Ceiling Prep

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by DoubleO7

What sort of insulation might be in the roof of my 1998 AmTran?
I thump the ceiling with my fist and the thud tells mee it is full of something.

Cheap, thin fiberglass batting.

[Tegra1027]

How similar is the ceiling setup on a Prevost? I am bidding on a job to redo the headliner and all I can see is vinyl, foam, aluminum sheet, and nothing else. Im wondering if the aluminum sheet was used as the backing substrate which would then be fastened to the gussets.?.?.? Thanks in advance.

[Tango]

Don't forget to add in the R-Value of mold.

[Jolly Roger]

Make sure your spray foam methods are compatible with galvanized sheetmetal or black sheet steel before you go that route.
There was a post on here awhile back that said the great stuff foam ends up eating the metal.
I know the commercial grade stuff that you can pay someone to spray is compatible with galvanized and raw/black steel but the DIY stuff? I have no clue about?
As far as the necessity of removing everything and upgrading the insulation really depends on what your plans and purposes are for your bus. If you plan on camping,living or visiting cold climates then yes at least for me it would be necessary but kind of pointless if you don't cover over and remove most of the windows.

[warewolff]

Originally Posted by Zombiepatrol

Can anyone point me to more threads about ceiling work? Why do we want to remove the inner shell? Is it for thermal/leak reasons or other reasons.. We are trying to figure out plans right now and just got our bus so any input is helpful. Anyone that knows about what to remove for flooring would be appreciated also. At the back of our bus, the black part has a 4 inch crack in it, but I am unsure if that part is removed or just built over the top.

Not all of us remove the inner shell but if you have any leaks whatsoever, which you won't discover until you remove the inner shell, all that fiberglass is a good home for mold and other nasty stuff. Mine was leak free until I pushed on the escape hatch too hard. Now I have to remove a few panels, reseal, and reinsulate. I'd suggest at least taking a peak in a few areas to see what you're dealing with.

That being said, on my bus, I even left the walls. The fiberglass was brand new. I insulated over that and it's a lot toastier than it would have been had I taken all the fiberglass out. Keep in mind fiberglass holds water while foam insulation does not. Most folks switch over to foam regardless in hopes of preventing future issues caused by moisture. I lucked out. Did you?

[Brewerbob]

How tall are you people?!!? I didn't see anything in the sign up stuff saying this was a forum dedicated to hobbit skoolies.

Insulation = good.

Losing 3" floor and ceiling = deal breaker!!

Blue Bird's Vision Diesel and All American brochures say the buses have 77" of head room. I'm 74" on a good day. On a bad hair day, I'm 75". I barely have 3" total to lose and I'd rather not lose even that much.

The Thomas Saf-T-Liner says it's 78".

I want a non-short long bus; what are my options?

[FuzzWantsABus]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

How tall are you people?!!? I didn't see anything in the sign up stuff saying this was a forum dedicated to hobbit skoolies.

Insulation = good.

Losing 3" floor and ceiling = deal breaker!!

Blue Bird's Vision Diesel and All American brochures say the buses have 77" of head room. I'm 74" on a good day. On a bad hair day, I'm 75". I barely have 3" total to lose and I'd rather not lose even that much.

The Thomas Saf-T-Liner says it's 78".

I want a non-short long bus; what are my options?

Lots of folks opt for a roof-raise. Check out some of the conversion threads-MuddaEarth's is a good one that comes to mind.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by FuzzWantsABus

Lots of folks opt for a roof-raise. Check out some of the conversion threads-MuddaEarth's is a good one that comes to mind.

Thx!!! I got as far as post #43 now I'm up to video #8 of the build.

[FuzzWantsABus]

Np. Glad you're enjoying! I really like his videos.

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by FuzzWantsABus

Np. Glad you're enjoying! I really like his videos.

Finished up the read and the videos. Has anyone "lowered" the ceiling? I see the floors going up a 2x4, etc. for insulation. Is anyone doing the same for the ceilings (dropping them a 2x4, etc.)? What is the depth of the OEM ceiling? Some furring strips on the ribs to double up the insulation would be nice.

