RV There Yet? The tale of a 92 BB TC2000

[Malkieri]

I use a de walt, simply because that is what was available...I have used my small SOG and a number of other sharpish edged items.... it is foam not armor... use whatever you can find, I am just saying there is no need to bring electricity into this.

[kenny76]

Yeah I tried the box cutters and then realized I could cut it in 1/4 the time with a jigsaw. My foam was 2 inch thick so not as easy as the iso sheets. Anyways that portion is done. I have to insulate the front cap and the end cap then the ceiling panels go in. I finished the plywood strips tonight and sold my fridge and water heater which paid for my materials for the ceiling finish.


this is one of the roof sections I am adding a vent fan to

[eyedeal.ink]

looks great!

[kenny76]

Another day another issue. Anyone have any pointers on getting the luan to closely hug the roof? At the top its a snug tight fit but on the side its a different story. Almost an inch gap in a place or two. I thought about cutting the blind side but it would risk breaking the board as it is only 3 plys.

[kenny76]

WE figured out our error. We needed 1 more row of strapping that remains in the curvature. Cutting the boards and adding the roof vent took up all my daylight today.

[kenny76]

Got the roof up and started on the walls. Step one was finding a way to remove unwanted windows. The original plan was to re seal and screw shut the windows behind walls and painting the glass. The main issue was the problem that would arise if a window behind a wall was to break. Major headache. So we called around for some steel prices. So after realizing I should have kept my steel from the roof I began looking for an alternative. I came up with this......




This replacement window panel is constructed with a fiberglass skin and 7/16 plywood. I pulled the window frame and removed the glass sections and then put the frame back together. Took measurements, cut the fiberglass with a special jigsaw blade and then cut a plywood blank the same size. I then took the end off the frame and slid the two back in where the glass was. I sealed it all up with Sika Flex 221. Added some more sealant to the window frame and put it back in the hole. I will take some more daylight pics of the whole process step by step when I get a chance to get back at it.

I also removed some of the extra wires and cleaned it all up while removing the exterior light monitor. Ended up with a pile of wire.

[ol trunt]

The Silkaflex was a good choice. Once cured, it can be painted with just about anything without fear of peeling or cracking under normal conditions. Before using the stuff to glue in my window blank outs I squeezed out several 3" long strips of Silkaflex, waited for it to cure then painted them and let the paint dry for several days. I next worked the painted strips of sealer various ways to see what happened to the paint coating. I found that whether I used latex paint, Rustoleum, lacquer primer or base coat clear coat, the worst damage I produced was cracking of the paint but no delamination.

I did discover that while Silkaflex 221 will stick initially to ABS plastic, polyethylene, poly carbonate and other waxy plastics it will loose bond strength after a week or so making it a no go for most tank repairs.

As you no doubt discovered, Silkaflex can be a mess to work with but is for the most part easily cleaned up with mineral spirits prior to the Silkaflex curing.

[kenny76]

I used Sika Flex when I worked at Great Dane Trailers. I was responsible for the last row of rivets that attached the outer skin to the rear frame. At the very top there were a few different style plates that were attached and they were coated in the stuff. My uncle still works for them in the warranty department and told me they never have had any issues with the stuff under warranty. Naturally I went to the repair shop in town down the road from the old plant and picked up 4 tubes of the stuff. Its awesome. Its UV resistant, paintable, sandable and will never become rigid. I used it to seal up the roof hatches and to seal the new vent I added for the shower. I love it and a little goes a long way.

[bradt7878]

Hey Kenny, et al!

I'm picking up my bus next week and this is my very first post, although I've been reading all the great advice for months. I'm throwing this out here simply because our buses look remarkably similar and it appears you've put a lot of thought into this.

Here in Idaho my major concern is making the cabin comfortable during the extremes of 100 degree August days and sub zero January nights, so getting the insulation right is the most important thing I can think of.

My 27' unit actually has more room than I need, and I'm not concerned about head room since I'm 5'6" and live alone. My question is: Could I save time and labor, and still wind up with better walls if I didn't strip the existing walls to the steel? I'm thinking of putting a vbl, foam, and wood paneling directly onto the existing interior.

What do you think?

[kenny76]

It would be a good idea to do that but I opted to leave the existing and add more to my interior walls because I wanted to maintain a thermal break. I popped a few panels in several places and it all looked good. Riveted it back and carried on with the plan. My inside walls went up this weekend and I gathered more wood for the beds and all.

[kenny76]

Began framing the master bed up. We decided on a high bed to afford some much needed storage and some space for a fresh water tank and 12v and 110 distribution.

[kenny76]

The center cut out section will be removable in case we need to remove the fridge or washer dryer combo.

[kenny76]

Not much of an update for a while. I got thrown into overdrive when I found out that National General was going to drop my insurance unless I finished the conversion by August 12. Sounds bazaar at first glance but there was some method to their decisions. Seems those buying buses for the party circuit are saying they are RV's and then leaving the insurance holding the bag when an accident happens. I am grateful they gave me some time to complete it though. So far we have gotten all the walls up and beds built for the most part. I scored some black and grey tanks off ebay but had to drive and get them this past weekend. I have also been very busy with work so I have been kinda limited on time for working on the bus during the week. Here is a link to the wifes Facebook page for our bus build

https://www.facebook.com/rvbus4us?ref_type=bookmark

[browncrown]

Glad you're ok with the insurance and I like the idea of a high bed...the storage will be a great plus

[claydbal]

Originally Posted by kenny76

Not much of an update for a while. I got thrown into overdrive when I found out that National General was going to drop my insurance unless I finished the conversion by August 12. Sounds bazaar at first glance but there was some method to their decisions. Seems those buying buses for the party circuit are saying they are RV's and then leaving the insurance holding the bag when an accident happens. I am grateful they gave me some time to complete it though. So far we have gotten all the walls up and beds built for the most part. I scored some black and grey tanks off ebay but had to drive and get them this past weekend. I have also been very busy with work so I have been kinda limited on time for working on the bus during the week. Here is a link to the wifes Facebook page for our bus build

https://www.facebook.com/rvbus4us?ref_type=bookmark

hello kenny, would you mind telling us exactly what kind of proof national general wants to show the bus is completed ass a rv? thanks

[Docsgsxr]

Originally Posted by claydbal

hello kenny, would you mind telling us exactly what kind of proof national general wants to show the bus is completed ass a rv? thanks

They told me they wanted pictures of sleeping quarters, a cooking area, and running water. I haven't received my notice yet, but I called in to change my state and the agent told me that the underwriter would be sending me something soon in the ways of a cancellation notice if i didn't have my conversion up to that minimum finish phase.

I should have just said it was done........

Hope it helps you out.

-Doc

[PDBreske]

Why not send them photos of someone else's build that has those things already done? It's not like they're going to come out and verify the photos match the bus. If they ever do actually see the vehicle in person, you can just tell them you changed your mind and started over with the remodel.

[kenny76]

I was not actually told what they wanted to see. I even asked how many pictures and was not told a specific number. I plan on just showing them the interior and let it ride. I am getting close to being done with the interior anyways. I have my kitchen all done except the plumbing. My shower is near completion and all the beds are done. *0% of the wiring is complete and we are definitely on the downhill side.

[kenny76]

[kenny76]