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Old 04-04-2017, 06:59 PM   #1
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Insulate underside of bus floor?

I have a 6'-1" ceiling and am trying to preserve all the height I can. I'm thinking a closed cell foam spray but am worried about trapping moisture. Thoughts? Has anyone done this?

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Old 04-04-2017, 07:19 PM   #2
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My foam guy said the closed cell foam doesn't pick up water.

I also wanted to foam under the floor but it's pretty complicated getting full coverage on a bus with all the things already mounted underneath. I'm going with rigid insulation under plywood like a floating floor because it's a lot cheaper and coverage is more complete.

The spray guy didn't want to do my floor from underneath. He'd be even more covered by falling particals from the foam.
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Old 04-04-2017, 07:23 PM   #3
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my bus has the spray foam underneath. it came that way from the factory. its a '93 - so 24 years and it still holding strong underneath.
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Old 04-04-2017, 07:32 PM   #4
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Here's a view of the foam under the floor on my bus:

I believe it's a factory-installed option because there isn't any mess on the wiring harness, hoses, etc. Looks to have been installed before those things were.

The rough appearance doesn't look like conventional spray application. It looks more like somebody had a hundred cans of Great Stuff and squirted a thousand little blobs side by side until the whole floor was covered.

Not that I think this is The One True Way; it's just a reference point of how a presumed factory-installed job was done.
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Old 04-04-2017, 07:36 PM   #5
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So odd! I have always thought spray foam on the underside of a bus is just plain crazy and stupid. Apparently not...

I guess im wrong, 24 years and thats held up like that? Not bad at all!

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Old 04-04-2017, 07:41 PM   #6
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I've seen other photos of under floor spray insulation and it looked more like 6"x6" pillows stuffed up tight side by side. The professional spray foam is much tougher than foam in a can. I had to use a saw to cut it most of the time, like a soft wood.
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Old 04-04-2017, 07:42 PM   #7
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Since the "mechanical" under the bus needs to be serviced. It would be very difficult to do any service if everything was installed before sprayed. On some rvs' people have enclosed the frame and mechanical in a rigid foam & plywood boxes but that is a lot of work.

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Old 04-04-2017, 08:16 PM   #8
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I guess that would keep your tanks from freezing. Even propane froze in Alaska winters.
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Old 04-05-2017, 07:04 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by Robin97396 View Post
I guess that would keep your tanks from freezing. Even propane froze in Alaska winters.
Now that's good for thought!!

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Old 04-05-2017, 08:30 AM   #10
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Propane stops vaporizing near -40° F. I'm not sure if it stops flowing in liquid form at that or lower.
Up here in northern BC I insulate & enclose the crawl space under my mobile home and also insulate pipes wrapped with electrical heat tape.

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Old 04-05-2017, 08:59 AM   #11
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I lived in Kamloops for a year. That was the coldest temperatures I've ever been in, and that's saying something. I've spent multiple winters in Korea and Alaska. Kamloops was colder.
And yes, the propane stops flowing in cold temps.
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