[family wagon]

You can read about nat_ster's vaulted ceiling in his Four Season Prime thread. The pictures in that post show the construction; elsewhere (I didn't find it) he mentioned that his motivation for the vaulted ceiling included deeper insulation, a chase where duct work or wiring could go, and the simplicity of finishing a flat rather than curved ceiling.

The depth of the OEM ceiling is the same as the depth of the wall because it's built with the same hat channel. On my Blue Bird that's in the neighborhood of 1.75 inches. In the post just prior to the one linked above, nat_ster showed a method of installing furring strips lengthwise in the bus. I anticipate using that concept to build up the thickness of my walls and ceiling so that I can have deeper insulation there.

[PappySki]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

Has anyone "lowered" the ceiling?

When I actually start my conversion, that's what I'm planning on doing. I'll raise the roof...probably 12"...and then use at least three of those extra inches for extra spray in insulation.

Before I have the insulation sprayed in, I'll run and check my systems. I need runs installed in either the ceiling, walls or floor for my HVAC, AC and DC wiring, and plumbing. Once these are in, I'll test everything to make sure its good and then have the insulation sprayed in the walls, support frame and ceiling.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by PappySki

When I actually start my conversion, that's what I'm planning on doing. I'll raise the roof...probably 12"...and then use at least three of those extra inches for extra spray in insulation.

Before I have the insulation sprayed in, I'll run and check my systems. I need runs installed in either the ceiling, walls or floor for my HVAC, AC and DC wiring, and plumbing. Once these are in, I'll test everything to make sure its good and then have the insulation sprayed in the walls, support frame and ceiling.

My plan also except only plumbing that will be in a wall will be interior bathroom wall for shower & shared wall with kitchen sink.

Also for those that may not have thought about it, NEVER EVER route propane lines inside a wall.

[AlleyCat67]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

NEVER EVER route propane lines inside a wall.

*shudder*

That's a disaster just looking for a place to happen.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by AlleyCat67

*shudder*

That's a disaster just looking for a place to happen.

Sometimes it just has to be repeated.

[Jacob&Spencer]

Hey all, newbie here!
We have the ceiling and wall panels are out and we have been prepping for a rustoleum stop paint coat. There was old tape holding up electrical wires on the ceiling. My husband is convinced we have to get every bit of adhesive off of the walls and ceiling before we can start with the paint. It is a complete pain in the ass, and I am wondering if anyone has said f it and just painted over old adhesive? There were a couple leaks in the roof, but we have sealed them with caulk that you can paint over. Let me know what your thoughts are, I am just ready to get this show on the road, and sanding all of that adhesive off is taking forever. This is the INSIDE of the ceiling i'm talking about, remember. I understand completely about painting the exterior. Thank you!!!

[EastCoastCB]

If you're talking about the tar/asphalt thats behind the batting- yeah I got rid of that on my last bus.

[Tegra1027]

Originally Posted by Jacob&Spencer

Hey all, newbie here!
We have the ceiling and wall panels are out and we have been prepping for a rustoleum stop paint coat. There was old tape holding up electrical wires on the ceiling. My husband is convinced we have to get every bit of adhesive off of the walls and ceiling before we can start with the paint. It is a complete pain in the ass, and I am wondering if anyone has said f it and just painted over old adhesive? There were a couple leaks in the roof, but we have sealed them with caulk that you can paint over. Let me know what your thoughts are, I am just ready to get this show on the road, and sanding all of that adhesive off is taking forever. This is the INSIDE of the ceiling i'm talking about, remember. I understand completely about painting the exterior. Thank you!!!

I dont feel its absolutely necessary to clean it all off, however the more you remove, the better the job will be overall. The more you remove, they less chances you have of a failure in the paint you use which would just expand to a failure in anything getting glued to the paint. Overall, I would say it depends on how long you plan to keep your bus. Good things take time. Dont take short cuts because its easier to do it the right way now vs later.

[Janet H]

Moderator hat on: A few off topic and unusually tasteless posts have been removed from this thread. Try again please

[1olfart]

Most of this post is about 2 yrs. old, and at least one of the postees was dismissed years ago.
But Thanks!