How To Install A Heated Subfloor In Your Van
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2024
- #vanlife #sprinter #vanconversion
In this video, we walk you through every step it took us to install our heated subfloor.
We started by doing and research and coming up with a layout. We pulled a lot of inspo from these two channels.
Freedom Strider Channel Link : / freedomstrider
Humble Road Channel Link : / humbleroad
Most of what we did was right inside the van with a pencil, pad of paper, and some masking tape. We did eventually mock things up within Google Sketchup to get a 3D visual to get a better feel for the space.
Google Sketchup : app.sketchup.com/app?hl=en
One of the biggest things we needed to consider was how we were going to lay out ½ heated pex lines within our subfloor for our radiant floor heating system.
We received ours from Heatso and we went with the D5S system because it has a high altitude kit that we wanted for camping in higher elevations, but most people go with the newer D5E system. #sponsored
D5S Kit - tinyurl.com/4z945dy8
D5E Kit - tinyurl.com/2za8cbf6
Once we had a game plan, it was time for us to gather our supplies and install our joists. We went with 2x3 studs instead of 2x2 furring strips simply because they were in better shape. We ended up cutting them down to size which was 1.5”x1.5”.
2x2 Furring Strips : tinyurl.com/7b685tww
2x3 Boards : tinyurl.com/5n8k53y5
Miter Saw : amzn.to/3IJS1Ro
Table Saw : amzn.to/3rbEsEh
We waterproofed our joists and it took forever to dry. That could be due to it being Oil Based, but we aren’t sure.
Oil Based Waterproofing : tinyurl.com/mumt27we
Clear Waterproofing : tinyurl.com/bdd2zjma
Everything was adhered directly to the body of the van with a marine adhesive.
Loctite Marine Adhesive : amzn.to/3KUsvee
Caulk Gun : amzn.to/3s63NyO
Cleaner : amzn.to/3s6iiT8
Then it was onto the subfloor. We ended up creating our templates using scrap cardboard from our flarespace windows so we didn’t have to go out and buy/waste a bunch of brand new cardboard. Here’s a list of the supplies we used.
½ Birch Plywood : tinyurl.com/5chh6tpj
T Square : amzn.to/344ILJ1
I just used the T square as a straight edge for my circular saw cuts, but buying a track would be a lot easier.
Circular Saw : amzn.to/3gd9ENn
Track : amzn.to/3obXkkF
Jig Saw : amzn.to/3s5X8Vd
Then it was time for our insulation. We ended up insulating all of the areas within our subfloor that wouldn’t be receiving radiant heat with 1 ½ Polystyrene which has an r value of 7.5, but if you can find Polyiso with an R value of 9 go with that.
1 ½ Polystyrene Foamular : tinyurl.com/9dtxvvze
1 ½ Polyiso Foamular : tinyurl.com/yjt38b8r (better R value if you can find it)
All the areas that would house the radiant heat were insulated with ¼ fanfold insulation and ¼ reflectix.
¼ Fanfold Foamular : tinyurl.com/2p9xybfm
¼ Reflectix : tinyurl.com/26j78hk2
Liquid Nails FUZE-IT : amzn.to/3KYEIP9
Retractable Utility Knife : amzn.to/35qtbaO
The last big step in our subfloor installation was the heated pex line. This took a bit of research, but here’s a list of the materials we ended up using.
100ft ½ PEX : amzn.to/3IT102D
90 Degree Bend Assists : amzn.to/3g7AUwP
Heat Transfer Plates : tinyurl.com/mw4cekxd
HVAC Tape : tinyurl.com/4u6h2u5a
Heater Hose ⅞ OD : tinyurl.com/mr4c4c3b
Finally we screwed our subfloor to our joists and we were good to go. We used these supplies to do it.
1 ½ Multi Material Screws : amzn.to/3IQKqkc
Chalk Snap Line : amzn.to/3g80Sjt
Drill and Impact : amzn.to/3AKyhKK
Bit Kit : amzn.to/3usrCUz
If you have any questions make sure to shoot me an email at dogcatmanvan@gmail.com or leave a comment!
