Ua Lava (Montgomery Loafiness III)

[ualava]

Greetings! We purchased our bus in 2016, but conversion began in earnest about 9 months ago. We call it Montgomery (or Montgomery Loafiness III if being formal) amongst ourselves as it was originally from Montgomery County Maryland, but Ua Lava is our youtube channel name. I've learned quite a lot from Skoolie.net, just never got around to posting anything.

It's been a bit chaotic, and we have been living in it since August, which has really slowed the conversion process down, but we are close to getting it titled and insured and on the road for some summer adventures.

Our latest video on youtube is here, if you stop by, be sure to say hello in the comments there!

[ualava]

[ualava]

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

looking good.
wow nice pretty clean dewalt tools, miwaukee saw zall blades and what brand of welder are you working with.

[ualava]

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger bus 223

looking good.
wow nice pretty clean dewalt tools, miwaukee saw zall blades and what brand of welder are you working with.

Thanks! I'm an AV installer by day, so I have most of my power tools from that. The company had dewalt when I started and they work fine enough, although thinking about adding some Milwaukee eventually.

The welder is a Hobart Handler 210MVP, I don't know how to weld, but it seemed to work okay for someone who doesn't know what they are doing.

[Meathead]

I have the same bus except mine is 11 window. That’s a 2001 and foam-it-green spray foam, right? I did that too.
Lookin’ good Billy Ray!

Dave

[Meathead]

Judging from the flooring against the dash it looks like you put the pink 1” insulation under the floor. Make sure your fuel pedal still has full range of motion.

Someone I know did that. It really wasn’t really a problem until he got to the mountains and really had to floor it.



Dave

[ualava]

Originally Posted by Meathead

Judging from the flooring against the dash it looks like you put the pink 1” insulation under the floor. Make sure your fuel pedal still has full range of motion.

Someone I know did that. It really wasn’t really a problem until he got to the mountains and really had to floor it.



Dave

Hey hey! It's a 2002, but everything else sounds right! Does yours have the Cat 3126? I'm about to do scheduled maintenance on it but have been putting off the necessary research to find the right fluids and quantities.

I did have the foresight to not put insulation/subfloor under the pedals, but I don't know what I am going to do there. Lots of cold air here in the northern part of Ohio and I need to do something before next winter.

[Meathead]

Originally Posted by ualava

Hey hey! It's a 2002, but everything else sounds right! Does yours have the Cat 3126? I'm about to do scheduled maintenance on it but have been putting off the necessary research to find the right fluids and quantities.

Yeah. 3126b & MD3060 trans. I guess it was 2003 that they split that fiberglass panel under the windshield into three parts.

I foamed my entire bus underneath the floor. You can imagine what a mess that was. But if you only did the front part it wouldn’t be so bad.

The front is probably the cold spot in all busses. The dash is a weak spot. And that big a$$ windshield! You know more about cold than me. Ask me about heat and humidity.

Dave

[cadillackid]

get out of northern ohio in the winter! that should be the plan in the bus

[Dbacks2k4]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

get out of northern ohio in the winter! that should be the plan in the bus

Solid advice! I'd be so much further long in my build if I'd have left eastern iowa with the bus in November!!

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Dbacks2k4

Solid advice! I'd be so much further long in my build if I'd have left eastern iowa with the bus in November!!

i was thinking after build.. it sounded to me like they are going to full time in it.. so my plan would be to not worry so much about driver floor insulation but plan to drive away from ohio in winter and maybe come back in summer.. although really our summers have been nothing but rainy the last few years..



ha! I have 3 busses and a house thats worth a bundle and a busoness that I can work 100% remote.. maybe i should take my own advice

[ualava]

Originally Posted by Meathead

I foamed my entire bus underneath the floor. You can imagine what a mess that was. But if you only did the front part it wouldn’t be so bad.

The front is probably the cold spot in all busses. The dash is a weak spot. And that big a$$ windshield! You know more about cold than me. Ask me about heat and humidity.

Dave

I've wondered how foaming under the deck would work out. We only got an inch on insulation under our flooring because of my height and my fears of doing a roof raise. It was pretty cold on the floor this winter.

Has it made it hard to access the various mechanicals or were you able to avoid conflicts with that?

[ualava]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

get out of northern ohio in the winter! that should be the plan in the bus

Agreed! I haven't sorted out how to completely earn a living from the road yet, but it would be great to be able to travel full time and just find the good weather instead of spending so much time trying to insulate/heat/cool it adequately.

[Meathead]

Originally Posted by ualava

I've wondered how foaming under the deck would work out. We only got an inch on insulation under our flooring because of my height and my fears of doing a roof raise. It was pretty cold on the floor this winter.

Has it made it hard to access the various mechanicals or were you able to avoid conflicts with that?

I foamed in between the ribs pretty well but I didn’t get over the ribs consistently. So some thermal bridging.

I foamed first with nothing in the way. Well, except that big fuel tank.

I would probably do it again bc I don’t like roof raises either. It was the messiest thing I’ve ever done.

We spent Christmas @ 16*F and the floor was COLD. There is only so much you can do

Dave