Walls or ceiling first?

[karrlot]

When I build out my bus I'm trying to figure out what order to go in. I assume that this should be like a house.

1) Pull seats, panels, and insulation out.
2) Fill holes from seats.
3) Frame in walls.
4) Plumb and wire.
5) Do ceiling.
6) Do flooring.

My plan is to frame in any walls before I do the ceiling. My thought is that you don't build a wall under a ceiling, you build the frame work and then finish the wall and ceiling. Is this the best way to do it?

I was thinking that I would attach 2x4s to the ribs in the ceiling, then frame in the wall based off of those.

When I do the ceiling I am pondering 1x2 pine strips going the length of the bus. I am thinking about tongue and groove. This may require a router table. (No, honey, I needed it for the beautiful ceiling)

I know they are curved, so I'll have to kerf and bend them. I know that I should not screw the wood into the ribs, correct? How do I attach wood to the steel? When I attach the pine strips to the studs, can I use short nails that will not touch the frame, or is there a better way to attach them?

[Jolly Roger]

I used and would recommend sheet metal hat channel with self tapping screws and then the thought of nailing anything overhead even if you use an adhesive scares me because of all the racking and twisting of everything when moving will definitely make the nails back out and the wood type construction adhesive was not meant to be flexible so eventually it will give up. Use screws and a commercial type elastomeric sealant. I used sheet metal studs boxed together for my walls and a piece of 1-1/2" tracking on the floor and ceiling, screwed to the replaced panels and to the floor through the underlayment into to steel floor. My walls are 1-1/2 thick with sheetmetal stud both side to screw to or you can rivet everything except for the hat channel on the roof.
These are my opinions/thoughts and the group might have different suggestions?
I used sheetmetal for all of my framing but it was more because it was free! Two whole skids of 16 guage studs and track getting ready to hit the dumpster until I rescued them, and I knew how to make them work for me. Salvaging takes longer but i have saved a lot of money and lost a lot of time but then again I salvage because I don't have the money.

[Jolly Roger]

Sorry KARRLOT I didn't answer your question???
I would recommend making your subfloor solid and I framed my walls directly to the steel for solid connections.
Other more experienced skoolie s might have different ideas so please research all
Good luck on your skoolie.

[nat_ster]

Welcome

You will get much better info by heading on over to the build thread section and reading around 20 build threads of over 15 pages each.

This will give you the info you need in full detail complete with pictures.

Here are a few to start with.

Jake C did his floor the best I have seen.
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/pr...utus-5059.html

Mine is not done yet, but will be far more high tech with no wood in the floor to rot. It will be built with hot water heating lines built into the floor to make for comfortable living in all four seasons.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/th...ime-10138.html

Nat

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

Welcome

You will get much better info by heading on over to the build thread section and reading around 20 build threads of over 15 pages each.

This will give you the info you need in full detail complete with pictures.

Here are a few to start with.

Jake C did his floor the best I have seen.
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/pr...utus-5059.html

Mine is not done yet, but will be far more high tech with no wood in the floor to rot. It will be built with hot water heating lines built into the floor to make for comfortable living in all four seasons.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/th...ime-10138.html

Nat

Yes please read the threads
NAT has experience
The area you live in and the areas you plan on visiting should decide on the extremes you build for. I live in the south and plan on staying in the south.