You can also support the channel by becoming a Patreon member!
www.patreon.com/user?u=27667694
Oh yeah, we have some shirts, stickers, and air fresheners available on our shop page here:
dogcatmanvan.myshopify.com/
Follow us on instagram @dogcatmanvan
00:00 Intro
00:16 Our Subfloor Layout Game Plan
02:56 Laying Joists
06:27 Waterproofing Joists
08:07 Attaching Joists
11:25 Creating The Subfloor
17:42 Floor Insulation
21:43 Heated PEX Line Install
26:07 Subfloor Install
27:20 Heated Floor Test and Outro - Jak na to + styl
If you want straighter boards at the home store, find the largest length available and cut them down to size in the parking lot with a circ saw. So instead of getting a 8ft 2x4, get a 16 footer. These longer sections come from the lower trunk of the tree, which tends to be stronger and straighter than the 8 foot sections which are more likely to be from the taller sections of the tree and prone to warp.
Thanks for the tip!
So glad you mentioned Humble Road George... he is cool... I mean warm
He's got a lot of good info!
I'm glad you talked to George of Humble Road. I've been watching and re watching his videos for years.
You can use this heater to warm up your engine during winter! I added valves to be able to have only hot water in summer without heating up the floor. And having my heating system connected to the vans engine,it works even the other way around. Meaning that without the heater i can warm up my floor while driving. You doing a great job! Bon appetit and more cheese please!🔥🤘🧡
We through some shut off valves in our system as well. I like the idea of hooking it up to the engine though. I'll have to look into that!
i wish factory oem passenger cars did that and cooling as in the winter/fall im not into dry fan uneven air, or have a option on the chex sheet for radiant thermals
@@dogcatmanvan you can use 24v zone valves and some switches to change between floor, or air and also turning engine heat exchanger off and on. You cn use simulir electic valves to control water on the camper.
Just reserch how the big fancy mobile homes function and get built for ideas. like a prevost
@@swaterman08 Is there anything special about these zone valves compared to a regular solenoid valve?
@@Seqhael depends on what the body is made of and if its heat or drinking water, but if its 24v either open or closed, all the same.
You guys did a marvellous job of planning and executing this heating of your van. Your choice of homes (van) will result in certain losses of heating system efficiency compared to a traditional dwelling. In a traditional home employing radiant heating with floor joists, etc. the radiant tubes are in contact with the underside of the subfloor so the metal plates conduct heat from the tubes into the subfloor, then the finish floor material and finally radiates the heat into the conditioned space. Insulation is typically placed about 4-6" below the radiant tubes in the joist space creating an air gap. You have an air gap between the insulation and the flooring. This is imposed on you by the van's construction. Air gaps are not a good convector, so some inefficiencies are introduced into your system.The net result is that your supply water temp will need to be slightly warmer than in a convential system . Due to the small volume in the space you likely won't notice any difference, and your feet will be warm in the morning.You came up with an excellent solution to implementing radiant heating into this space. I'm a retired Mechanical Engineer and have designed several radiant systems in more traditional buildings. Bravo once again.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and watching our video!
You two work so well together. Of course all of your cheesy jokes and little added pop-ups make it even more fun to watch. Lots of great information 👍
Finally, something good to watch on Sunday. I have 4 chihuahuas that cuddle under the blanket and keep me warm ☺
Ps I ❤ George !
So good…love the chemistry you two (four?) have…so entertaining! Don’t have a van. Don’t want a van, but we watch you anyway…fun!
Thanks for watching anyway haha
information utuber is always welcome
Just wow! You’ve taken it to another level. DBVB.
You guys are awesome! I was feeling sympathetic for you working in the cold too.
Wow great video. A lot of these van builders try not to show this. Thank you.
Lol, I appreciate the 'alu-MIN-I-um'
When you trace your pattern on to the flooring you can trace with a razor at the same time to pre score and it helps w chips!
Great work Team!
We'll keep that in mind moving forward. Thanks!
