Sleeper gut and redo

[WanderngFool]

I just bought an older (1995) straight truck with a sleeper. I'm gutting the inside and I've been following what y'all have been saying about the importance of insulation. 1" or 1 1/2" shouldn't be too expensive and should help a lot.

Questions:

1. What is a good floor covering and should the floor be insulated too?

2. What is a good wall covering? I have simple tastes and cheap paneling would get the job done but isn't that stuff known for giving off toxic fumes? That might not be wise in such a confined space.

 

[21cExp]

I use white tile board. Smooth, easy to cut into shape, inexpensive, easy to clean, and makes the space feel clean, organized, and more spacious than a dark wall will. You can also get edge and corner pieces to easily finish things off quite nicely. Not a sleeper, but I'll add a pic or two of what it looks like in my cargo area:



Corner and edge pieces:


Joint between two sheets, showing end:

 

[xiggi]

I have been looking at that. Did you use the smooth, pebbled or the one that looks like tiles?

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

 

[Jenny]

We had used the rough one in the sprinter. Kind of made it a pita to clean. I would stick to something smooth

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[guido4475]

I myself prefer that natural wood look. It makes it feel warm and inviting. I used real thin Liam. And polyurethaned it with clear gloss.

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[xiggi]

We had used the rough one in the sprinter. Kind of made it a pita to clean. I would stick to something smooth

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I thought that could be a problem when I was looking at the store.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

 

[layoutshooter]

Insulate everything, including the floor. When you think you have enough, put some more in.

 

[21cExp]

I have been looking at that. Did you use the smooth, pebbled or the one that looks like tiles?

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

Smooth, no pebble no tile squares. Used it in a few vans now and love it for all the reasons I stated. Easy and inexpensive to replace if you ever need to, though the only reason I ever have is because I had attached things thru it to the ribs, then removed them later, leaving marks. Tip though, is get all your sheets at the same time from same store as the white can vary slightly in color.

It's Masonite with a baked (I think) coat of white on one side. Cutting with a circular or jig saw produces a fine powdery mess of sorts. Also may chip the white side at the cut edge if a fine toothed blade is not used. Some people tape the white side and cut through it to lessen/prevent the chipping.

(The pebbled tile board always reminds me of gas station bathrooms, while the smooth could be anywhere.)

 

[xiggi]

The smooth will also work as a giant dry erase board.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

 

[WanderngFool]

Good ideas. I'll check out Home Depot and see what kind of finished masonite they have.

As for the floor. One idea I have is to pick up some rubber back carpet "runners" from Walmart. I happened to notice some there a few weeks ago that were pretty cheap and looked good. IIRC 5'x8' for around $15. 2 would be plenty and I'd have spare pieces for when that need arises.

I can't imagine putting the carpet over foam board insulation unless I put plywood in between the foam board and the carpet and even then I think it would feel and/or sound wrong somehow.

It sure would be nice to insulate the floor from the outside. Has anyone tried some kind of undercoat and did it work?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Refer Hauler]

I have insulated two sleepers the original wall panels were fine so I did not replace them. Once I had stripped the interior down to the shell I used spray foam insualtion on walls and ceiling, This was the aerosol spray can stuff I got at Home Depot. On the floor I used "FatMat" this is sound deadner with some insulation qualities. Overall I was pleased with results. One other sleeper I put the fatmat underneath the sleeper, This actually worked better in my opinion the floor was much cooler in the summer as the aluminum side deflected a lot of heat from the engine / exhaust. On the walls I put in something like this "Thermo-Tec DuraKool ", couldnt tell much difference between the spray in faom and this. spray in was cheaper. Consider putting in Laminate wood flooring it is cheap and adds a nice touch.

 

[21cExp]

Good ideas. I'll check out Home Depot and see what kind of finished masonite they have.

As for the floor. One idea I have is to pick up some rubber back carpet "runners" from Walmart. I happened to notice some there a few weeks ago that were pretty cheap and looked good...

If you can get the thick insulated rubber mat that someone has taken out of their van when installing a wood floor for e-track, that stuff is wonderful, in my opinion.

Alternatively, once you figure out your substrate, the big box home stores also have rolls (cut to whatever length you want) of heavy duty rubber-backed and ribbed carpet, suitable for entryways etc. It's a bit more sturdy and durable than the sale priced stuff you see standing on end in boxes in the main aisles. Especially good in winter and rainy weather when you may have a mess on your boots. I think mine was 48" wide when I got it. I only use it now when I set things up for van-camping. I just use my regular hardwood plywood floor with e-track (which I screwed down over the factory insulated rubber mat) for expediting, though, and have never even felt the need for an area rug or door mat.