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Old 09-05-2009, 10:45 PM   #21
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Thanks man. I really appreciate it. I think the way that the Watson bus latch is done is the best for me. Im hoping that it works. Im gonna have to spend a little time fooling around with the door frame clearances to make sure it works.

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Old 09-06-2009, 11:50 PM   #22
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

im starting to look at the flooring. i have already sealed up the holes with silicone. i am gonna be putting pink foam down and some ply for subfloor. i am trying to decide whether i need a vapor barrier. i am thinking i dont. i have a ton of really high quality valspar duramax paint left that is a weird color. so tomorrow i am gonna lay down a nice thick coat or two. i was thinking that with that, the siliconed holes, and the foam insulation i am good. what do you guys think? i am laying carpet on top of it....not hardwood, so rosin paper seems to be pointless for me.
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Old 09-07-2009, 06:22 AM   #23
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Cause it has to be asked...

You are planning to put town plywood between your foamboard and your carpeting, right?

Sorry, just had to make sure.
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Old 09-07-2009, 11:15 AM   #24
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

yeah...i listed that i was putting ply down on top of the foam.
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Old 09-07-2009, 05:53 PM   #25
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

should I go with rosin paper or something? What order should I lay it in?
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Old 09-07-2009, 10:09 PM   #26
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by Smitty
Quote:
Originally Posted by bikeforthelight
should I go with rosin paper or something? What order should I lay it in?
After re-reading your post, you're probably going to need to glue the carped down (since I doubt you'll want to go the tack-strip/stretching route), which won't work well ontop of the rosin paper....so I'd just scratch the paper.

Edit: If the sides of your bus are going to be "full" and you're just going to have an isle down the center....I'd reconsider carpeting. Keep in mind it'll have to be swept, and dust in a small enclosed area never really goes anywhere except airborne everytime you walk on the carpeting (not to mention static electricity, spills & cooking smells). I'd reconsider a different type of flooring (that could be broom-swept) and cut yourself a carpet runner for the isle (you can velcro it in place). Just my suggestion, but camping is generally in a dirty area that gets muddy after a rain, and removing shoes at each entry/exit is a hassle to me. Your bus, your call....but I'd keep it as low-maintenance as possible.

Smitty
well, my bus isn't gonna be for camping really. its gonna be parked in parking lots nearly all the time as i live in it 8 months out of the year. i am gonna have a real minimal set up in it tho. i AM thinking of something different for the floor in the living room. but the bedrooms are gonna be carpet for sure. i am not gluing it tho. i am using carpet tape. if you haven't used this stuff....it is incredible. used it in my last rv, and it worked beautifully. it lets me take up the carpet with next to no effort anytime i want to, but it really holds the carpet in place very well. that way anytime i really need to pull it up to sweep or clean i can. so with all that being said....do you think i need a vapor barrier of any type? i thought about plastic but thought that may cause too much chance for moisture buildup. at this point i am leaning towards just the paint, foam, plywood, then carpet/flooring. you think thats good enough?
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Old 09-07-2009, 11:12 PM   #27
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by mightybus
A lot of people here don't realize that the metal floor is the vapor barrier. If you add a vapor barrier on top of the metal, the floor will rust. If you add a vapor barrier on top of the plywood, expect it to rot if water comes between the vapor barrier and the metal floor. I love red rosin paper. It wicks away moisture between metal and plywood, contains it and slowly lets it evaporate away. I use it whenever I lay a metal roof down on plywood. It is code many places if metal roofs aren't laid on lathe. I don't think you need it though in your application of carpet over plywood, since water will migrate up and out with your configuration.
i really appreciate it man. thats what i thought....figured that having carpet meant i didnt need it. just needed someone to tell me my thoughts were right. plus you just saved me money. i mean i know red rosin paper isn't expensive, but not having to buy it is always a plus.
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Old 09-08-2009, 07:18 PM   #28
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Okay. Today wasn't super productive on the bus itself. But still got a lot of stuff done that needed to happen. First, had a guy come pick up all the school bench seats from the bus. Those things will no longer be in my life. This afternoon I painted the metal floor on the bus. I had a gallon of really high end exterior paint leftover from a project. It is a bright blue, so I knew I wasn't gonna use it again. So I figured I would put it to good use. It is Valspar Duramax. Rolls on about 3 times thicker than most paints and has a real high elasticity to it, so its perfect. Plus the stuff cost me about $40 a gallon, so I hated to see it not get used. I laid one coat on then literally watched the paint dry. Fooled around on the outside. Figured out where I am gonna build some under storage and my battery bank box. Then finally got to lay the second coat. Used all the gallon of paint. Looks great:





It looks really good. Since I sealed up all the holes with the silicone the other day, and now I have the paint, I am confident laying my insulation and plywood down now. Plus it will protect the metal. I dont have any rust really to speak of, and this should help keep it that way.

