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Old 09-24-2014, 07:39 PM   #1
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Year: 1987
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New Schoolie Project

Hello All,

So thankful for all of your wonderful information I have been able to gather from paroozing around the site. This summer I bought a 1987 GMC bus for $500 (woohoo!) with hopes of driving it down to Burning Man 2014. Although I bailed on the bus last minute due to Vapor lock issues (it has a Gas engine) I appreciate all the awesome bus folks I met down there and your help and input!

Onto the Bus- It had previously been converted into a Skoolie so I didn't have to remove any seats or anything which was awesome! That said, it is quite spartan on the inside and I want to spruce it up a bit. SO, I think my first steps are to frame walls, install floors (which I am getting repurposed from a friend!) add insulation and maybe put a queen sized bed frame in the back. I also live in Jackson WY so I would like to put a wood stove in there as well to make it tolerable in the winter. The next thing that I would REALLY like to do is put a roof deck on for parties, sunset viewing, etc. So if anyone has any advice on these topics I am all ears. I will get some pictures up soon and will be snapping and posting photos the whole way through.

Initial Questions:

I'm trying to sacrifice as little interior space as possible- has anyone used 2x2's for wall struts and framing?
Walls first or floors?
If i want to create space for water tanks underneath bed frame can these be installed later or should I do it simultaneously with building bed frame? Anyone know the dimensions of those big 55 gal. drums?
Best ways to cut hole in roof for stove chimney?
Any other info about stove ventilation/ heat dispersion/ protection I should know about?
How to attach struts for deck between windows?
Is welding a back deck behind rear door best option for ladder up to roof deck/ potential spiral staircase?

Any input is greatly appreciated!

-Ian

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Old 09-24-2014, 09:16 PM   #2
r_w
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Re: New Schoolie Project

2x2 or 2x4 flat. Yes. Not as stiff, but works fine for such a short wall. You can get thinner if you build it like a foam core door--you can use 1x perimeter frame with blue/pink foam infill with paneling glued to each side. It is a lot of work to save an inch, but can be done.

I always want to do floors first. About 75% of my time flooring is trimming for doors and walls. But then you have to keep the floor from getting dented/scratched during the rest of it. At a minimum do the insulation and subfloor first to avoid any gaps and thermal bridges.

There was someone here that found high-temp silicone gasket/flange boots. That looked like the best solution I have ever seen anywhere. I will edit if I can find the link. Any metal cutting tool can cut through the roof, use what you are best with.

Roof is metal, just don't add flammables near the pipe. FLOOR can be a problem, remove the plywood and put down Hardieboard there instead and top with a ready made hearth board (won't crack like real tile when the stove bounces). Make sure you can secure the stove adequately, which may mean unhooking it and strapping it to the wall for moving. Clearance to combustibles around the stove depends on the stove, and you can reduce that number by adding heat shields (all that is basic stove stuff covered at hearth.com, backwoods home, or any wood stove source).
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Old 09-25-2014, 07:44 AM   #3
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Re: New Schoolie Project

2x2 is more than enough.All the interior framing has to really do is be a surface for attaching whatever material you use for the wall. In anyplace that I needed to carry a lot of weight, fridge base,cabinet for heavy printers, I made a 2x2 frame and glued and screwed 1/2 inch plywood to it. Both are rock solid.
If you look here http://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtop...9827&start=195 You can see that two of the shower walls are just red wood siding with 1/4 luan glued to it. The siding is tongue and groove, I glued those together, then glued the luan on, all installee as one piece.

Dick
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Old 09-25-2014, 05:53 PM   #4
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Re: New Schoolie Project

Quote:
Originally Posted by somewhereinusa
2x2 is more than enough.All the interior framing has to really do is be a surface for attaching whatever material you use for the wall. In anyplace that I needed to carry a lot of weight, fridge base,cabinet for heavy printers, I made a 2x2 frame and glued and screwed 1/2 inch plywood to it. Both are rock solid.
If you look here http://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtop...9827&start=195 You can see that two of the shower walls are just red wood siding with 1/4 luan glued to it. The siding is tongue and groove, I glued those together, then glued the luan on, all installee as one piece.

Dick
To save weight I'm going to use metal framing as much as possible plus I think it will be easier to work with
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Old 09-25-2014, 08:22 PM   #5
r_w
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Re: New Schoolie Project

There will be places where I will use 3/4 ply as the whole wall. If it doesn't need plumbing or electrical, no sense in making thicker and weaker--other than soundproofing.
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Old 09-25-2014, 09:35 PM   #6
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Re: New Schoolie Project

Quote:
Originally Posted by iCogs
Walls first or floors?
Nice flooring last! Do all your base stuff (floor insulation, plywood) before anything else in the bus, but leave the nice flooring until last. You'll find that you need half as much as if you were to do it first. In the end you'll likely be flooring a single aisle down the middle
Also, if you scuff it up bad you'll have the option of replacing it down the road. If you build your walls on top of the final flooring layer it will be there forever...

Quote:
Originally Posted by iCogs
Anyone know the dimensions of those big 55 gal. drums?
I don't remember off hand, but they hang too low under the bus for my liking... Lower than all other frame attached items.
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Old 09-25-2014, 09:42 PM   #7
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Re: New Schoolie Project

24" dia 35" long, 55 gal drum. Full of water it will weigh ~450 pounds
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Old 09-26-2014, 09:28 AM   #8
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Re: New Schoolie Project

Quote:
Originally Posted by r_w
There will be places where I will use 3/4 ply as the whole wall. If it doesn't need plumbing or electrical, no sense in making thicker and weaker--other than soundproofing.
+1 on that. If it's a free standing wall you may want to add aluminum C channel to the edge to help keep it straight. Plywood always seems to want to warp over time. that was an idea from nat_ster, by the way. Can't take credit for it. I do plan on employee the technique. Where'd that guy go, by the way? Banned? I know many folk didn't get along with him, but he did have plenty of good ideas..
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