Oliver insulation

[chuckd]

Greetings again: I posted a few months ago about the potential winter time use of these trailers. Bigfoot may be the consensus winner - if any forum can have a consensus. Well I have a new neighbor and he has a Oliver, which I toured, neat little trailer and from what I saw incredibly high quality. Now for the question what insulation is used (if any) between the walls? I searched the forum and some said lizard skin, which seems to be more of a sound barrier, and I don't believe the claims of painted on insulation. Others speculated on a 3M composite material, which is interesting, as I am a 35 year employee of 3M and did not realize we made a thermally insulating composite. Does anyone know for sure? Does anyone know the effective R value?

Thanks, and yes I did write to Oliver, but I suspect they are to busy trying to make trailers - and responding to e-mails hasn't reached the top of their I'm box.

Chucked
Stillwater Mn

[Glennrose]

Are Olivers still being made? I thought they were defunct... Anyway, here is what I could find about their insulation.

Oliver say that "The Frame is an all aluminum box tubular design. The reason for an all aluminum construction is to lighten the weight of the unit as well as provide a frame that will never rust. The overall construction of the Oliver Legacy is a Double Wall Fiberglass Core that contains Thinsulate™ Acoustic Insulation. Basically, you have a completely custom molded fiberglass exterior shell, as well as a completely custom molded fiberglass interior shell. Between the two layers of fiberglass there is an insulation barrier. The custom molded exterior has been designed to direct and keep water from ever entering the shell. Every opening or attachment to the exterior has been encased in a fabricated enclosure and sealed to protect from all of the elements."

[Ken C]

Robert will know if the Lizard is used
Fiberglass RV - View Profile: Robert Partee

http://www.lizardskin.com/

[cpaharley2008]

Do not over look Escape Trailers, another Canadian fg trailer manufacturer that can make you a customized trailer with winter upgrades.

[chuckd]

Jim: I called escape as they have a nice looking trailer. There cold weather package, is dual pane windows, foam on the underside of the coach, and addition relex(sp) in the walls. When I looked at how they installed the relex material, they did not have an air gap on either side, this is necessary for reflex to be any kind of insulation, as has been reported on this forum in the past. None moving air is a good insulator, that is why foams and fiberglass work as well as they do.

So if escape used a foam in the walls and ceiling, would be all over them.

Chuckd

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Glennrose

Are Olivers still being made? I thought they were defunct...

They're back in the trailer manufacturing business:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ume-56770.html
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ack-57788.html

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by chuckd

... addition relex(sp) in the walls...

Aluminized bubble-wrap insulation, most commonly known by the brand name Reflectix®

When they use it, Escape puts it on the interior side of the single fiberglass shell wall, and generally in places where it is in cabinets, rather than an exposed wall surface.

[chuckd]

Not going to debate (much) the veracity of reflectix or other bubble wrap materials, I saw a picture of the Escape production line with reflectix draped down from the top of the wall. It will not be effective when used in that manner no matter where it is used.

Chuck -who actually majored in heat transfer a very, very long tme ago.

[emers382]

Jim, hope you chime in here, now I'm concerned about this type of insulation if Escape's method doesn't work then why pay extra for the insulation?

Adrian

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by emers382

... now I'm concerned about this type of insulation if Escape's method doesn't work then why pay extra for the insulation?

The Reflectix (or whatever brand it is) in an Escape with the extra insulation package will work as well as it does in a Scamp. Whether or not this type of insulation works very well anywhere is the subject of endless debate.

In any case, I don't think Oliver uses this type of insulation.

[Ken C]

Chuck
let us know if you get an answer from Oliver on the insulation. How long have you been waiting for a reply? We just had a thread how two other trailer places had problems answering email.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by emers382

Jim, hope you chime in here, now I'm concerned about this type of insulation if Escape's method doesn't work then why pay extra for the insulation?

Adrian

It works, it works real nice. There are 2 interior finishes, the 1" thick vinyl elephant hide wall and ceiling finish that is installed over the reflectix in all parts of the trailer in all areas from the bed and dinette up, including closets and overhead cabinets. The extra insulation package includes reflectix installed on all bare fiberglass below and underneath the bed and dinette exterior walls, over the wheel wells. Then you have the 3-4" spray foam underneath the floor which covers the entire floor, front to back. finally the dual pane Hehr windows, including the door. All this adds up to a well insulated unit that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I have been out in -0- degree weather in the 19' with the extra package and the tanks did not freeze and neither did I.

[cpaharley2008]

I think Oliver uses the reflectix between the inner and outside shells, based upon my observation of inside closet and underneath seat areas inspection of the 3 Olivers I saw in Tennessee this Spring..

[GPJ]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

There are 2 interior finishes, the !' vinyl elephant hide wall and ceiling finish that is installed over the reflectix in all parts of the trailer in all areas from the bed and dinette up, including closets and overhead cabinets. The extra insulation package includes reflectix installed on all bare fiberglass below and underneath the bed and dinette exterior walls, over the wheel wells.

So in a standard Escape without the extra insulation package, do you know what is the insulation used under the bed, under the dinette, over the wheel wells, etc? It sort of sounds like there is no insulation there unless you get the $1000 extra insulation package - but I may be misunderstanding and haven't seen this for myself.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by GPJ

So in a standard Escape without the extra insulation package, do you know what is the insulation used under the bed, under the dinette, over the wheel wells, etc? It sort of sounds like there is no insulation there unless you get the $1000 extra insulation package - but I may be misunderstanding and haven't seen this for myself.

that is correct

[chuckd]

Reflectix and similar products have an R value of 1.08. Reflectix - 'the company advertises the R value when measured in a system, I.e. With an air gap.

Do not pay to much attention to the reflectix site data, perhaps wander on over to greenbuildingadvisor.com and check out the many discussion on reflectix as a duct insulating material.

Probably enough discussion on this, as there seems to be some entrenched positions, and that is okay, just nothing to be gained by furthur discssion.

Tomorrow at 10:00 ish, going to have a phone discussion with Oliver. The answer to my question was they use reflectix, lizard whatever, thinsulite, and I think a 3M honey comb product -more later.

Chuckd Stillwater Mn

[Donna D.]

From earlier readings of the Oliver trailer... they use LizardSkin. I'd be intererested if something has changed with the boost in new production.

[chuckd]

Had a very nice and informative conversation with Robert at Oliver.

The 22 foot is not only longer but wider and taller, not sure of the exact dimensions.

They have used lizard skin Donna, on one unit they used lizard skin on both the outer wall of the inner unit, and the inner wall of the outer unit - I just had to make that sentence as non-understandable as I could

Not doing that now in new production - they use 3M thinsulite for insulation, near and dear to my heart, as that company pays me monthly. Their supplier, supplies the thinsulite and adhesive to adhere it to the fiberglass shell. Now depending on the weight of the thinsulite, it might have an R value around 4/inch. Now fabric folks do not measure R vales, they measure CLO, which takes many things into play, body transpiration, etc, but 1 CLO is pretty equivalent to 1 R value.

They also use a honeycomb laminate in the molding of the shell, and that also has an insulation value, probably just above 1 per inch.

They are looking at reflectix, and hopefully not using it, if they want a radiation barrier aluminum foil is a good substitute - maybe.

More later, hopefully

Chucked
Stillwater mn

[Ken C]

Very interesting, thanks for the feedback Chuck. Let us know when you head down south and pick up a brand new Oliver

[cpaharley2008]

Their dimensions are on their website, here Specs & Floor Plan - Oliver Travel Trailers
looks like 6"2" wide interior and 6' 6" wide exterior and 6'1 interior height.