Thinsulate Vs. Wool for Van Insulation: WE TESTED BOTH!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video we enlisted a third-party testing lab to find out...once and for all...which is better...Thinsulate or Wool.
Van insulation is a pretty hot topic and everyone seems to have an opinion on what is best to insulate their camper van. Well, we wanted to eliminate any bias or opinion and take a more scientific approach. We had the lab test things like weight, thickness, sound absorption, R-Value, hydrophobicity, odor and more to finally determine which product is the best for insulating your camper van.
This video has a lot of great information about things like sound and moisture absorption, but to be honest, it can be a little dry (pun intended). To make it up to you, we'll be releasing a much more entertaining video in the not too distant future.
Check out our blog on how to insulate your camper van:
www.vanlifeout...
Purchase Thinsulate:
www.vanlifeout...
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Vanlife Outfitters was created to support both DIY and professional van builders. We create videos, blog posts and other content designed to empower you and give you the confidence to tackle your build successfully. We also have a store where we have carefully curated each and every product.
Check out our blog for more DIY camper van build content:
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Check out our store to see many of the products in this video:
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00:00 Intro
1:10 Testing Categories
1:28 Weight & Thickness
2:37 Sound Absorption
3:10 R-Value (Thermal Resistivity)
4:23 Moisture Absorption (Hydrophobicity)
5:09 Odor
6:06 Flammability
7:05 Fiber Shedding (Dusting)
8:00 Affiliates
8:57 Conclusion
One question I've had is could I layer thinsulate to create an even more effective thermal barrier? I'm based in Maine, which is currently experiencing anywhere from 10 - 30F on average from Jan-March. I'm wondering how effective a single layer of thinsulate is in those conditions. I don't want my heater to be running 24/7 just to barely maintain 50F in the van, so would layering be worthwhile to improve efficacy of heat, and if so, how could I go about that? I know about 3M 90 spray adhesive, but could I simply spray glue and put on a second layer, or is there more involved than that?
Yes you could double the layers but you want to make sure they are expanded and not "smooshed" together inside the wall. So you might need to fir the wall a little out depending on what van you have. Thinsulate works well when it's expanded to it's full potential. I would glue the outer layer to the van skin and the inner layer to your interior wall.
@josh.theberge thanks for the advice! I'll keep that in mind as the project progresses. I'm still in the planning phase, but currently shopping for a van base.
@@rc_player Exciting! Let me know if you need anything else. Vanlife Outfitters has the best products, the best service and the best prices. They usually ship in 24 hours. But don't take my word for it, they have over 120 reviews and they're all 5 stars!
Great video….i prefer Thinsulate. Glad to know it beats out in every category
As someone who has used thinsulate and wool I will say yes thinsulate is better. 3m just makes good product's.. I mean they probably all cause cancer but man do they do the jobs they are made for well. I know welding and fabrication stuff when I need abrasive disc or cut off wheels I use 3m they just work better than others objectively lol long live 3m😅
Already saw a comparison on TH-cam and 3M wins hands down for me!!
Also I bought my 3M from you guys!
Thanks for your support!
Are there varying types or forms of thinsulate? And are there any other comparisons?
Yes. The one people use in camper vans is SM600L which is for automotive (thickest).
What about off-gassing?
3M Thinsulate is a man-made blend of polyester and polypropylene that is extremely easy to work with, is flame resistant and, does not off gas. Wool also does not off gas but it is treated with Boric Acid.
@@TheBoondocker if you use the spray adhesive it defintely off gasses
Wool does not off gas like synthetics. Off gassing can negatively harm your health.
Thinsulate does not off gas at all. Wool is treated with Boric Acid and attracts insects if you're concerned about your health.
You forgot to compare the prices, the choice for wool is more religious than technical...
We wanted to stick to scientific tests and price doesn't age well in a video, but Thinsulate is slightly cheaper when factoring in free shipping. Please let us know about your religious requirement for wool. Thinsulate is also cruelty free and wool is not. There are several videos showing what happens to sheep on wool farms that doesn't necessarily sit well with us, but we chose not to bring it up in the video.
@@TheBoondocker That's the green religion...
@@TheBoondockerchemical production to create thinsulate creates havoc from step one to finished product. Sheep are natural, not chemical.
@@charlevoix418 There are several things that are both green and not green about vanlife. There are costs and benefits to wool and thinsulate when it comes to green. Synthetic clothing and camping gear isn't "green" it's made from the same stuff as Thinsulate. So unless you're living on an off-grid farm and wearing 100% organic cotton, I'm not sure the green religion makes a big difference here. Also wool is not cruelty-free. The sheep are abused, castrated, and lacerated during the harvesting process. There are tons of videos on this online if you look. So in some ways it's a choice between the environment or animals. Also wool is treated with boric acid which is poison.
@@latifaagius39 There are several things that are both green and not green about vanlife. There are costs and benefits to wool and thinsulate when it comes to green. Synthetic clothing and camping gear isn't "green" it's made from the same stuff as Thinsulate. So unless you're living on an off-grid farm and wearing 100% organic cotton, I'm not sure the green religion makes a big difference here. Also wool is not cruelty-free. The sheep are abused, castrated, and lacerated during the harvesting process. There are tons of videos on this online if you look. So in some ways it's a choice between the environment or animals. Also wool is treated with boric acid which is poison.
Lamalite by Wiggys is better than Thinsulate.
Where can you buy this insulation fora van? It looks like they only sell clothes and gear
Never heard of it. Do they make it for automotive? Sounds like they don't and if they did it would be 10x the cost of Thinsulate and wouldn't perform as well.