Winter Camping Series: All About Insulation

When you plan on enjoying luxury land travel in cold temperatures, one important consideration is insulation.  At Bowlus, we use polystyrene insulation with a high R-value. This type of rigid insulation is far superior compared to traditional fiberglass insulation that you’ll find in other RVs. Although fiberglass insulation is cheap, it is easily degraded by moisture reducing the R-value over time and causing the insulation to be less effective. Moisture saturation then causes the fiberglass insulation to become moldy, giving the RV a musty smell and potentially creating unhealthy side effects.

Polystyrene insulation has a long lifespan, is moisture-resistant, and has a high R-value. Additionally, when camping in cold climates, one concern is moisture build-up inside the RV from condensation. However, with rigid foam, there are not the same risks of “wet” insulation like you have with fiberglass insulation. Additionally, a Bowlus has a thermal barrier between the interior and exterior, so there isn’t any thermal transfer. 

A Bowlus is designed to last for generations. All panels in a Bowlus can be removed with a screwdriver. Nothing is glued in. All screws are stainless steel. Most of the parts in a Bowlus are marine-grade rather than RV quality. The insulation is installed without the need for glues, so there aren’t any off-gassing issues, a common problem in other RVs.

At Bowlus, what you don’t see is just as important as what you do see. After all, we build every season of adventure.