Things We Learned Insulating Our Skoolie with Spray foam: The Good, the Bad, and the Savings

One of the major tasks for building out our skoolie was figuring out how to properly insulate our new home on wheels. Good insulation is key to comfort, whether you are parked in the summer heat or facing the winter cold. After much consideration, we went the DIY route using closed-cell spray foam for the walls and ceiling, and XPS foam for the floor. Here’s a rundown of our experiences, the challenges we faced, and the nuggets of wisdom we gained along the way.

The Importance of Insulation in Every Season

Insulation plays a crucial role in making a skoolie livable all year round. When we first tested the insulation, we found that average indoor temperatures stayed about 10-15 degrees warmer in winter and cooler by the same margin in summer compared to uninsulated areas. This significant temperature control can save you up to 30% on heating and cooling costs. No one wants to sweat through a summer night or bundle up in layers while trying to enjoy life on the road.

Going the DIY Route: Pros and Cons

Choosing to insulate ourselves meant a significant cost savings. We estimated that doing the work ourselves cut costs by about 40%. However, we didn’t anticipate how labor-intensive the job would be.

Pros:

• We saved nearly $2,000 compared to hiring a professional.

• Gained in-depth knowledge of our skoolie's layout and systems.

• The pride of completing a hefty project ourselves.

  
  

Cons:

• The time commitment can be tiring; our project took about three weekends to finish.

• Mistakes are learning opportunities, but they can lead to wasted materials and frustration.

• It will ruin your clothes. Trent decided to opt-out of the PPE suit for spray foaming, he still regrets it to this day. He was picking spray foam off of his arms for a week. (It was 98F in the bus that day)

  
  

Reflecting on this, hiring a professional could have been a worthwhile investment.

Challenges with Running Electrical After Insulation

Here’s a critical tip for skoolie builders: run your electrical wiring before insulating. We skipped that step, leading to a lot of extra work. We had to cut chunks out of the spray foam to run electrical wires, which felt like undermining our own work. This added hours to our project and taught us the importance of planning.

Investing in Quality Materials

When selecting insulation materials, quality really matters. We chose closed-cell sprayfoam known for its high R-value, which maximizes temperature control. The R-value of our foam was roughly 7 per inch, a competitive figure that helps keep our skoolie cozy. For the floor, XPS foam provided excellent moisture resistance and could accommodate the heavy traffic of bus life—something no cheaper material could guarantee. Spending a little extra on quality materials was, without a doubt, a wise investment.

The Learning Curve of Applying Sprayfoam

Applying spray foam isn't as straightforward as it appears. Initially, we assumed it would be a quick spray-and-go process, but we learned it requires technique and precision. Our early attempts wasted about 10-15% of the foam due to improper handling.

Tip: Watch demo videos and practice on scrap materials. Patience is essential; rushing through the job can lead to uneven finishes and waste. Budget for more than you think you need.

The Satisfaction of a Job Well Done

Despite the ups and downs, there’s nothing quite like completing the insulation of your skoolie yourself. Once we finished, the difference in temperature was immediately noticeable. Friends and fellow skoolie enthusiasts praised our efforts, reinforcing our sense of accomplishment. Knowing we tackled this essential part of our build made every drop of sweat worthwhile.

Insulating our skoolie was a challenging yet incredibly rewarding part of the build process. While the DIY route offered significant cost savings and a deeper understanding of our bus, it also came with its fair share of lessons and frustrations. From the physical labor of applying spray foam to the importance of pre-planning for electrical work, we learned that careful preparation and quality materials can make all the difference. Ultimately, the investment in time and effort has paid off, as we now enjoy a much more comfortable and energy-efficient living space. For anyone considering a similar project, our advice is simple: take your time, do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. The satisfaction of completing a task like insulation will be well worth the effort—and will make life on the road that much better.