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Best Soundproofing Hacks for Car Campers and Vanlife Travelers

Best Soundproofing Hacks for Car Campers and Vanlife Travelers

Best Soundproofing Hacks for Car Campers and Vanlife Travelers

Wandering the road has some freedom rolling scenery, impromptu breaks, and the exultation of transforming a vehicle into a home. However, every person who has ever slept in a car parked on a busy street or camped nearby a busy highway has experienced the encroaching effect of outside noise. Soundproofing is the way to turn that experience into a more enjoyable one and turn your van or camper into not just a place to stay, but an actual haven.

Why Soundproofing Matters in Vanlife

Rest and relaxation can be chipped away at by constant road noise, rattling panels or humming of city traffic. As days drag in, the cabin noise does not only disrupt sleep, but it also leads to stress and fatigue. In the case of the Vanlife traveler, who lives in their car as well as drives it, noise is not just a matter of comfort. It has something to do with being healthy, concentrated, and calm.

Hack 1: Layered Floor Insulation

Van Floor is the main cause of vibrations and noise from the road. With layered approach and start with dense mats can block vibrations, add foam for absorption, and finish with carpeting or vinyl. This not only controls noise, it also improves thermal insulation, a double win for those camping in varied climates.

Hack 2: Window Covers That Do More Than Block Light

Windows are thin and transmit sound easily. Instead of using basic curtains, go for the insulated window covers designed with multiple layers. It creates a barrier against sound while helping regulate cabin temperature, it also maintains privacy, which every campervan traveler values at night.

Hack 3: Door and Panel Sound Deadening

Metal panels and doors act like amplifiers when struck by road vibrations. Applying sound-deadening sheets to these areas cuts down resonance dramatically. It’s one of the most noticeable upgrades for reducing rattles and achieving a calmer interior.

Hack 4: Soft Furnishings as Natural Noise Absorbers

Rugs, cushions, and fabric-lined walls aren’t just cozy—they absorb echoes inside the van. Minimalist setups often sound harsher because sound bounces around hard surfaces. Adding soft textures creates a warmer atmosphere and dampens unwanted noise naturally.

Hack 5: Ceiling Treatments for Road and Rain Noise

Roof often goes unnoticed, but it’s where rain, wind, and road vibrations are most noticeable. Installing insulation boards or foam above the headliner can soften this noise. For full-time van dwellers, this small investment pays off during stormy nights or long highway drives.

Hack 6: Engine Bay and Wheel Well Barriers

For those with older vans, the engine and wheel wells can leak sound into the cabin. Adding mats or sprays designed for high-heat areas reduces engine hum and road noise. This is especially important if your bed platform is near the rear wheel arches.

Hack 7: Portable White Noise Options

Sometimes, complete silence isn’t possible. With a portable white noise machine or an app can mask intrusive sounds and make sleep easier. It’s a lightweight hack that pairs perfectly with physical insulation for maximum comfort.

Hack 8: Build with Dual Purpose in Mind

When customizing your van, consider multi-use builds. For example, benches or bed frames with insulation inside add storage and soundproofing in one go. Thinking ahead allows you to layer noise control into the very structure of your camper.

Bringing Peace into Vanlife

Campervan soundproofing is not about hunting down silence and making it disappear, but rather about a balance. Less outside noise and the softening of the inside environment make each mile of the route less exhausting and each night more comfortable. These hacks turn regular rides into silent getaways, especially to Vanlife travelers who consider a vehicle as not only a mode of transport but also a home.

Step 1

To install the material you need be working on the metal surface of the car, remove upholstery. If you have never done this, we suggest searching it up on YouTube. Once the upholstery is removed, make sure there is no debris, waxy oils or rust by cleaning the surface with denatured alcohol.

Step 2

Once surface is clean and ready to go, cut the sound deadening material to the right size so it fits desired area. For small surfaces, we recommend that you measure the dimensions and then cut to fit.

