IS BEST FOR VANS?
Whether you are choosing the nomadic lifestyle, or fulfilling that occasional wanderlust, having the right insulator will determine the long term comfort of #vanlife.
The worst thing that can (and does!) happen in van life is when your adventure is dampened by that first cold and rainy night, and you wake up a soggy-muff, in a thick-aired, condensation-filled van. Moisture is always a problem with conventional insulations and can get dangerous quickly, leading to mold problems. Modern insulations also have a laundry list of questionable and often downright toxic ingredients.
Are dangerous, as they off-gas toxic fumes when the temperature rises inside the van in hot weather.
Some do not adapt correctly to the shape of the van and end up poorly insulated in several areas.
Lose their insulating power in cold weather, or when they get wet.
Never help to control humidity and condensation in your van.
Wool is the natural and effective alternative to conventional chemical-laden insulations. Sheep’s Wool is a moisture regulating miracle fiber that keeps van adventures from being ruined by cold and wet conditions. Vans are compact, airtight wonderships, but when mixed with humans, produce a lot of uncomfortable condensation. Wool has the innate ability to absorb moisture and release it when the RH (relative humidity) drops, keeping your mobile shelter cozy and comfy. Goodbye muggy mornings, Hello Wool.
It does not have any toxic chemicals and is the solution to insulating a greener and more comfortable planet. It is a naturally occurring and reproducing substance that is has a negative carbon footprint and is extremely efficient as an acoustic and temperature insulator. Wool effectively regulates moisture by absorbing and releasing it when the RH (Relative Humidty) drops below 65%. Wool fibers even filter the air and break down harmful VOCs like formaldehyde!
Lambswool has been used for thousands of years (for thousands of years!) as insulation in climates as extreme as Tibet, and now it’s being used to keep modern day nomads and boondockers comfortable and trail-happy. Us vandwellers are a bit like traveling herdsman, caring for sheep, tending the earth, and making memories in our sheep wagons. Wool is a historically wonderful insulation and now, with a bit of scientific knowledge and application, it is becoming the highest performance insulator.
Not all wool insulations are created equal.
The outcome of our standards is
Our Wool Insulblend WL 5825 (that’s the official name!) is combed into small balls (or knops) in which the fiber is constantly trying to spread, i.e. the ball is always trying to grow.
Once it’s installed, it will grow by 20%, keeping your van walls completely insulated (no gaps!), guaranteeing that it won’t settle or slump, even with thousands of miles of road vibration. Basically, our wool is designed to put up with life on the road and all the bumps that come with it. It won’t compress in the walls like other insulations tend to, and it will retain its thermal and acoustic value for 50 years.
Better R-Value means a more comfortable, all-weather adventure van for the long term. Our wool knops will outlast the life of your van!
Wool in your walls will manage moisture and reduce condensation, dampen exterior noise, and even clean the air. You enjoy your adventure, resting assured that nothing untoward is happening behind your van walls.
We are probably the only company that has designed its product with a scientific understanding of wool fiber.
Since 1971, our founder, Stephen Fookes, has worked on the science side at places like the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia and also the New Zealand Wool Testing Authority, of which he was director from 1976 to 2008.
One of the worst things that can happen in a VAN is to have excess humidity. Wool Life knops have the natural ability to regulate the humidity by absorbing moisture when the air is damp and releasing it when it gets dry. Our wool can absorb nearly 40% of its own weight in water and still feel dry to the touch. When the relative humidity drops below 65%, it will begin to slowly release that moisture back into the air. Think of all those happy sheep in cold wet climates… they’re happy. In cold, wet climates!
The world is overrun with toxins. No one wants their haven on wheels to have any added chemicals off gassing in a small living area. Our wool is:
Boric acid free (this acid can cause chronic illness if you are repeatedly exposed to it)
We will always run into harmful chemicals at some point, but choosing an insulation that can render those chemicals down is a deal breaker (or maker)! Our wool fiber actually breaks down formaldehyde, reduces the risk of cancer, and fixes CO2, i.e. improves the air quality inside your van.
Outside sounds should stay outside, and inside sounds should stay inside. Wool Life Wool is four times more efficient than Roxul at reducing sound transmission and increasing sound absorption. Less unwanted sound reduces stress caused by background and road noise, and makes way for a more comfortable and quiet environment.
Stay safe out there! Fires are seven times more dangerous when synthetic products dominate because of off-gassing. Our patenting wool knops require 1230 degrees to ignite, without having to use Boric Acid as a retardant.