Not joists, "sleepers"...love you guys.
Great build, very tidy... with your furring.. joists.. you could have laid them out used a marker to mark your cuts.. construction adhesived them down(leaving your gaps for pex without adhesive) let it dry, then use a multi tool to plunge cut out your gaps..saving all the time of laying out, cutting laying out again etc.. you just waterproof, glue, lay out rows and cut gaps.. you did great though! Also flashing tape from zip systems is 26$ a roll but is awesome to tape down almost anything! Your diffusers would never move.. that stuff sticks to everything!.. it stretches if you like.. it's 6 inches wide and is perfect to use instead of duct tape or any tape really.. plus it's super useful just to have in your tool kit...most rigid insulation can be scored and snapped, and if you heat the pex a little it will be way more compliant making your corners against its will lol. A heat gun..or hair dryer in a pinch will work . Good job guys! These are just good hearted opinions for what they're worth.
Thanks for sharing all your thoughts and giving sound advice Gregoria! We'll keep them in mind on the next build
@@dogcatmanvan if nothing else.. grab some zip systems tape for the road.. that stuff works for everything
I'm here watching wondering why your channel doesn't have a million subscribers mainly because the kind of content you upload deserves million views.Just bumped into your channel thats how I'm staying for life.All the best man
Thanks Eric! Maybe one day we'll get there
You guys are so cute ! Definitely cuddles for warmth, + the dogos
Van Floors are COLD!!!!! You will be so happy for this time and expense.
Thank you for sharing!
Of course, thanks for watching!
Excellent job you two! I love how thorough you are being with this build. I think radiant heat flooring is a great idea. The insulation is terrific and so worth it it. I am a little concerned the floor joists are only glued down. The marine adhesive is very good but there are many stresses on those joists. When you take the floor up again, think about securing the joists with a few screws, Simpson strong ties or even galvanized pipe strap.
In my SUV, I have the butyl/closed cell all over and havelock wool stuffed into the small or oddly-shaped spaces. I use a butane stove heater for heat. Because of the insulation, thick flannel blackout curtain (headliner to floor) and my insulated window shades, it stays comfortable without much heat.
We'll be creating all of our framing with aluminum extrusion which will be connected to the floor and directly to the van body. Hopefully that will solidify our entire layout to the van itself.
@@dogcatmanvan If you said that about the aluminum, I missed it but that is an excellent choice. I expect the radiant heat with all the insulation will make all the difference in comfort.
It’s not hard to stay warm at night I’m bed; the real challenge is ambient “room” temp. Excited to hear/see the IRL test of all the improvements. ❄️
Just a thought for future reference. The insulated panels cut very well on a tablesaw. Very nice build so far!
I was worried it would rip it apart haha. I should've just given it a test run. Oh well, next time!
Can also use a fine toothed hand saw - a Japanese Dozuki would work perfectly and no chip out. Fairly inexpensive @ +/- $25
In a van there is no such thing as overkill when it comes to insulation 👌
Loving watching the progress. Great work guys!
This is a great idea and you two did a fine job on it. For me there is nothing worse than cold feet.
I'm not installing under floor heating but I am using a diesel Webasto water heater for hot water via a heat exchanger, for showers and washing up. I do have a few extra ideas but they are in the planning stage.
We've got the heat exchanger set up as well. Interested in seeing how it works
Beautiful, you are the only ones to do this kind of heating. well done
bye
Great video, nice to watch you work so well as a team.
Yesss! Adorable couple intro for the win! ❤️👌
Very cool I’m wanting to use electric subfloor heat elements. I will add it to my horse puppies kennel area. Since they haven’t stopped chewing yet.
Excellent video! Thank you! The sound and video effects add a lot of fun! The build is looking fantastic!
you need a second heat exchanger for the engine. you can use engine to heat the van, OR! you can use the van heater to keep the van engine warm.
Love it! Super practical for any cold(er) climate! Love to see how it’ll work for you when the build is complete!
