lol, I wasn't trying to imply you thought you did Den
The major factor in rust issues is location. Western locales are generally known for preserving vehicles for longer periods, lack of snow & road salt does wonders. However, there are still cool nights waking to a hot morning sun, which is the mixins' for condensation. Sure those dozens of little snow-covered feet add gallons of water to a bus floor weekly I'm sure. I got lucky (with my mid-west bus) and have no issues in my bus, floor, steps, window openings, all good. I have 1 small (3-4") area at the back where the rear window sweated and ran down inside the panels, and pooled at floor-level. My bus didn't have plywood under the rubber floor, which I think was a good thing. Even so, there was no rain for several days prior to removing the rubber, and the floor was soaking wet, from condensation.
I would agree with that, between the lack of road salts and low humidity our vehicles stay in pretty good shape. I lived in the mid west for three years (long story ) and remember my kids standing swamper deep in salty slush at school waiting to get on the buses and the white crust in our mud room every winter that all of us tracked in from everywhere.
Agree wholeheartedly, there's no one-way or standard to converting ones bus. If there were, it would be boring! I see some buses where the owners have spent lots of time and money, and ended-up with amazing results...but left the stock windows in place, but, their bus their choice. Same with insulation, matters not to me if someone chooses to insulate their bus, but I will tell you once they regret it, it's too late.
If the bus window's are tight, function good and suit the owner, why not use them? Before I bought my bus I had planned to switch out to RV windows but found the factory windows to be heavy duty and function well. I would imagine other folks made a similar decision. I don't think it makes for a less "amazing" conversion. Personally the first time I sat some lawn chairs where my couch is going and looked out at the 180deg view from my living area I knew I wasn't closing it in with port hole sized windows, I lowered my galley cabinets as well so they wouldn't mess with the view. I plan on backing my bus up into the shelter of tree's with a nice panoramic view of my back trail and if it gets chilly I'll throw another stick in the stove, which will also be drying out any of that pesky condensation (wood heat is the condensation buster) As far as a complete insulation redo, I had mused that as well, but the factory insulation in my bus seemed just fine to me when I started heating it last winter to work in it and this summer in the shade of my yard. Everyone's comfort level and expectations are different though. Myself, I looked at that sturdy ceiling and thought what a wonderful place to attach my framing, cabinets and some thin paneling. Others look at it in horror "MY GOD that ceiling must be at least 12% less efficient! I'm tearing it all down and replacing everything!". Whatever twist their cranks
Condensation can be resolved by insulation & ventilation, be it floors, walls or ceiling, and the extent to which either are done is a decision only the owner can make.
Wood heat drys me and the bus out when I'm working in it all day (not kidding I come in with chapped lips and can see it in my wood handles tools)). I can't imagine water vapor isn't being ventilated though the 1/4 opened windows fore and aft.
Bottom-line, if I were not going to insulate the entire bus, about the only purpose insulating the floor would serve would be to cut-down on road noise. Other than that, it will do little to cut heat gains & losses.
I agree, but not all "insulation" comes from pink foam under plywood.
I'm of the thought at the end of the day it's still a big, steel bodied truck that offers a lot of utility and value, hell that's why I bought it! And as such comes with certain trade-offs I would no sooner try to turn my SCHOOL BUS into a Holiday Rambler than I would try and turn a good pack mule into an English park horse.
Take care,
Den
Smitty
