Has anyone insulated under their trailer ???

securityman · 08-12-2012, 03:46 PM

I bought a new 2013 xt 276 , and saw that it is just plywood floor painted black under the trailer , was thinking of spray foming the bottom of it to insulate it and protect the wood . Any thoughts on this ??? Thanks

Eagle · 08-13-2012, 08:03 AM

The underneath on mine is painted black plywood as you described.

I see no reason to foam insuate the underside as I don't plan to use it in below freesing temperature. Also, doing so would make it difficult to access the wiring, plumbing, etc. if any repairs or adjustments are needed.

PS: Suggest you check the tightness of the nuts that secure your tiedowns. Mine were not very snug so used locktite and double nutted them.

securityman · 08-14-2012, 05:14 PM

yea , I see you point , I was thinking of using it in the winter , maybe I will not now , thanks about the tie down nuts , I will have to check mine.

Eagle · 08-14-2012, 07:52 PM

If you plan to use it in the winter, insulating the underside would be a must in order to use the on board fresh water/sewer system. Not sure if the storage tanks would require some type of heater .... some RV's have heated tanks from what I've read and are winter insulated.
Someone with experience in that area would be good to contact for advise, perhaps your local RV dealer.
My personal concern with spray on foam is the difficulty to make repairs if ever needed.

profdant139 · 08-14-2012, 07:59 PM

On my old T-139, which had no insulation, I stapled sheets of reflectix to the underbelly -- seemed to help a lot. My new X-139 came with a layer of fiberglass underneath, protected by black vinyl -- so far, it seems great. Haven't tried it in anything under 20 degrees, but it was fine at that temp overnight.

4advtr · 02-07-2013, 09:52 PM

Weird, I have a 2013 FunFinder 266KIRB and the floor is insulated. The insulation is black and has a plastic moisture barrier. The underbelly itself is not insulated however, just the floor. I'm planning on wrapping the tanks in the silver insulation and putting some 1/2" foam on the bottom just above the underbelly itself.

profdant139 · 02-08-2013, 09:10 AM

Are you sure that your new FF does not have underbelly insulation? Mine has a thick layer of pink fiberglass batting, but the pink stuff is hidden from view by a black vinyl sheet. That may be the black thing you are seeing -- just the outer layer??

4advtr · 02-08-2013, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by profdant139

Are you sure that your new FF does not have underbelly insulation? Mine has a thick layer of pink fiberglass batting, but the pink stuff is hidden from view by a black vinyl sheet. That may be the black thing you are seeing -- just the outer layer??

It does have underbelly insulation, but it's just under the flooring. I was referring to the area just on the other side of the underbelly cover. i.e. the bottom.

metaltff · 02-08-2013, 09:46 PM

That is the only thing i hate about my 285RLS, the underside isn't insulated at all. We camped back in November and our lines froze. I wish it was isulated more to keep it a little warmer.

securityman · 08-14-2014, 06:35 PM

Ok , well I took on this project to insulate the floor with 2 in foam board and spray foamed some of the cracks . Did this to make the floor warmer and more insulated for the colder months when I go atv riding in the mountains .
And I got tired of walking on a cold floor , and also sounds so hollow walking on it . Took me a long day , measured and cut and installed the foam board. Turned out really well , can't believe how solid the floor seems now and quiet .
Can't wait to use it next month to see how much warmer on my feet this will be and warmer inside it will be . Got pictures but don't know how to post on this site. And the good thing is I can get to the wires under it if I need to . Had to drop the water tank also to get on top of it to insulate it.

Eagle · 08-14-2014, 08:02 PM

Wondering which of the 2" foam board you used on your project.

There are several type per this article:
http://www.homeconstructionimproveme...lation-values/

Only reason I ask, is may consider doing something like that with mine to cut down A/C use and keep it a bit warmer on some of those more chilly/damp days.

securityman · 08-14-2014, 10:04 PM

I went to Home Depot and got the pink panther 2 in foam board , a lot of work laying on your back but well worth it at the end .

Eagle · 08-15-2014, 05:55 AM

Did you fasten it in place using construction glue or screws?

profdant139 · 08-15-2014, 05:43 PM

Well done! A lot of work, but I bet it will be worthwhile. Congratulations!

securityman · 08-15-2014, 09:39 PM

Thanks , yea a lot of work , yes 2 1/2 in screws and construction glue , rode down the road today at 65 and everything is still perfect under there , so I guess I did a good job !!

securityman · 09-24-2014, 08:22 PM

Ok , just a update on this job , drove to WV from NC to take a atv trip for 4 days , towed great noting flew off from under the trailer !!! Lol
Trailer worked great also , no issues !!

Now the nights dropped down to 48 outside and the 1st night I left everything off to the next morning to see what it would drop to inside the trailer . At 6:00 pm it was 70 inside the trailer , by 7:00 am it dropped to 64 only with no heat on at all . Also the floor was nice walking on it with no socks on , not cold like it used to be .

Then I put the heat on and it heated a lot quicker and stayed warm with out running much at all . So it was well worth the 300.00 I spent to do it . Very happy with it , and also still left all the water and electrical and gas line area open so if needing repairs I can do it easy , without having to rip out spray foam or insulation .

I am going to email pics to Michelle , so she can post them for me , this week , stay tuned !!

michellep · 10-11-2014, 07:49 AM

I volunteered to assist Mike (Securityman) with posting some pics of his insulation installation (for the benefit of all of us)...

Here they are! Wish I could do that kind of stuff!!!

profdant139 · 10-11-2014, 04:38 PM

Michelle, thanks for posting the pix -- I am seriously thinking of doing the same project, since the darn mice on our Washington trip tore out a lot of our pink fiberglass fluffy stuff to build their nests!

Securityman, a few key questions -- how in the heck did you get those foam boards under (actually on top of) the structural crossbeams?? Did you somehow lift the trailer body?? And what are the screws screwed into -- is there wood above the foam boards?

Finally, which spray foam did you use?

Thanks in advance for your answers!!

securityman · 10-11-2014, 05:25 PM

Thanks Michelle for the posting of the pictures , yes the foam boards are cut to slide between the metal beams , and then spray foamed between them . I just used the cans of great stuff , it's closed cell foam . The biggest pain in the but is taking down the water tank , so you can insulate above it .

Yes there is 3/4 in plywood for the floor on the toy haulers so only use 2.5 in screws to hold it up , also before you mount it , use construction glue on it and then screw up , don't over do the screws to much or u will go threw the floor !!!!! I didn't have any go to far but I am good at doing stuff like this !!! Haha

Just take your time and measure and cut with a saw and install , took me a full day , but I would do it again , for the befits of it.