Step 3

With the surface area clean and pieces cut to desired dimensions, peel off the paper and apply material to surface area starting from the top to bottom using the car door holes to help with alignment. We recommend using a hand roller to ensure that there are no air pockets and ensure the adhesiveness.

Sound Deadener Install On Jeep

SOUNDSKINS GLOBAL

Sound Deadener Install FAQ: Tips & Tricks

What tools will I need to for a sound deadening project?  
  • Rag & Denatured Alcohol: Apply the alcohol to the rag and use to clean the metal surface areas you will be applying the material to.
  • Gloves: Our product is pretty safe to install without gloves but if you have never installed a sound deadener mat, we recommend using gloves.
  • Hand roller: We highly recommend using a small roller to reach the tighter surface areas of your vehicle. You can find these on Amazon or most online retail shops. There are wooden, rubber and metal rollers, we recommend wooden or rubber, try and stay away from metal as they can tear the material.
  • Utility Knife: The utility blade is to cut the material. Make sure to cut the material on top of a pice of cardboard so that your blade stays sharper longer, if it's a big job, have some extra blades around.
How do you apply sound deadener material? 

We sell our roll on sound deadener product in 2 different formats: custom cut to fit pro kits and an easy to work with rolled up large sheet. If you can measure, cut, peel and stick you can install sound deadener! You can use your hand to apply pressure when positioning the material and then use a roller to make sure it sticks down to metal surface.

After you cut the material and are ready to stick it on, some customers find it easier to peel off a small portion of the release liner and then apply it to metal surface, and then work their way across the sheet, peeling off a small section at a time.

Make sure to always remove the air bubbles with the roller. The second most important thing when it comes to quality of sound deadener is the quality of adhesion to the surface area. You want the material to be stuck down properly to ensure it stays in place.

Where do you apply the sound deadening material?  

The great thing about our sound deadening material is that it can be applied to all types of metal surfaces. All SoundSkins sheets use extremely strong adhesive and they can even be mounted on fiberglass, plastic and even wooden surfaces, but it's not very common to apply to these surfaces since they don't vibrate as much. By covering all metal surfaces such as your doors, roof, trunk and floor you can make a significant difference to unwanted road noise.

Your top priority when applying a car sound deadener is to cover the doors, floor and trunk. If you have extra material then proceed to other metal surfaces you wish to cover for extra sound insulation.

How much surface area should I cover?  

To properly deaden the metal surfaces, we recommend to at least do 25% coverage with our SoundSkins material, this will make a difference in unwanted road noise, but to have a huge impact we recommend covering up 60% of metal surfaces. If you want to get the most used from your sheet, one effective strategy is the CHECKER BOARD APPROACH, using this technique you cut the SoundSkins sheet into small pieces and apply them to the metal surface in a checkered pattern.

It is very common for our customers to do close to 100& coverage to any metal surface because not only are they looking to reduce road noise, they also want to insulate their car from heat or they like the way the material looks on the car's bare metal surface.

How do I make sure the sound deadener sticks well?

SoundSkins products are made with a very strong adhesive and create a extremely strong bond with the metal, it's really hard to NOT make it stick. To ensure the best possible bond, we highly recommend cleaning the metal surface before applying our material and then using a hand roller to firmly attach the SoundSkins deadening mats.

Great adhesion with no air bubbles is the absolute key if you want to get the best performance. Remember that any air pocket with poor adhesion means you will not get the full benefit of the deadener.

How to install car sound deadener: Recap
  1. Remove upholstery and carpet from your vehicle. Proceed to vacuum to get rid of debris and dirt. Clean all greasy spots with denatured alcohol, other solvents or degreasers will leave behind a film that prevents a solid contact surface. Allow metal surface to try.
  2. Cut the SoundSkins sheet to desired size and cut using a sharp utility knife. Use gloves to avoid any cuts.
  3. Peel off the wax paper from the back of material and apply to surface, this can be done by small sections at a time. Use roller to create a strong bond between material and metal surface and to get rid of any air bubbles.

If you have any questions, make to reach out to use and we'll be happy to help.

SOUNDSKINS GLOBAL