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11-25-2016, 08:42 AM
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#41
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Posts: 1,791
Year: 1997
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: B3800 Short bus
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 36
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Out of curiosity, did you glue the foam and floor down? Also, did you put 5/8"-3/4" plywood over top? As mentioned earlier, I screwed my plywood down to sandwich the foam and it's rock solid. Not the slightest bit of give. It's far more solid then when the floor was just steel.
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11-28-2016, 07:00 AM
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#42
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 216
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Saf-T-Liner MVP ER
Engine: CAT 3126
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I'm wondering now what the shortest possible frame would be, as I really don't want to give up clearance. Does anyone have any thoughts?
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11-29-2016, 07:02 PM
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#43
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New Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: West Central Ohio
Posts: 4
Year: 1995
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: S3800
Engine: T444E International
Rated Cap: 66
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I'm with you on the clearance issue. I'm thinking using 1/2 foam, for the little bit of r value and mostly sound deadening, and then 3/4 plywood I'll torch for the "flame" effect and then polyurethane. Just paying for the 3/4 plywood I'm putting back down anyway only to be covering it up with another 1/2 of laminate that I paid for again bothers me. I'm frugal.
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11-29-2016, 07:40 PM
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#44
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Iowa
Posts: 447
Year: 1989
Chassis: International
Engine: 9.L
Rated Cap: 64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T
It's also been mentioned that speed kills,
I contend it's the uncontrolled stop that does it.
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Agreed
You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to
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11-29-2016, 07:45 PM
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#45
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Iowa
Posts: 447
Year: 1989
Chassis: International
Engine: 9.L
Rated Cap: 64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slaughridge85
Insulation isn't just for cold climates... You're gonna need it to keep heat out and air conditioning in...
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I was about to say the same thing, i dont plan on being in any cold climates but i sure will be in HOT climates. And i will want as much insulation on the floor walls and ceiling as i can get.
You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to
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11-29-2016, 07:51 PM
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#46
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Iowa
Posts: 447
Year: 1989
Chassis: International
Engine: 9.L
Rated Cap: 64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by superdave
right on! i put 1" foam down then 3/4 t&g advantec down, solid as sears! everything else including wheel wells was spray foamed.
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Sears isnt so solid nowadays..j.s [emoji41]
You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to
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01-10-2017, 01:46 PM
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#47
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Almost There
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Cheyenne wy
Posts: 90
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 8.3 cumnins
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Im going to resurrect this old thread because it seems there are some pretty knowledgeable people on it.
I am trying very hard not to do a roof raise. Im at 6'5" now before removing stock flooring. Im going to try and see if there is a way I can stay there (or even gain a little). Im 6'4" so very close.
My thought was, what if I did 1/2" of rigid foam on the floor, glue down 1/2 of tongue and groove plywood, then use some sort of sheeting for flooring? like linoleum or vinyl. Then later down the road if we notice its just too much cold or heat coming through the floor doing an exterior bottom spray layer of closed cell foam. Under my bus doesn't seem too much that I would need access to, before spraying I would drop down wires ect and clear it down as much as possible to bare metal then do about 2 inches of spray foam. My main concern with spray foam on the outside is that I have not seen it done, many here speak of it but its just conjecture and hard to find real world examples.
This plan would put the ceiling height within 1/4 inch of where it is now and save me from having to do a roof raise. Or should I just suck it up and do the 18" roof raise and not have to worry about space and do the full 3" of foam... Wonder which of these options would be cheaper.
Lots to ponder, thanks for any input you can give.
__________________
-Joel
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01-10-2017, 02:02 PM
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#48
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: NY
Posts: 487
Year: 2000
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: T444E
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adventure Bus
Im going to resurrect this old thread because it seems there are some pretty knowledgeable people on it.
I am trying very hard not to do a roof raise. Im at 6'5" now before removing stock flooring. Im going to try and see if there is a way I can stay there (or even gain a little). Im 6'4" so very close.
My thought was, what if I did 1/2" of rigid foam on the floor, glue down 1/2 of tongue and groove plywood, then use some sort of sheeting for flooring? like linoleum or vinyl. Then later down the road if we notice its just too much cold or heat coming through the floor doing an exterior bottom spray layer of closed cell foam. Under my bus doesn't seem too much that I would need access to, before spraying I would drop down wires ect and clear it down as much as possible to bare metal then do about 2 inches of spray foam. My main concern with spray foam on the outside is that I have not seen it done, many here speak of it but its just conjecture and hard to find real world examples.
This plan would put the ceiling height within 1/4 inch of where it is now and save me from having to do a roof raise. Or should I just suck it up and do the 18" roof raise and not have to worry about space and do the full 3" of foam... Wonder which of these options would be cheaper.
Lots to ponder, thanks for any input you can give.
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It's your call, bro. 1/2" insulation isn't a lot, but it's a bus. Even the best insulated skoolies are still tin cans. At 6'4" I might have done a roof raise on my bus but I'm only 5'9" so I have no clearance issues. You have all the applicable info right here in this thread.
