Two foot roof raise???

[shaymcquaid]

Hello and thanks in advance...

I am planning and buying materials for a roof raise on my 40’ MVP-ER.

I am thinking a two foot raise.

My hat channel ribs are being bent up and I am picking them up tomorrow.

They will allow max a 24” raise.

This means I will need 5’ wide sheet steel.

I WILL have solar on roof.

Does anyone have any tips, precautions or advice?

I would appreciate it greatly.


-Shay

[Mark_In_MA]

I would figure out the lowest roof raise you could do to be comfortable.
With solar up there, you're changing the center of gravity of the bus.
(I'm not saying its unsafe, just getting a bit taller.)

1. Stand in the bus right now, and how much taller would you like the roof to be? Maybe you need 4 inches to stand up, and want another 4 on top of that to make it feel a bit more open.

Then, think about how much insulation you're planning to add. 2 inches on the ceiling and floor, that's another 4 inches.


Add an inch or two for the thickness of the flooring and the ceiling covering.


Add up those numbers, and see where you are.





2. Next I'd check out the local metal supply shops to see what size sheet metal they carry - can they get the size you need for the roof raise (and how much would it cost?)

3. After that, I'd double-check that your replacement windows (if you want any) will fit in the new size openings.

Repeat 1-3 as needed untill everything is happy.

I feel like most people end up with a 12-18 inch raise, though there have been taller.

[shaymcquaid]

Thanks for the sound advice!

Plot twist though::
I’m only 5’5” and my wife is 4’8!

The real reason for the raise is just to get one “under my belt”.

I’d like to think I could assist others with theirs after I “drop out” and hit the road!

Also I like the perceived space of the roof raised buses! Furthermore, why not!

So maybe 24” is a little much??

[shaymcquaid]

Rough photoshop of approx 24” raise


https://photos.app.goo.gl/E5R5E7PTkXSyCaEy7

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by shaymcquaid

Thanks for the sound advice!

Plot twist though::
I’m only 5’5” and my wife is 4’8!

The real reason for the raise is just to get one “under my belt”.

I’d like to think I could assist others with theirs after I “drop out” and hit the road!

Also I like the perceived space of the roof raised buses! Furthermore, why not!

So maybe 24” is a little much??

If you go 20" raise you can cut 4' metal in 2 and save some money on sheet metal

[EastCoastCB]

I just raised till it felt right. 10" was more than enough. A little raise goes a long way.
Less is more- I scrape the roof on low tree branches all the time without a raise on my all stock shorty.

[boojiewoojie]

Curious what that tall of a raise will do to mpg/mph. If it doesn't change it much I say why not? Yes, tree branches, etc. but at 40 feet you're probably going to be a little more mainstream anyway.
Now since it is just the 2 of you, less than a two foot raise might look nicer and better achieve the "under my belt". I would probably vote for 16" - max 20" to have a nice ratio of length to height.

[Mark_In_MA]

Check out the thread about Milicent - a full 2-foot roof raise.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/th...gate-1564.html



There was a fairly recent thread talking about the effects of a roof raise on the handling of a bus. I think general consensus was that it wasn't too bad, but people noticed the crosswinds a lot more.

[adic27]

Made a decision?