26' Box truck tiny home conversion project

[bzbussin]

PDBreske, I'm interested in your setup, and how you configured the seats and direct access from cab to box, I have seen a few that use the rubber semi accordion looking thingimabob connectors, for lack of a better word. I am concerned about heat loss, leak potentials and durability issues.

Beautifully clean dt466! I will have to try out the simple green power wash, do you have to cover and avoid certain areas with electrical connections, or greased areas or delicate rubber boots / covers?

I am planning on getting everything square and reinforced with the ceiling. The current box has a thin aluminum roof with U channel shaped galvanized steel cross member beams running the width of the box, every ~2 feet. I have considered fastening 2x4 cross member reinforcements 1.5" flat in between the galvanized steel U crossmember beams which also attach to the vertical 2x4's on the sides of the box. I would then put in 1.5" spray foam insulation on the ceiling then square it off with a thinner ply ~1/4" plywood. What was your ceiling design?

[bzbussin]

Kubla, my plan for insulation is somewhat lopsided but intentional. On the left side of the box, I plan on running vertical 2x4's on edge, with 1.5" flush up against the side walls of the box truck with the 3.5" length protruding from the wall, which will also be drilled with holes to route the plumbing and electrical, as well as have 1.5" of spray closed cell foam insulation over the framing. The right side of the truck will have the 2x4 vertical framing run flat with the 3.5" side flat against the sides of the box wall, also filled in with ~1.5" closed cell foam insulation, then covered with 1/2" plywood. I would ideally like to get up to at least 2-2.5" of closed cell spray foam insulation on the 3.5" left side. This lopsided insulation could present an ideal seasonal configuration depending on the season and climate. In the winter in a cold climate, I would want to have the side with less insulation perpendicular to the greatest sun exposure, thus providing the most solar gain and thermal diffusion through that side of the insulation, with the thicker 3.5" side be the north facing wall, and would provide the most insulatin and least heat loss.

On the ceiling I would like to do something similar however adding a radiative barrier or paint on the roof. What do you think?

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by bzbussin

Crazycal, does your engine have a sticker on top of the block that says the horsepower specs at 190? I have 4 stickers on the top of my block that says 250hp, will try and get some pics when I get back from vacation. What is the mechanical difference between these two engines, or is it all the turbo and fueling adjustment?

Bus is in storage right now. I think there was a sticker with different HP ratings and mine had a hole punched out where 190HP was. I think different injectors, timing, maybe turbo for higher HP.

[Kubla]

if you have the crazy split radiator like I do, you have to watch upping the horsepower as the radiator is not big enough to handle the higher heat load

[nat_ster]

Sadly the front engine 5.9 Cummins powered TC2000's had cooling systems 3 times the size of some of them split cooling systems found in front of the DT360 and the DT466.

Nat

[bzbussin]

Will have to check out the radiator setup soon. Just got back from a road trip from Colorado to California, and ended up passing through death valley where I came across a nice Mercedes off road 4wd camper. I really like how the storage boxes are placed and designed, as well as the double pop out window wall like a Taco stand trailer.

[bzbussin]

Yesterday I picked up some recycled lumber 2x10's (thanks to my buddy Joey Pouches) I'll rip down to 2x4 size for the interior framing. [IMG][/IMG]

Was having a hell of a time getting the nails out of the lumber without a cats paw, as the heads would pop right off, so I made use of this technique with a vice grip as leverage for the hammer. [IMG][/IMG]

[bzbussin]

I got the split radiator up front, are there direct radiator swaps from other dt466 setups to remedy the problem down the road?

I made some progress today working on sealing up all of the edges and corners on the roof with flash mate, then will put a bead on all the inside edges to ensure I don't get leaks in the future that could compromise the structure and lead to rot. As a renter, I always seem to have bad luck with leaking ceilings, flooding, rust, and water damage so I will do my best to mitigate those issues by having quadruple redundancy with my sealing with flash mate on every inside and outside corner, as well as a nice coat of Henry white roof coat paint over the flash mate on every corner and seam, as well as paint all the walls and framing beams with killemz antifungal paint. I also want to ensure that water doesn't seep into the edges of the rivets in the walls, so I will treat each rivet with the same protocol as each corner seam.

I started this process by first cleaning the dirty walls. I found some purple butyl degreaser and sprayed the walls and put some elbow grease to a scrub brush then rinsed and wiped with a mop and bucket. It was a night and day difference, I am pleased with the results!. [IMG][/IMG]. [IMG][/IMG]. [IMG][/IMG]I then took a Dremel with steel cup wirebrush and started sanding and cleaning up each rivet. After getting a nice clean rivet and surrounding area, I began painting them with primer. [IMG][/IMG]. [IMG][/IMG]

Hopefully by the end of this week, I'll have the roof and inside sealed with flashmate, and primed for Henry white rubberized roof paint.

[cowlitzcoach]

Everything is cleaning up really nice but I think you are approaching your problems from the wrong side.

If you have or suspect you have leaks in your roof you need to stop the leaks on the outside before it ever gets inside.

