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Old 12-11-2015, 11:20 AM   #1
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Year: 1995
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95 Intl. T444e conversion

Moving here from the new member section if that's ok..

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f6/off...ted-12576.html

I've been looking into insulation and from what I've read and gathered here it seems the more cost effective route is to install Polystyrene board, which I can easily get from my local home improvement superstore. I am minimally considering this option because I believe someone else decided to use these boards over their stock insulation which they deemed acceptable to continue using.

To clarify what I want to accomplish in my bus and determine the best course of action, I'd like to travel all over the US and even some of Canada for the next couple of years. I have no intent of staying where it is snowing while travelling in my bus but I do intend to enjoy milder weather. That being said I am highly considering the higher end investment of paying an insulation contractor to spray in closed cell expanding foam at the cost of $2.30/ft. for a total of approximately $650. I most certainly do not want to end up living in a bus with mold.

In either case I am leaning more towards keeping the original sheet metal paneling not only for cost, but to me the paneling did an excellent job of protecting the insulation (due to the lack of mold) for 20years and that falls into the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" category.

I'm also more certain I will be keeping the stock windows because from what I've found its way beyond what I'm comfortable spending to get legitimate RV windows. My idea is to spend the extra money on rolls of the high heat rejection window tint.

Today and the next few days will be dedicated to removing the panels and deciding what to do as far as insulation. I foresee that as I remove the paneling and gain access to the windows I will end up focusing more on the windows and saving the insulation task for the next paycheck. I've seen other people clean up the old silicon then seal them right back in.

Please let me know if my logic is off, sometimes my inner voice doesn't translate to internets words very well. I hope its okay that I use this forum to organize my thoughts as well as gain insight and knowledge from all of you.

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Old 12-11-2015, 02:31 PM   #2
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Keeping the original metal paneling will only increase your thermal loss, through thermal bridging through the ribs. Much more cost effective, for your HVAC system, to replace the interior panels with something less conductive.
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Old 12-11-2015, 04:06 PM   #3
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I'd suggest planning on which windows you don't really need (and there's a LOT of them), and take them out, replacing them with 3/4 ACX or marine-grade plywood. Glass transmits BEAUCOUP thermal energy.

In place of the interior metal panels, I'd suggest some 1/8" plywood. Wood is inherently more energy efficient, as well as aesthetically pleasing. Plus, you can cover the wood with fabric and add more insulation (rigid foam, double sheathed).
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Old 12-24-2015, 11:00 AM   #4
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Need help figuring out how to reconnect my battery. I had to get it charged since I let it die and I made the mistake of not taking a picture of how it's supposed to go back together. Please advise.
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Old 12-24-2015, 11:48 AM   #5
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If you only have the one battery, then it should looks something like this-
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Old 12-24-2015, 11:53 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SenorSumo View Post
Need help figuring out how to reconnect my battery. I had to get it charged since I let it die and I made the mistake of not taking a picture of how it's supposed to go back together. Please advise.
there wires are set up for dual battery, red goes to positive and black to negative, the short red one would be the jumper from pos to pos, same goes for short black.
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Old 12-24-2015, 12:07 PM   #7
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Got it done, thanks
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