__________________
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need ... roads.
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01-10-2017, 06:18 PM
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#49
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: hills of sw virginia
Posts: 889
Year: 1996
Chassis: thomas
Engine: 8.3 cummins
Rated Cap: 11 window
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeypj
Sears isnt so solid nowadays..j.s [emoji41]
You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to
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ya and it breaks my heart, lots of fond memories as a child.
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01-10-2017, 06:20 PM
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#50
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: hills of sw virginia
Posts: 889
Year: 1996
Chassis: thomas
Engine: 8.3 cummins
Rated Cap: 11 window
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adventure Bus
Im going to resurrect this old thread because it seems there are some pretty knowledgeable people on it.
I am trying very hard not to do a roof raise. Im at 6'5" now before removing stock flooring. Im going to try and see if there is a way I can stay there (or even gain a little). Im 6'4" so very close.
My thought was, what if I did 1/2" of rigid foam on the floor, glue down 1/2 of tongue and groove plywood, then use some sort of sheeting for flooring? like linoleum or vinyl. Then later down the road if we notice its just too much cold or heat coming through the floor doing an exterior bottom spray layer of closed cell foam. Under my bus doesn't seem too much that I would need access to, before spraying I would drop down wires ect and clear it down as much as possible to bare metal then do about 2 inches of spray foam. My main concern with spray foam on the outside is that I have not seen it done, many here speak of it but its just conjecture and hard to find real world examples.
This plan would put the ceiling height within 1/4 inch of where it is now and save me from having to do a roof raise. Or should I just suck it up and do the 18" roof raise and not have to worry about space and do the full 3" of foam... Wonder which of these options would be cheaper.
Lots to ponder, thanks for any input you can give.
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come on down to florida in feb. we'll raise your roof also
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01-10-2017, 07:14 PM
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#51
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Almost There
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Cheyenne wy
Posts: 90
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 8.3 cumnins
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Quote:
Originally Posted by superdave
come on down to florida in feb. we'll raise your roof also
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Heck yeah. Deal [emoji2] . Long long drive from Wyoming though.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
__________________
-Joel
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01-10-2017, 07:48 PM
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#52
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adventure Bus
Im going to resurrect this old thread because it seems there are some pretty knowledgeable people on it.
I am trying very hard not to do a roof raise. Im at 6'5" now before removing stock flooring. Im going to try and see if there is a way I can stay there (or even gain a little). Im 6'4" so very close.
My thought was, what if I did 1/2" of rigid foam on the floor, glue down 1/2 of tongue and groove plywood, then use some sort of sheeting for flooring? like linoleum or vinyl. Then later down the road if we notice its just too much cold or heat coming through the floor doing an exterior bottom spray layer of closed cell foam. Under my bus doesn't seem too much that I would need access to, before spraying I would drop down wires ect and clear it down as much as possible to bare metal then do about 2 inches of spray foam. My main concern with spray foam on the outside is that I have not seen it done, many here speak of it but its just conjecture and hard to find real world examples.
This plan would put the ceiling height within 1/4 inch of where it is now and save me from having to do a roof raise. Or should I just suck it up and do the 18" roof raise and not have to worry about space and do the full 3" of foam... Wonder which of these options would be cheaper.
Lots to ponder, thanks for any input you can give.
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6'3" not as knowledgeable as the other wizards on here.
If you want to do it right, you should probably do the full 18" roof raise. You're gonna be pouring thousands of dollars into your bus I still feel this heavy weight in my heart for not doing the roof raise. My original plans were a lot less ambitious than what it's evolved to be, and I had to draw a firm line somewhere (Spray foam and roof raise). But it's behind me and my bus has taught me a lot. If/when I do it again, roof raise and spray foam for sure.
I have a 1/2" in my floor, it's not the best but I'm pretty pleased with it. I ended up impulsively putting an extra inch in the ceiling and can only stand up 95% straight, but that's okay. I can stand on my floor barefoot semi comfortably when it's 30 degrees out and I have a 1500watt heater running. I'm planning to have slippers for the bus/guests. Later down the line I like the idea of applying some rigid foam beneath the bus. But logistically I think a lot of thermal bridging would bypass the insulation beneath the bus and kind of defeat the purpose. Since my wife is 4'8" she's happy with the height, any discomforts I have vanish after a few beers anyway.
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01-10-2017, 07:52 PM
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#53
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Danglebury, Tejas
Posts: 310
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH 3800
Engine: Navistar DT466E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
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EI added 5/8 inch of insulation to roof, walls and floor. BIG difference, especially from covering the side windows.
Before I added it, a 12k btu rooftop AC couldnt keep up wih either heating or cooling (especially cooling). With the insulation, parked on a 100f Texas day it will cool down almost 20 degrees. Note that my bus has a door in the middle that separates the rear cargo area from the living area, so we are really only talking about the front half of the bus.
