insulating the floor

Some of the ideas coming in are getting down-right dangerous.

Heating sources need a certain amount of space around them with materials that cannot catch fire with the heat generated. Class C MH's like ours have few potential non-flammable areas for use of extra heating sources.

You are living in yours so be careful on any further modifications.

Is there a gap, unused airspace under the drawers. We have two deep drawers under the dinette seats that have at least an inch of unused space. If yours are similar you could fill that space with insulation sheets and a bit of spray foam in the cracks and corners. It would at least insulate a few square feet.

PT, a camera is a very good tool to have and would help IMMENSELY in figuring out this and a myriad of other issues and requests in the future. No need for anything fancy. A cheap one would work wonders for threads like these.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi monkey44,

The front plate on the drawers is cloth rather than wood. Ergo it can not be cut down without recovering with new fabric--which may be an option.

What exactly is "insulation board"?

monkey44 wrote:
You have 'Cloth drawers" ... and can't make them smaller? Not sure I understand that statement.

But, if it were me, I'd take out the drawers, get new one's made that clear the floor, and install half-inch insulation board on the floor, then cover it with carpet or laminate flooring.

Linoleum has no insulation value - so is worthless for floor covering.

No good way to insulate under the vehicle without hazards like muffler heat, etc. Insulating the floor will lose an inch, but gain everything you need and in the long run, a better safer way to save heat.

Insulation board - kinda like a rigid foam product - comes in 4x4' or 4x8' sheets - easy to cut - half inch, one inch, and two inch think. I'd use the half-inch, that would be plenty thick. You can by it at Home Depot. Look in the building supplies - it's used in walls and ceilings and floors when building a house, instead of blow-in or fiberglass insulation. You can cut it to size and shape easily with a razor knife.

You could also add heavy carpet pad (half-inch) and new carpet on that floor instead, and that would help insulation value - you just need something thicker than linoleum on that floor.

Also, the drawers - if you remove the drawers, and remove the cloth covers, you can make or have made wood fronts on the same drawers - and then make them shorter so it opens without scraping the floor - you can even make them 'miss' the floor after new flooring is installed.

Post a photo of the drawers - will give us a better idea of that floor scraping problem. OR, PM me with a photo and I'll have a better idea - how to advise you.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I wonder if something like this might work too.

Prodex Total Insulation

That is basically Reflectix encapsulated with aluminum foil. Where do they get this material that changes the laws of physics? It is 5mm thick-"R16", give me a break.

I would use closed cell polyisocyanurate, foil faced both sides. It is rated to 250f, just shield the exhaust or keep it back from the pipe. Any polystyrene will soften at around 160f.

Hi,

I wonder if something like this might work too.

Prodex Total Insulation

Hi Mex,

It would be a lot of work--but the advantage is I could diy. I'm still concerned about it being fire proof.

The undercoating I suppose I could have done by a shop.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I used rigid one inch foam panel and it was a pain to install. Spray foam as an adhesive. After the rigid foam had stuck good I sprayed over top with a non asphalt base undercoating from spray cans. As I sprayed, I cut sheets of extra heavy duty Reynold's Wrap aluminum foil and stuck it to the tacky undercoating. Dull side exposed. Later on, I found out the foam panels could be purchased with one side aluminized. Your underneath may look like a patchwork quilt after cutting jigsaw shaped pieces of foam board to fit, but after it is sprayed down with undercoating, it'll look much better. One stinking inch of closed cell foam board made all the difference in the world. I used a drywall saw when cutting out pieces. I slid them into place over top other accessories and doo dads.

Hi monkey44,

The front plate on the drawers is cloth rather than wood. Ergo it can not be cut down without recovering with new fabric--which may be an option.

What exactly is "insulation board"?

monkey44 wrote:
You have 'Cloth drawers" ... and can't make them smaller? Not sure I understand that statement.

But, if it were me, I'd take out the drawers, get new one's made that clear the floor, and install half-inch insulation board on the floor, then cover it with carpet or laminate flooring.

Linoleum has no insulation value - so is worthless for floor covering.

No good way to insulate under the vehicle without hazards like muffler heat, etc. Insulating the floor will lose an inch, but gain everything you need and in the long run, a better safer way to save heat.

How about the interlocking foam mats at harbor freight?? Should make floor soft and warm.

I used rigid one inch foam panel and it was a pain to install. Spray foam as an adhesive. After the rigid foam had stuck good I sprayed over top with a non asphalt base undercoating from spray cans. As I sprayed, I cut sheets of extra heavy duty Reynold's Wrap aluminum foil and stuck it to the tacky undercoating. Dull side exposed. Later on, I found out the foam panels could be purchased with one side aluminized. Your underneath may look like a patchwork quilt after cutting jigsaw shaped pieces of foam board to fit, but after it is sprayed down with undercoating, it'll look much better. One stinking inch of closed cell foam board made all the difference in the world. I used a drywall saw when cutting out pieces. I slid them into place over top other accessories and doo dads.