Sound Deadeners

Finding a suitable sound deadener for van walls and flooring is important to remain stealthy in your van living, but also for your own sanity.  Without this, small bumps and bangs cause a real racket. These work vans weren’t design with peace and quiet in mind.

How sound deadeners work

Imagine you’re holding a piece of sheet metal and you knock on one side. It’s going to act like a gong, right? Now imagine you have someone place their hand on the opposite side, pressing firmly. Suddenly that noise becomes significantly muffled. This is how sound deadeners like Dynamat work – by adding more mass to be in contact with the surface, it can no longer vibrate or resonate as easily.

Dynamat vs. FatMat vs. Others

 The pros would tell you to use Fat Mat sounds deadener sheets, but Peel n Seal Aluminum roof tape is remarkably similar at 1/4 the price (Choose Home Depot/Lowe’s over Amazon on this one).  You’ll need to roll it onto any surface you want sound reduced (I just did the floor and wheel wells in my van). And spring the couple of extra bucks for the roller. I tried using my feet or a soda can, and just couldn’t get the leverage. See the video below for an example:

Now that your van is more quiet than a mouse fart, let’s move on to the all-important insulation!
Continue to Insulation ➟