Bottom line: 5/8 of R-Max made a WHOPPING big difference. I'd start there and see what ya got. YMMV
__________________
"You can finally say you have enough horsepower when you leave two black streaks from corner to corner"
(Mark Donohue, famed TransAm driver)
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01-10-2017, 09:15 PM
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#54
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: So Cal
Posts: 3,227
Year: 1935
Coachwork: Superior
Chassis: Chevy
Engine: 317 ci/tid / Isuzu
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I'm real late to the party but, you do really need to insulate the floor. Not just against cold but against heat if only from the road. I put 2" of foam insulation under the floor and it makes a huge difference in the temp inside. At 6'2" I'm not as tall as you but I feel the pain. I did a compromise on the roof raise and added a "pop top" to allow me to walk in my bus without slouching or continuously banging my head.
Jack
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01-10-2017, 10:21 PM
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#55
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 136
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird?
Chassis: 26ft Bluebird TC2000
Engine: Cumming 5.9 12v, AT545
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My current bus floor is ~1/2" poly and 3/4" plywood... when it's 32F outside, the floor is 45... when it's 0F outside the floor is 25. With the heater at 70. Snow from my shoes never melts on the floor. Condensation from the ceiling drops onto the floor and freezes into stalagmites.
I didnt do the floor in this bus, bought it this way. Bus 2.0 is getting several inches of insulation floor ceiling walls, basically everywhere I can get it!
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01-11-2017, 04:32 PM
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#56
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Ravenna, OH
Posts: 37
Year: 1991
Coachwork: MetroTrans
Chassis: Ford E350
Engine: 7.3 IDI
Rated Cap: 30
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Rigid Foam Board
How do you best handle the curvature of the ceiling? Several layers of 1/4", is 1/2" flexible enough? What type of adhesive?
My plan for the floor was to pull up everything to bare metal and map out all the framework for future build out. Fix any rust, prime and paint. 1/2" foam board, 1/2" tongue and grove, then laminate.
And, if I'm not going to cover my windows at all is there any point at all? I don't see us winter/cold weather camping but we will be out west and in the southwest this summer, efficient cooling would be nice. The plan now (cheap and fast) is a portable unit hooked to a honda generator. The living area of the bus is 20x8 - so I don't need a lot of BTU's.
Speaking of the southwest and the heat will spray foam cause fumes and be an issue?
Thank you.
__________________
Leaving June 10, 2017, for 15 weeks. Destination, lower 48, parts of Mexico, all the Candian Provinces that border the USofA. Taking 5 kids and some sandwiches.
Yes, I am crazy.
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01-11-2017, 06:23 PM
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#57
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Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 136
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird?
Chassis: 26ft Bluebird TC2000
Engine: Cumming 5.9 12v, AT545
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I can tell you from experience in Oklahoma and Texas: a single portable AC wont put a DENT in an uninsulated bus.
My bedroom area is 7x9ft of the bus, insulated everywhere, and a 5000BTU does it ok with the door shut. Ceiling covered in 3/4" polyboard. Windows covered by 3/4" polyboard and plastic sheeting.
The front 20 feet... not so good. Half the windows covered like the rear, half the ceiling with a single layer of 3/4" on it... A 5000BTU up there running together with the one in the rear brings the front temps down from 105F to 95F on a 90F day. At best. It really only works at night. You want a snowball's chance in Texas July of cooling the bus, you're gonna have to cover them windows in insulation., as well as the ceiling and walls. And windshield. Good luck.
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01-11-2017, 06:52 PM
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#58
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Danglebury, Tejas
Posts: 310
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: IH 3800
Engine: Navistar DT466E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
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Dalez sings the truth.
There is Hell, and there is Texas Summers. You'd need a physicist to tell the difference.
__________________
"You can finally say you have enough horsepower when you leave two black streaks from corner to corner"
(Mark Donohue, famed TransAm driver)
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01-11-2017, 09:00 PM
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#59
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Darrington, Wa.
Posts: 304
Year: 1994
Coachwork: Genesis/Am-Tran Tall Roof
Chassis: International, 643 transmission
Engine: DT 466ci 250hp, International
Rated Cap: 86 screaming Monsters
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just keep moving until the temp is just right. summer in Texas? C'mon head north come back south in the winter. WE build this freedom to travel to the best places and YOU ALL DRIVE INTO FROZEN AND BURNING TEMPS.
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01-11-2017, 09:23 PM
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#60
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Almost There
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Cheyenne wy
Posts: 90
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Thomas
Engine: 8.3 cumnins
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geo Jeff
just keep moving until the temp is just right. summer in Texas? C'mon head north come back south in the winter. WE build this freedom to travel to the best places and YOU ALL DRIVE INTO FROZEN AND BURNING TEMPS.
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Haha. Some of us have obligations and jobs that are location bound. I can't wait to retire and have that freedom though [emoji2]
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
__________________
-Joel
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