No nails or self tapping screws

[DoxieLuvr2015]

Good Day Everyone,

Hope you are all done well and staying sane.

I was going through the social media thing this morning looking for inspiration for design and methods. I came across one of the selected profiles I was following. A profile named lookatthatbus

Its not in his FB but insta....theres a picture of them putting down a floor but not using any fasteners. (ie nails or screws)

They simply used some sort of bonding agent and lots of weight in the form of sand bags to secure the placement. He has not replied yet to my questions but I thought I would ask here too.


What are you thoughts on the method?

[banman]

I'm guessing the sandbags were to act as "clamps" while the adhesive dried...?

Metal and wood are gonna flex at different rates -- I'm skeptical how the bond will hold up as the vehicle is driven...

That said -- gravity will hold down a 3/4" plywood deck just fine -- just don't roll the bus over! Or let the plywood warp...

[DoxieLuvr2015]

Yes the sand bags were used to hold down the flooring while curing.

Yeah that’s the same thought I had or it would eventually come unbonded and start squeaking.

Also if I rolled a skoolie I think I would have lots more to worry about then the deck coming up

[Danjo]

I’d use tek screws.

[musigenesis]

A floating floor like this is ideal from an insulation perspective, but my floor is way too non-flat and smooth for adhesive to work. Your floor is about as close to a mirror as I've ever seen, so it could work for you.

[farok]

I put 2" foam over my floor, and then 3/4" T&G plywood over that. Both were held with a generous amount of Loctite PL Premium. I've not driven as much as many folks, but with the build just started and nothing on some of it, I've driven about 5000 miles with no issues. As the build-out progresses, there is more and more to hold the floor down, so I'm even less worried. Seems to work for me!

Yes I used everything but the kitchen sink to hold everything fast while the glue dried.

Chris

[DoxieLuvr2015]

Originally Posted by farok

Yes I used everything but the kitchen sink to hold everything fast while the glue dried.

Chris

Thats a good one!

[farok]

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/f...tml#post326711

The buckets are filled with rocks or water, depending on the bucket. Overkill, I know, but it worked! Kudos to whoever knows what the black disks are...

Chris

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by farok

Yes I used everything but the kitchen sink to hold everything fast while the glue dried.

I would have happily loaned you my kitchen sink for this - the thing is damned heavy.

[Geeze]

Black disks look like the centers for some 2 piece wheels

[DoxieLuvr2015]

That's what I was thinking too

[farok]

The black disks are actually stacked wheels from a "speeder", which is an outdated railroad maintenance vehicle. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/acUECbsqgpQ/maxresdefault.jpg Unfortunately I don't own the full speeder, just the wheels and axles.

Chris

[DavidVT]

Been working around 53' medical trailers for years with medical grade flooring. Some have simple plywood subfloors, some aluminum and some composite. The flooring is just glued down with the same products used anywhere else. Even with folding floors that travel near vertical, the flooring stays put.
I don't have any glue product names but am told it is just the flooring manufacturer's recommended products for a particular subfloor.
(Having said all that, none do well bridging any floor joints that really move independently of each other.)

[Ronnie]

Originally Posted by farok

The black disks are actually stacked wheels from a "speeder", which is an outdated railroad maintenance vehicle. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/acUECbsqgpQ/maxresdefault.jpg Unfortunately I don't own the full speeder, just the wheels and axles.

Chris

Those wheels look like they are new, if so they are worth some money. I have the heavier cast steel wheels on my speeder

[synestine]

Originally Posted by DoxieLuvr2015

They simply used some sort of bonding agent and lots of weight in the form of sand bags to secure the placement. He has not replied yet to my questions but I thought I would ask here too.

What are you thoughts on the method?

I've been looking into this as well. Still in the demolition stage of my (stalled) build, but I'm interested in not punching more holes into the metal sub-sub-floor that I've been spending so much time sealing and rust-treating. I don't have any long-term information, but from what I've seen and read, a "floating" subfloor like what you describe should work fine, so long as you use an adhesive that doesn't destroy the foam (Chemically). For my own build, I'm looking for something at least somewhat flexible to stick the foam to the metal then stick the plywood to the foam. Under my bus is just tarred steel and I can't get to some areas I would need to rust-proof if I were to screw down the subfloor.


-S

[rydawg3000]

We glued furring strips (1x2’s) down time the floor in a grid style with lo tote premium Construction glue. Weighed it down with 20 and 15lb weights from my stepbrother. Cut stiff board insulation and fit into the spaces also glued with Premium Loctite.m and filled the gaps with spray foam. As we laid down the subfloor we marked with a chalk line we’re the furring strips were so as to not drill any holes through nothing but insulation. This worked really well, we have had zero buckling and feel 100% confident with it.

[synestine]

Originally Posted by rydawg3000

We glued furring strips (1x2’s) down time the floor in a grid style with lo tote premium Construction glue. Weighed it down with 20 and 15lb weights from my stepbrother. Cut stiff board insulation and fit into the spaces also glued with Premium Loctite.m and filled the gaps with spray foam. As we laid down the subfloor we marked with a chalk line we’re the furring strips were so as to not drill any holes through nothing but insulation. This worked really well, we have had zero buckling and feel 100% confident with it.

Looks good from your pics. How long ago was this done?


-S

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by rydawg3000

We glued furring strips (1x2’s) down time the floor in a grid style with lo tote premium Construction glue. Weighed it down with 20 and 15lb weights from my stepbrother. Cut stiff board insulation and fit into the spaces also glued with Premium Loctite.m and filled the gaps with spray foam. As we laid down the subfloor we marked with a chalk line we’re the furring strips were so as to not drill any holes through nothing but insulation. This worked really well, we have had zero buckling and feel 100% confident with it.

Is my bus seriously the only bus where the emergency exit windows only fit in their original openings and can't be moved? I noticed that you grouped all of yours together, which is what I want to do but can't (at least not without a lot of extra fabrication).

[rydawg3000]

That was in Mid-October of 2019!
Our subfloor was quite pretty hearty, I wanna say close to an 1”, I can measure it if anyone is interested in specifics.


Here’s some more just to please the eyes

[rydawg3000]

Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that :/
Ours miraculously fit in the same size frame as one of the regular sized windows. We moved 3 to the living room area and 1 in the bedroom. We have found that we use them more as regular windows then for their hatch style feature, but that will change once we are living in it probably.