Last night I went to my RV and pulled a bunch of stuff out of it so that I can sell it. So I pulled my two battery bank and inverter out:


I know that it isn't real big high quality stuff, but it worked great for 8 full months of living in the RV, so I am confident in them. I am gonna be building a battery box under the frame to hold them, and will probably be adding 2-4 more batteries to the arsenal. Should be nice. Also pulled a speaker box and a few other odds and ends for the bus. She is coming together well. I am gonna have to score some money soon though, or I am gonna have to put a hold on the build till I can afford more stuff to work with.

Oh, thought I would show you my war wound. I got into a fight with the corner of the car door. It won. But I want a rematch
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Old 09-08-2009, 08:20 PM   #29
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

The Skoolie God Demanded blood...

...one way or another.
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Old 09-10-2009, 07:24 PM   #30
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Today was a great day. Wanted to get the right paint for the ceiling. Didn't want to have it peeling or flaking off on me. So I headed up to Sherwin Williams. The guy there was awesome. Really knew what he was talking about. Loved the idea of the bus. Actually think he is gonna come check it out sometime soon. Anyways he told me the best stuff for the ceiling was this stuff:

I had already sanded the ceiling, and he said this stuff would adhere really well. Its a thinner paint, so it rolled really easy. It also goes a real long ways. But this paint is stupid expensive....like $80+ a gallon. But he had a few cans that just passed the date for normal sale, so I got it for $25. Gotta love it. Went back to the bus and got all the old stickers all cleaned off. Pulled the dome lights down. Wiped the whole ceiling down with a good degreaser and went to town.


Here is a pic of it half way through the first coat.



Here is the ceiling done with the first coat. Will do another coat tomorrow.



I have enough paint to cover the whole dash area too. I am now looking into some dynamat for the driver area and firewall. That crap is expensive. But I think it will be worth it. I will just be using it up front where the pink foam wouldn't work. Anyone have any experience with it? I was also looking at some knock off dynamat too. Here are some links. Let me know what you guys think. Or if you have any better ideas.

http://www.jegs.com/p/Thermo-Tec/The...56779/10002/-1

http://www.jegs.com/p/Thermo-Tec/The...58345/10002/-1
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Old 09-10-2009, 07:58 PM   #31
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

I remember about 6 months ago someone was big on using "Rattle Trap" insulation. Its just like Dynamat, but at about a third the price, from what I can remember. From what I have seen on shows like "Pimp my Ride" and "OverHaulin", its pretty much peel and stick, kinda like band-aids, only you cut to size. Not sure on how well it works for second layers, but the stuff will stick to itself pretty well and they tend to overlap the ends.

I remember someone mentioning another of these mat products, but for some reason, I dont have it written down, so I cant remember what it was called. Hope this helps some...
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Old 09-11-2009, 12:00 AM   #32
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

i know reflectix would work great for the heat part, but not sure how well it will work for sound levels. also, not sure how i would mount it. i guess i could use a spray adhesive or something. since its only gonna be about 20 square feet tho i think i would rather get dyna or something like that and just deal with the cost. i dunno. there are other things that are similar and cheaper....like that rattle trap stuff. just wondering if anyone has tried other stuff and had success.
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Old 09-11-2009, 09:24 PM   #33
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Nice progress & prep work Johnny! You are on your way to a sweet bus...
Yer month-clock iz'a tickin'!!!
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Old 09-11-2009, 11:58 PM   #34
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

thanks man...if i get the cash then the month goal will be met. right now i feel that the cash is the only thing stopping me from reaching it. but im sure it will come in as i need it. sorry i wasnt able to call today. im gonna try and call you tomorrow.
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Old 09-12-2009, 09:13 AM   #35
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Yea cash flow shortages are affecting us too... Sure give me a buzz!
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Old 10-02-2009, 12:17 AM   #36
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Well, its been over a week since I posted about the bus. I was low on funds, but got some money in and did some work today. I also have a big ol roll of tint coming in tomorrow, so I am currently watching youtube on how to install it. Anyways. On to the pics for today.


Got the engine cover steel wheel cleaned, primed, and painted. Its gonna get covered with dynamat and carpet, but didn't want to deal with rust on it. I have been really lucky to have next to no rust anywhere, but I would hate to have it start on me.



