understanding of what side is the tongue and what is the groove.

For each row, connect the tongue and groove together at a low angle. You can feel the planks lock together. Then use the rubber mallet to lightly tap the edge of the plank to further secure it. Repeat these steps throughout the van floor.

And just like that, you now have a solid floor and foundation for the rest of your build!

Check out our installation process on YouTube: