Factory tour ... Reflectix under subfloor?

[Zstream]

I went on the Airstream factory tour yesterday and was intrigued to see that when assembling the new trailers they put down a foil like insulation under the sub-floor and the pink insulation in the walls.

I see Home Depot sells a product called Reflectix. Does anyone have any experience using this foil type insulation under the sub-floor? Is the R factor of Reflectix high enough to use under the sub-floor or is AS Corp using something else? If Reflectix is ideal for this application, do you also add the pink insulation to the belly pan/frame?

Tks, Z

[ArtStream]

Hi Z!

Many of us here on the forum are replacing the "Pink mouse stuffing" with Reflectix under floor and in the walls. No one would recommend putting Pink back under the bellypan.

But you can add it to the Reflextix in the walls.

Searching the forum should yield "True stories" and applications.

PS, and welcome to the forum!

Michael

[Zstream]

Do you put down anything on top of the frame before you lay down the Reflectix's? Tks, Z.

[davidz71]

When I removed the bellypan at the rear of the trailer to repair a gaping hole, clean up the frame and POR the rear frame rails, I tore out the remaining pink insulation from the last cross member to rear compartment. I had to choose between the thick blue foam insulation board and Refectix. I chose 4 alternating layers of the stuff with the first layer glued and stapled to the underside of the floor.

I just cut out the outrigger behind my street side rear wheel and removed the pink insulation hanging down. I plan on sticking in 2 layers of 3 inch pink insulation in between a layer of Reflectix on the bottom and one on top. The idea is to try to keep water and dirt from the pink insulation and give additional insulation under the water heater and bed area without extra weight. I will probably add additional layers of Reflectix in the side/rear storage compartment along the wall because this is the corner bed area prone to drafts.

[boatdoc]

Originally Posted by Zstream

I went on the Airstream factory tour yesterday and was intrigued to see that when assembling the new trailers they put down a foil like insulation under the sub-floor and the pink insulation in the walls.

I see Home Depot sells a product called Reflectix. Does anyone have any experience using this foil type insulation under the sub-floor? Is the R factor of Reflectix high enough to use under the sub-floor or is AS Corp using something else? If Reflectix is ideal for this application, do you also add the pink insulation to the belly pan/frame?

Tks, Z

Hi Zstream; I have used Prodex, much the same as Reflectix throughout the whole 26' restored Argosy. However, I have glued 1"x2" urethane strips onto the sub floor underside. Cutting the Prodex by 3" oversize I have overlapped it onto the frame members attaching it with 3M 5200 Fast Cure to the urethane strips and frame. Prodex has advertised "R" value of 14.7. Added air space between bubble foil and sub floor adds about two points in "R" value. I did the same thing in the walls using 1/2"x2" urethane foam strips in order to create air space on booth sides. I have brought the Prodex along the ribs toward the inner skin trimming the excess 1/8" high past the rib. This way the inner wall skins sealed the cut edges of Prodex. My 15000 BTU Carrier freezes me out at the lowest setting in 95+ degree direct sun. Thanks, "Boatdoc"