RE: [A/S] Urethane Foam Insulation Preventing "shedding" amd other thoughts

["Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Once again, I have not installed urethane foam on a grand scale, so the
following is just an engineering suggestion.

If the tensile strenght of the urethane foam is insufficient, it could be
reinforced with some sort of coarse fabric which could be imbedded in the
foam as well as put on the exposed surface.

Also, the technology is such that a "stronger" urethane foam formulation
might be available, too.

I have used some of that aerosol urethane foam to seal a new dual glazed
window in a home addition.  It was very tenacious stuff.  The biggest
problem I hasd was it expanded as it cured and actually bowed the frame of
an Andersen window!  It was a substantial task to "chip out the foam" and
straighten out the sides of the new window frame.  On subsequent windows, I
went to low tech fiberglass.

An aside on high R insulation.  The highest "R value" insulation is
cellulose - actually paper!  Ground up paper, typically made fire proof by
saturating it with a solution of borax and water (and, of course letting it
dry). How to keep it in position in the wall of an Airstream is another
matter, though it is used as a blown in insulation (in walls) and a poured
insulation over the top floor ceiling.

So far a surviving in the arctic, simply erecting a light weight shelter to
shield the trailer from the elements, particularly wind, could do wonders.
By reducing the wind exposure (wind / chill factor) the heating load would
be a lot less.  Remember that dead air is an excellent insulator too.

Oliver Filippi