Wood vs Metal

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Dirtdoctor

Cabinets from Ikea- I installed someFrom Ikea- within the first year of operation they were loose, breaking up, the parts just couldn’t handle the vibration of the road.
Cheers

There was a skoolie posted recently on reddit on /r/TinyHouses that was possibly the nicest-looking conversion I've ever seen, really beautiful craftsmanship. But there's no way this bus could have driven around the block without destroying everything inside. They had the Ikea cabinets, tile (which I know some people have been able to use successfully but I doubt the builders of this bus are in that category), and something I've never seen attempted before: a glass shower stall.

[ol trunt]

It seems to me that most people are familiar with woodworking to some degree while fewer have experience working with metal. I like working with metal better than wood so all of the interior structure in my bus was designed and built with metal. I used wood only for the under flooring, cabinet top base and bed base top (to place a foam pad on) and the top of my fold out table. Also, I wanted to stay as far away from the sticks and staples construction style as I could.

So I guess it all boils down to skill sets and philosophy.
Jack

[Danjo]

If you’ve ever been a kitchen remodeler and demo’ed a bunch of cabinets, you’d have a pretty good understanding of good materials and construction after a few swings of a sledge vs really having to work to remove them. It should also be one of the reasons to convert a skoolie over just getting a particle board RV

[Beachvbguy]

Originally Posted by ol trunt

It seems to me that most people are familiar with woodworking to some degree while fewer have experience working with metal. I like working with metal better than wood so all of the interior structure in my bus was designed and built with metal. I used wood only for the under flooring, cabinet top base and bed base top (to place a foam pad on) and the top of my fold out table. Also, I wanted to stay as far away from the sticks and staples construction style as I could.

So I guess it all boils down to skill sets and philosophy.
Jack

I suppose that was the basis for my starting this thread. Starting from roughly equivalent ignorance about buses, metal and wood working, I was both trying to understand the main reasons so many chose wood for their primary material, and to get some idea of what the relative advantages and disadvantages would be of working with either.

So far, the disparity of opinions has been excellent to help me get a more rounded view of my options.

[Drew Bru]

Originally Posted by Danjo

If you’ve ever been a kitchen remodeler and demo’ed a bunch of cabinets, you’d have a pretty good understanding of good materials and construction after a few swings of a sledge vs really having to work to remove them. It should also be one of the reasons to convert a skoolie over just getting a particle board RV

You don't even have to have demo'ed a kitchen. Go to Day 2 of any RV show/expo and you'll see the quality of a typical sticks & staples constructed RV. Cabinet doors drooping, bathroom doors coming off the hinges, countertops delaminating. That was an eye opener for us.

I've built a fair amount of furniture from hardwoods, and so I know cheap vs. quality construction when I see it...but seeing the wear and tear on an RV from people just walking through and opening/closing the doors and drawers was depressing but, ultimately, inspiring too.

[musigenesis]

The disconnect between the prices paid and the quality of the products received in the RV world is just astonishing. The target market has to be people with good credit and mental illness.

Last time I drove through NC there was a huge RV sales lot with many of them close to $800,000. I don't understand what could possibly go into an RV that would make them cost that much.

[BigPaul367]

I, personally, dig the idea of metal as a super-structure! The idea of riveting a metal bracket to the floor and roof structures and bolting the wall uprights to said brackets makes perfect sense for building a 'forgiving' wall system. AND a thinner wall to boot. Inner studs can be 1" and the wall skins 1/4 inch. Attachment can be made to 'give' enough so the walls don't self destruct. The only problem that COULD arise is if you decide to run electrical through the wall, one inch does not leave much room for wiring, unless you stick to 12 volt lighting only.