Glad you managed to get it working - you are 100% right about these heating kits, the companies that sell them don't actually tell you how to install them for this usage (mostly because this is not entirely what they were designed for...) It's mostly just a guessing game on our end to try and figure something out that works, but it's doable and in our completely unbiased opinion...worth it! 😉
Enjoy the heated floor 👍
We appreciate you two taking the time to show all the trials and errors you went through in installing your system. It was all super helpful during our install!
You guys are awesome. You both have great ideas and thoughts. I love it
14.20 to stop the wood chipping, run some masking tape on the wood first, then draw your line and cut
Thanks for the tip!
I was searching for info on this awhile back... youtube suggested it today! Thanks for making a great video!! You have some of, if not the best, van build content on the platform. Keep crushing!
Thanks Adin! I'm glad to hear youtube is actually suggesting some of my videos for a change haha
Thompson is a good water 🌊 resistance product
You guys are going to have one sweet ride!
Wow! Great job!
Just stumbled through your room here. Super cute dynamic and great content. Best to you both!
Great video. Really well explained. Loved the pop ups. Do more of those.
I saw a guy do heated floors in a Skoolie - he used the 1.5 inch foam and then used a router to create a channel for the pex tubing and heat emission plate to sit in. He had the wooden joists like you. He put the foam (like the purple foam) in between the joists, then routed a channel into the foam, then he installed the metal heat emission/transfer plates into the channel then he put the pex pipe into the channel in the emission plates. I think he did it this way to save on cost, as he had one type foam insulation and it is actually how the layers should be installed. For house floor heating all diagrams show insulation with a channel for laying the heat emission plate into - then into the heat emission/transfer plate channel you put the heated pex lines. But I think your way might also work, but not as well as his method.
Can you share a link to that video? Curios to see how that floor system worked out
This was very informative!
You are so fun to watch and I’ve gotten many ideas from you. I do believe that ideally the PEX goes everywhere, including under solid things like cabinets, etc., because solids retain heat and emit it. Open the door and heated air goes poof but solid items are like temperature batteries. They store the heat and gradually let the heat into your van.
Hey Jim, thanks for watching! The main reason we didn't throw any heat on the right side is because our fridge was going to land there taking up the majority of that space and we didn't want the heated floors to compete with the fridge staying cool.
Hey Ben and others, did you ever find a smaller expansion tank? I have done a floor similar to this. It works great but finding a space for that expansion tank is problematic. Thanks in advance.
Good team work guys , seems this van will be much warmer than the last , well worth all of your efforts , ba bye
You two are badass! You did a damn nice job!
Dude! I've never even thought of a heated floor in a van, that's freakin awesome 👍😎 As and edit, 7:05 on a related note, as a kid I drank some paint thinking it was orange juice 🤦
Man , the things we do as kids. What did it taste like 🤔
@@suedefringe 😂
The Car Wizard would approve.
We've all had a little paint I think haha
Excellent. Thank You
My van heats from hydronic floor, boosted by air coil near side door. Same circulation goes through DHW tank and through valve setup to engine & cabin heater.
From spring to fall 9000 BTU heat pump provides both heat & AC, run from 7.2kWh LFP battery & 900Wp solar and 3kW inverter
Hey, very nice upgrade to the channel. Last I looked you were traveling with 4 legged companions. That Julie rocks. Excellent work on your heated floor guys.
Good video. That's going to feel great in socks or bare feet.
You're geniuses. Thank you.
Wow. Alot of work. Well done. Hope it works out great for ye 👍
This was a very good video. Ben you have done well with the upgrades.
I was thinking about finishing the wood and you used waterproofing. That seals the wood.
Didn't know aluminum cost that much. Looking forward to your next video.
Love you guys!
Great job 😎👍
thank you folks for communicating clearly I appreciated your share
Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Super cool!
