Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 01-31-2008, 09:47 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Vermont
Posts: 38
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: ISB Cummings
Rated Cap: 84
But baby it's cold out side...

My husband and I just started our conversion this week! We've got all of the seats out and are ripping up the rubber mats and rotted ply-wood. The next step is rebuilding and as we are doing our conversion in Vermont in the middle of winter, insulation has been on our minds a lot.

We have a higher top bus at 6 feet 4 inches, but unfortunately my husband is 6 foot 2. We would love to put foam board insulation of the floors,
but fear that we would lose critical height and it would leave my husband hunched over. As we can't really afford the chiropractic bills, but also don't want to freeze, we've been toying with the idea of doing spray insulation from under the bus.

Has anyone else done this? or even think it could be done? We were thinking that we might have it sprayed it on, and then coat it with something sturdy like the stuff they line truck-beds with.

I'd love any input that you could give us.

Thanks!
Fifer

Fifer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-31-2008, 10:23 PM   #2
Bus Geek
 
lapeer20m's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: near flint michigan
Posts: 2,657
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

sounds like a great idea to me. spray foam insulation guy should have some good info for ya. i believe there are 2 types of foam...closed cell and open cell?? i think that one kind tends to absorb water and the other would be better suited to your particular application. I have not done it to a bus, but have seen many ambulances that are insulated underneath with spray foam.
__________________
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes (who will watch the watchmen?)
lapeer20m is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2008, 01:00 AM   #3
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 119
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American RE
Engine: Cummins 8.3
Rated Cap: 84
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

Reprobate sprayed foam in his bus recently. You can see photos in the gallery here:
http://www.skoolie.net/gallery2/v/Sk...ate/?g2_page=4

and read about it in his conversion thread here:
http://www.skoolie.net/forum/viewtop...st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I was out working on my bus in 18 degrees tonight (with a heater) - I can't imagine trying to do a conversion during a Vermont Winter! I admire your determination.

- Tony
dentarthurdent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2008, 08:15 AM   #4
Skoolie
 
reprobate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 226
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

It certainly seems like a viable option and good idea. I would think your bus underside would need a good spraywashing beforehand. The foam itself is a closed cell foam that dries rock hard so I'm not even sure it would need any other coating over it. Good idea! Good luck! Have fun with your bus and please post pics!
reprobate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2008, 10:13 AM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Vermont
Posts: 38
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: ISB Cummings
Rated Cap: 84
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

We're actually expecting a Nor'Easter today- with up to 3 inches of sleet, and snow and ice on top of that

If we do the spray foam the underside of the bus do you think it will cause us to have problems getting to things that need
repair (i.e. the air ride system, brake lines etc...)?

Thank you for your replies! I have been on other skoolie sites where everyone is pretty negative about new ideas.
Fifer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2008, 11:37 AM   #6
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Northeastern CO
Posts: 247
Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: International
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

just because I'm surprised no ones suggested it yet..raise the roof, god knows its one of our fav things to see done around here.

I intend to raise mine soon..I'm 6'4"

Defiantly do not spray anything you may have to work on down the road...air lines and such.
Demonknight is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2008, 12:51 PM   #7
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Vermont
Posts: 38
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: ISB Cummings
Rated Cap: 84
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

I would be very interested in raising the roof. How costly would it be both time-wise and monetarily?
Would it undermine the structural soundness of the bus?
Fifer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-01-2008, 01:01 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Vermont
Posts: 38
Year: 1996
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: Carpenter
Engine: ISB Cummings
Rated Cap: 84
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

Has any of you ever heard of Prodex? It's a foil/foam/foil insulation that is 1/2 an inch thick and is rated at
an R value of 14.5. It sounds too good to be true. I've talked to a couple of sales people, and obviously they
have a vested interest in making a sale. Does any of you have information about it?

Thanks!
Fifer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2008, 01:34 AM   #9
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 119
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: All American RE
Engine: Cummins 8.3
Rated Cap: 84
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

My concern with spraying foam underneath is that while it might help, you would still have the steel subfloor (above the foam) in direct thermal communication with exterior metal. So I would think that could reduce the effectiveness a fair amount in extreme temperature environments.
dentarthurdent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2008, 08:26 AM   #10
Skoolie
 
reprobate's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 226
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

I along with the other roof faisers(probably) would say that it is not that difficult. You don't have to take out the ceiling panels like I did, and the rest of the prep is just labor. I think I spent about $180 on steel to weld the frame back together. The cost was the $65 a sheet I spent on 6 sheets of 20ga. paint lock sheet metal. Also I think I spent about $75 on rivets(pricey little buggers). Long story short, yeah it's WORK but what isn't with these skoolies. I saw your husband is 6'2" tall. I'm 6'1" and didn't buy a tall bus so it was a foregone conclusion for me. Now that I've done it I will do it in my next bus. It's just great to have the extra height. Wish you were closer, would love to lend a hand.
reprobate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-03-2008, 08:39 PM   #11
Bus Geek
 
Elliot Naess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Clearlake, Northern California
Posts: 2,505
Year: 1992
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC-2000 Frt Eng, Tranny:MT643
Engine: 5,9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 84
Re: But baby it's cold out side...


Spray foam can stick pretty well -- they use it on the outside of the space shuttle fuel tank. Oh... Never mind.

Seriously, it might work nicely under a bus, and spray bedliner material is good stuff too. But I agree with Demonknight about getting any kind of "undercoating" on the hardware that you may -- make that WILL -- need to work on later. It's hard enough working under the bus as it is.

So I would raise the roof, yes. Oh... I did. See The Millicent Chronicles under Projects.

Then insulate floor and ceiling to your heart's content.
__________________

Elliot Naess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2008, 03:07 PM   #12
Bus Nut
 
captainkf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Rossland BC, Canada
Posts: 433
Year: 1985
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: GMC
Engine: 366 propane
Rated Cap: 56
Re: But baby it's cold out side...

I priced out spraying my bus while I worked at a dealership and it was going to be at least $1500 just for the foam. It's pricey stuff. And with all the items that need to be accessed it's a huge pain. Do you really need to insulate your floor? We left the wood and rubber floor, added a foam/vapour barrier combo then put down laminate and ours isn't too cold (morning kitchen floor temp.) and our bus is burried in 6 feet of snow right now.

-Richard
captainkf is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
My Baby mrtravelingman2 Short-Bus Conversion Projects 60 10-11-2014 07:48 AM
starting to get a bit cold out gbstewart Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 6 02-04-2013 11:08 AM
Cold bus? Solution! kirkndopp Heating, Cooling and Appliances 18 12-07-2010 10:40 AM
NASCAR - BRISTOL BABY!! Coma Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 2 09-29-2007 10:50 AM
How cold is it? frey2 Everything Else | General Skoolie Discussions 5 02-07-2005 09:28 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:36 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.