Every year in New Zealand, sheep flocks store more than 120 million kg of CO2 in their wool, and the average sheep absorbs more than 30kg in its lifetime. Wool is the sustainable, naturally reproducing insulation. If you are ever finished with your wool, you can bury it in the ground and it will turn to compost and feed the soil.
Always. Happy. Sheep.
They give us their wool and tend the soil, we take care of them and make sure their time on earth is spacious, nutritious, and comfortable.
IWTO Certified.
60% more insulation and real high performance: R value 5.825. Fill hard to reach cavities in your van’s panels. Our loose-fill wool insulation fills places that other insulators cannot reach. Fully breathable: 5825 is completely breathable and regulates the temperature and humidity inside small spaces, providing a fresh and safe living environment.
Absorbs carbon and purifies the air. A cleaner atmosphere equals a healthier environment.
No animal harm: it is produced according to the ITWO guidelines for wool sheep welfare. Animal welfare is a high focus in wool production. In addition to buying Insulknop 5825, you are taking care of the planet, since this product has a negative carbon footprint. The good news is that wool in any form reduces carbon in the atmosphere and, in some cases, sheep farming has been used to recover deserts into productive land.
Installing wool in your van is easy and efficient. In short, secure our fiber mesh to the studs of the van, then blow in the wool with a leaf blower! If that sounds crazy, we will gladly walk you through it and provide pictures and videos.
Don’t worry about about breathing boric acid or any other harmful chemicals (because there aren’t any), and you don’t even need to wear gloves when installing. Our wool is a blend of lambs’ and sheep’s that doesn’t itch.
Once it’s installed in the walls, the wool will still grow by 20%, filling perfectly all the cavities even if they look uneven at first. Then it’s time to adventure!
We offer a 30 year warranty, even though some places like Buckingham Palace have maintained wool installed in good condition for over 200 years.
It is safe to say that the long-lasting performance of our insulation will far outlive the van it is installed in.
If you are not satisfied with the product you will get your money back with no questions asked.
Most vans have about a 2-inch cavity depth that you can fill with insulation. If you are securing the mesh right against the van’s metal framing, then a 2-inch covering will do nicely. If you are framing it out a bit with wood, then you can figure for a 2.23” to 2.7” coverage — this also will ensure that you have enough wool to fill gaps in the doors and other hard to reach places. Filling in those pockets will keep your van from sounding tinny and rattly and give you a solid, tight sound and feel.
[150 ft box] 1 box will cover 150 sq/ft at 1 inch thick
[450 ft box] 1 box will cover 450 sq/ft at 1 inch thick
Measure your walls, floor, and ceiling to get your square footage.
If you have 300 sq/ft in your van, and you didn’t add a lot of framing, you can go with 2 inches of insulation on average. You would need 300sq/ft x 2 inches = 600.
You will want to match that 600 as close as you can, so that would be 1 [450 ft box] and 1 [150 ft box], to fill all you need.
Add one box of mesh, this is enough to completely cover any model VAN
Then you’re good to go!
Initially, the installation of the knops is a little more laborious than the batt, but has several advantages over the batt that make the VAN more comfortable. The first one is that the cavities are completely filled (which means better insulation). The second one is that the knops will not settle with road vibration.
We do not sell batts at the moment, but will have them available in summer 2021.
Pesticides are used in sheep to control ticks. They last in the wool for a maximum of 8 weeks. Shearing of the sheep is not allowed for at least 12 weeks after the application of any pesticide, ensuring that there are no chemicals on the fiber.
Some people think that they are allergic to wool, but wool is a protein, just like our fingernails! The perception that wool can create allergies is not correct. The reason why some people have that perception is because they have had coarse wool clothing that is not suited for wearing in direct contact with the skin. Our wool is a special blend that does not belong to the itchy category, and is ideally suited to the products we manufacture.
Wool is washed with a non-ionic environmentally friendly detergent to clean it from any soil and grease that builds up during the period it grows on the free range sheep. No harmful chemicals need to be added.
When you compare the coverage at 2 inches thick, the higher R-Value knops are cheaper than wool batts. With loose fill, you can completely fill uneven wall cavities, and if you are framing it out and have a thicker area to fill, you may end up using more wool — but you’ll also get more insulation, acoustic value, moisture regulation, and comfort.
We always make the choice for sustainability, contributing to create a healthy, renewable global future by bringing wellbeing and comfort to nights and lives.
For us sustainabibility is just make things rigth, contributing to create a healthier, more sutainable global future by bringing wellbeing to people’s nigths… and lifes.
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