Not that sealing everything tight on the inside isn't a bad idea. It is just that if you have a leak it will leak into the space between the inner and outer skin. It will soak the insulation and cause a terrible mess you won't know you have until long after you have a significant problem.

[bzbussin]

Cowlitz, I most definitely agree that the outside seams are the first line of failure and will finish the outside first. Before I began on the inside, I started working on cleaning up all the outside corners and seams by dremeling out the old sealant and replacing with a nice fat bead of flashmate sealant. I will do this with all the rivets on the outside too. [IMG][/IMG]

[EastCoastCB]

I think the higher rated DT's have special pistons too.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by bzbussin

I got the split radiator up front, are there direct radiator swaps from other dt466 setups to remedy the problem down the road?

I made some progress today working on sealing up all of the edges and corners on the roof with flash mate, then will put a bead on all the inside edges to ensure I don't get leaks in the future that could compromise the structure and lead to rot. As a renter, I always seem to have bad luck with leaking ceilings, flooding, rust, and water damage so I will do my best to mitigate those issues by having quadruple redundancy with my sealing with flash mate on every inside and outside corner, as well as a nice coat of Henry white roof coat paint over the flash mate on every corner and seam, as well as paint all the walls and framing beams with killemz antifungal paint. I also want to ensure that water doesn't seep into the edges of the rivets in the walls, so I will treat each rivet with the same protocol as each corner seam.

I started this process by first cleaning the dirty walls. I found some purple butyl degreaser and sprayed the walls and put some elbow grease to a scrub brush then rinsed and wiped with a mop and bucket. It was a night and day difference, I am pleased with the results!. [IMG]Attachment 7183[/IMG]. [IMG]Attachment 7184[/IMG]. [IMG]Attachment 7185[/IMG]I then took a Dremel with steel cup wirebrush and started sanding and cleaning up each rivet. After getting a nice clean rivet and surrounding area, I began painting them with primer. [IMG]Attachment 7182[/IMG]. [IMG]Attachment 7186[/IMG]

Hopefully by the end of this week, I'll have the roof and inside sealed with flashmate, and primed for Henry white rubberized roof paint.

That crud might be exhaust soot. I have some near the back of the bus.

[nat_ster]

You can make almost any larger radiator and inter cooler fit if your creative.

Front engine TC2000 buses have great cooling systems.

The inter cooler in your split system can be separated and used in a turbo Honda car.

I grabbed a few for future Honda projects. Even the first gen Dodge Cummins guys will buy them up. They fit great on the first gens that had no inter cooler.

Nat

[PDBreske]

Originally Posted by bzbussin

PDBreske, I'm interested in your setup, and how you configured the seats and direct access from cab to box, I have seen a few that use the rubber semi accordion looking thingimabob connectors, for lack of a better word. I am concerned about heat loss, leak potentials and durability issues.

Beautifully clean dt466! I will have to try out the simple green power wash, do you have to cover and avoid certain areas with electrical connections, or greased areas or delicate rubber boots / covers?

I am planning on getting everything square and reinforced with the ceiling. The current box has a thin aluminum roof with U channel shaped galvanized steel cross member beams running the width of the box, every ~2 feet. I have considered fastening 2x4 cross member reinforcements 1.5" flat in between the galvanized steel U crossmember beams which also attach to the vertical 2x4's on the sides of the box. I would then put in 1.5" spray foam insulation on the ceiling then square it off with a thinner ply ~1/4" plywood. What was your ceiling design?

Sorry I missed this.

My bus is a former bookmobile. The cab and box are just like a school bus with no wall between, so I can't help with info about your sealing predicament.

When I washed my engine, I only avoided openings that lead directly to the engine, e.g. the air filter intake. Mine is a mechanical injector until, so there is little in the way of electronics under the hood (in fact, none that I can think of). The only grease I encountered was built up on various parts of the steering/suspension and I was eager to be rid of that, but I didn't hit any of the linkage boots directly with the power washer.

Your ceiling construction sounds similar to mine, but I have two layers of metal joists. The horizontal cross members are aluminum I-beams, with another layer of channel stock that is curved to raise the roof slightly. They work together to effectively triangulate the support for the roof, which is aluminum.

[bzbussin]

PDBreske, Looks a bit more sturdy than my roof, but mine should do the trick nonetheless! Thanks for your insight into the simple greaning cleaning and your roof design. Will show you pics of the roof and what I'm working with framing wise shortly!

[Kubla]

Nat, do any of the busses they are scrapping have the bigger radiators? The split radiator is an issue I will have to solve eventually

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by Kubla

Nat, do any of the busses they are scrapping have the bigger radiators? The split radiator is an issue I will have to solve eventually

Yes, but they would all need a recore due to our climate rotting them out.

A recore for a rad that size is $1200 here.

Best bet would be finding one from a rust free zone.

Heater cores can also be mounted under the bus to help the rad dump heat.
Every heater core under the bus can dump 60 to 90,000 BTU a hour. Even one under the bus will make a massive improvement.

Nat