I can’t believe I’ve never come across your channel before! I’ve been watching a ton of van life and Schoolie videos for a few months now while doing research on it. I’m so glad I came across this video. You personality is so fun, I binged a bunch of your videos and subbed
I'm glad CZcams suggested our channel on your feed! Thanks for subscribing and following along
Congratulations on 30 thousand subs! There’s new comment people too! I’ve been watching this channel too long haha. This floor is an amazing idea and so much detailed work. Yet you and the fuckin delightful Julie seem to work together seamlessly. And you both speak naturally and not like the process of drilling 300 tiny pieces of wood in very particular degrees according to the stars alignment for only 2 days of that year with the excitement of winning a powerball lottery and with the smiles like the Black Hole Sun video for Sound Garden.
Thanks Cassandra! It's been a long time coming. CZcams must be sharing this video with folks for some reason haha
I love it!
Love it
Congrats on 30k homie! Been here from the start, next stop 100k!
Thanks Alex. I hope we can keep this going haha!
Fun video!
Polyiso has a poorer R value than XPS at lower temperatures. So good choice using the XPS board.
Super informative, thank you! (Also, legit amazing editing, like wow if there's an award I'd submit this vid)
I appreciate you saying that!
Video content with such a great vibe. DBVB
Thanks for sharing guys :) it's not the blade which causes tear out in wood unless extremely blunt. It's normal, the way blades work being jagged one side and conforms more the other way. So use tape on both sides of the cut or use a reverse blade direction (vertically in a jigsaw) if cba/rough and ready. Or cut from the other side but that'd only help marginally :) also best use a scribing blade for curves, it's just narrow to change direction-depth and razors are the same except for being finer probably-finer and thinner the teeth/blades means they're safer but cost more or replaced more and don't work effectively on thick mass like hardwoods. The thickness is only valid for circular saws and and the like, as they're longer into the wood at higher continuous speeds causing friction, making the device jump back usually onto the person irreparably or if fixed like a table saw, the wood is then catapulted from between blade and fence enough to make the same damage as a bullet albeit more brutal/blunt. For drawing templates, make something with thin ends and a writing utensil on the other-find the thickest part of the cut (wheelwell depth in this case) and folkow it parallel scribing onto the cardboard :) sorry if I missed you doing that :)
Have another comment for the Algo! Great video! First one I have personally seen of an installation of radiant floor heating. Would have loved to see how you hooked all the other parts together too! Keep up the good work!
That'll be the next video so stay tuned
Thompson's Water Seal. Look it up, good stuff and dries clean.
Love the way you doing this. I always had the idea of flor heating in my van. Thank you for this inspiring video.
PS: Only this isnane inches and feet mess confuses me every time.
😶
Since I work at Lowe's, I know you shopped there since we sell all of those items 😂😂
This was a great video!
Awesome
Hell yeah dudes! Ganna keep them toes nice and toasty
Good work!! Love your content, DCMV. Not sure why youre still only at 30k subs. i gave you a thumbs-up.
That really helps as well as a comment, no matter if it’s one word. If more people did that the allusive algorithm will recommend his videos to others!
COOL! Thanks!
Finally got my version of the heated floors installed. It’s a mix yours, humbles and Darens. Lol. It works really well. Almost to good? I think I need a mixing valve so the floors don’t get to hot. Maybe a thermostat? I just have the heater piped directly to the floor and the easy start timer set to 30 min. Floors get to hot if on for much longer. I’m interested in some type of thermostat vs a timer.
I'm curious to see how you whipped your heated floors together. What did you end up doing between the three methods you watched?
To make the bends easier use a heatgun
Boiled Linseed oil is very good for water proofing wood leather or vinyl
You could have used a bathroom shower waterproofing product?❤️✨Well done for working out that heated floor👏🏻👏🏻
I've always preferred the term "Shoilet" over "Wetbath", it has a certain hilarious ring to it.
I'm liking Shoilet a lot. I'll have to start referring to it as that haha
Good work, two small observations. First, if you draw the pattern on the underside of the plywood, there will be no chippimo on the upper side when you use the jig saw. Or, use downcut saw blades. That works, too. Second, do not use red chalk when snapping lines on finished wood. Just don't. Red chalk is for framers that work out in the rain. Red chalk is forever. You are doing finish work, so use white chalk. White chalk is the choice of champions. It will go away with far less effort.