Started building the boxes over the wheel wells. Got one completely done, and the wood cut for the other. It got dark before the second one could come together, so that is the job first thing in the morning. Used the chair rail as a support for the box. Just put a couple bolts through it to secure it. It turned out really strong and plumb. Used 3/4 ply to build it, and it turned out really strong too. The passenger side one is complete, and is gonna have cabinets built on it. The driver side is actually gonna be under one of the beds. Used a nail gun to built the rest of the box, and some corner braces to attach it to the floor. The foamboard insulation and plywood floor is gonna cover up most of the braces when its all done.




Used some insulation inside the box too. They have this stuff on sale at the home depot right now for $7 a roll. Nice. Its just for fill in, and it seemed to work well.



Finally I decided to have a little fun too. I took some masking tape and put a rough estimate of the layout on the floor. Just wanted to make sure it all worked and gave enough room to move. My bus is gonna have a storage room in the back for all the bikes and tools and gear. Then two bedrooms laid out like a yen and yang symbol sorta. Then a living room up front. Because of how I am using it, we are not gonna have plumbing, but everything else.



Here is a copy of the current layout design. It is colorful I know, but it helps me make sense of where everything is going. I am building ductwork for the a/c, but don't have that on the layout. I am still working out the details of it. Lemme know what you guys think.
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Old 10-02-2009, 01:06 AM   #37
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by emberglow
If the layout will work for your intended use, then I would say it looks great Its an efficient use of space in any case.
In the future when the bus becomes a regular RV it will have full plumbing and cooking, but for now this really does work for us I think. Plus I get my own bedroom. Gotta love that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by emberglow
I see a refrigerator but no means of heating or cooking food. Is it a drink fridge then?
Thanks for the thoughts Julie. The fridge is basically gonna be a drink fridge. I live in the thing 8 months a year, but am eating out nearly every meal. We will have a small propane stove to cook on when needed though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by emberglow
I'd also consider flipping the front room so the table is on the passenger side, which would allow the frontmost chair to be mounted on a swivel and serve as a co-pilot seat if desired.
I really like the idea of flipping the room and using the other chair for a second seat up front. I really really like it actually. Funny how the simplest fix sometimes escapes us when you look at it everyday huh? Im gonna look at it tomorrow when I am in the bus and can actually wrap my eyes around the space. Thanks for the ideas Julie. I really appreciate it. So how is the weather up there in Anchorage? I had to mail a bicycle up there today actually. I am hoping to get up there sometime in the next year or two. I love spending time there. Great people, and great fishing ;) haha.

Johnny
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Old 10-02-2009, 06:48 PM   #38
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Quote:
Originally Posted by bikeforthelight
Here is a copy of the current layout design. It is colorful I know, but it helps me make sense of where everything is going. I am building ductwork for the a/c, but don't have that on the layout. I am still working out the details of it. Lemme know what you guys think.
Unless you will be living in your bedroom, I offer the following as an alternative layout.


This will give you much more storage space (and we all know there is never enough of that), and equalize the "bedroom" space for each bunk. The layout will give each person plenty of room to crawl into bed or to get dressed, and you can use the secondary cabinet space as shelving, or even counter space for camp stove (since I didn't see any cooking area, even though you have a fridge).

Just a thought!
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Old 10-03-2009, 12:20 AM   #39
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Tyger, thanks man. Tomorrow I am gonna change around the tape and see how that flows for me. i do spend a lot of time in the bedroom though. but your layout would be much simpler to build.

Smitty, i actually toyed around with that idea for a while. the issue that i didnt like was the points where the walls were coming to a point. seemed like a lot of wasted space, although it would make the getting in and out of the rooms much easier.

either way, i know the layout will change a few times before i finish. i have some great cabinets that were given to me, so i am really trying to work them into the layout, but unfortunately that means working with the sizes they are. i dont really want to get into cutting up perfectly good cabinets. i am good with wood, but i am by no means a cabinet maker and fear i would do more harm than good. good news though. i got all the window tint in today. so tomorrow i will start installing that. i got 200 feet of 5% limo tint for $60. great buy.
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Old 10-11-2009, 09:53 PM   #40
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Re: Bike For The Light Skoolie

Got a question for you guys. I am gonna be getting my roof ac this week I think. Also gonna be putting in an undercarriage box for my battery bank. What is the best way to cut through the body metal? I have a cut tool, but its not powerful enough. Also have an angle grinder. I thought I saw a pic on here where someone had a skill saw with a different blade cutting their body metal too. Just want to be ready to install this stuff when I get it. What is the best tool for the job and what (if any) of my tools would work?
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