Yeah I told her my red chalk line was a dangerous call haha. Luckily we've managed not to stain our clothes or anything from it. White chalk is the way go.
keep the faith
Anxiety and trappin farts is my favorite way to stay warm for sure ;)
Us too!
Great video, and amazing to have heated floors with air, to avoid leaks, so awesome, 4sure i will copy your system, let us know if it works in low Temperatures
We will definitely be doing a review of our heating system on some colder trips we have coming up!
Great video, only just started binge watching van builds again due to being off work injured and stuck on the sofa all day…. I never leave comments on people blogs but I Came across your channel this week and binged shit loads of your videos… very entertaining and also a little more true van life rather than the usual instagram false shit you see. Happy to see your you now have a partner in crime to enjoy your van life and also another dog to keep Roc entertained. Gutted to watch your video on Archie, you can clearly feel how much he meant to you and at least you had a great 10 years together exploring the states. I Will look forward to watching more of your videos over the next few months as I will be off work for a while and these will keep me entertained. Also I checked your Anmly business online and actually went to buy a T-Shirt but everything was sold out ( which is a good thing I hope as that means it’s doing well?). I will keep an eye out for when they return in stock and I didn’t check but do you post out to the UK?
Hey Dave, I'm glad you came across the channel and liked it enough to check out more of our videos. I'm sad to say we're in the process of dissolving ANMLY which is why all the products on the site are no longer available. My business partner and I weren't seeing eye to eye and I can't afford to move forward on my own, so we're winding things down. Maybe one day I'll be able to take another crack at it, but for now my focus is going to be on the CZcams channel
@@dogcatmanvan sorry to hear that, business with family or friends can be tough… let’s hope the years of friendship hasn’t gone down the drain… well you always seem a glass half full guy and just take the rough with the smooth and get on with things… good luck with your future adventures and the channel, I will keep tuned in and if you come across any of your r-shirts you wanna sell me let me know so I can at least get your company t-shirt here in the uk, you can then say you went international 👍👍…. Good luck with the van build
Such a helpful video! Any update on how this worked out for you now that it's been 2 years? Anything you'd do differently?
As a Brit with central heating in every British house. I never knew a water heating system is called 'hydronic' heating.
Blow heating was removed yesrs ago from houses.
Interesting.
Great. Hope to see teal world review a year from now.
nice
Awesome video, thanks so much. I have a pre-instlled heater in my van that works off the engine coolant. I was thinking about using it for my hot water. I did know these kind of diesel heaters existed, but I have never seen a video about someone using it in a van for a camper van build. I'm really curious how it works and also how you connect it together. You didn't show the process in this video. Read something in these comments about using valves to cut off one part of the system. Anyway, I would love to see how the rest of the system comes together. Love your style in video's btw!
Thanks Chiara! Our next video will cover how we installed the entire system so keep your eyes peeled
You could have bought treated 2x4s then ripped them to the desired width. They are made for not rotting in humid conditions. But very wet until they are dried out....you'd need to cut it with a table saw.....or even a circular saw.
Al loo min nee yum !!!
YES! YES! YES!
The Aussification of the USA proceeds apace!
Best way to stay warm: be endothermic.
You might want to put blue tape on your plywood before you mark/cut out the plywood using the scribe saw. This should reduce the tear out.
So the reflectics actually requires an air pocket to work correctly which it didn’t get and for the weight, cost and effort you should’ve just gone with the tried and tested diesel heater. They even make some that double as hydronic heaters for your water or to preheat the Diesel engine for cold weather starts
We are using a diesel heater for this that heats our water and air matrix as well. It's covered in the following video. We also ran a test on the floor without the heat transfer plates allowing the lines to free float, but I can see added space between the lines and the reflectix being beneficial.
if this system was so efficient, the car engineers certainly used this system, they no longer resorted to the version with fan and radiator
I'd use KILZ interior/exterior primer instead of the one you used
use a heat gun to help make the Pex more workable
Rad!