Bale of Straw...?

[DogHouse-SKO]

Heya..Im gonna try to brave the Ontario winter. Question: I will be parked til the spring and I was thinking about putting bales of straw/hay around my bus..Good or bad idea? I am somewhat insulated but this will be the big tester. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[o1marc]

Anything to keep air from moving under the bus is good. Some have mentioned hay being a fire hazard, so consider that.

 

[Neorush]

Heya..Im gonna try to brave the Ontario winter. Question: I will be parked til the spring and I was thinking about putting bales of straw/hay around my bus..Good or bad idea? I am somewhat insulated but this will be the big tester. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

Hay would make a big difference. Blocking the wind is the most important thing. We stack hay along the walls and empty the center first in the barn, it is noticeably warmer with just horse and chicken body heat when there are bails, vs when there aren't. We've always avoided keeping them in direct sunlight, never had a fire, but old timers always say it can happen in ideal scenarios with a combination of decomposition inside the bail generating some heat and hot dry days.

 

[Firepuncher]

Heya..Im gonna try to brave the Ontario winter. Question: I will be parked til the spring and I was thinking about putting bales of straw/hay around my bus..Good or bad idea? I am somewhat insulated but this will be the big tester. Suggestions greatly appreciated.

Lots of farm houses still bank straw bales against their foundations for the winter. Definitely don't use hay bales, there is more air in straw and people actually build straw bale houses, never hay. I promise it'll help

 

[Danjo-SKO]

A straw bale is R-40

 

[TJones-SKO]

There are alot of good suggestions in this recent thread.

http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f13/help-winter-is-coming-what-to-do-28739.html

Ted

 

[BlackJohn]

All straw bales right to the roof or just above, some rafters and sheeting, more straw on top.
Sounds a bit much for Ontario winters but certainly breaks cold winds up and then snow will help insulate the walls as it builds up too. I would purposely blow snow at the straw walls. More warmth and airconditioning in Springtime.


John

 

[MacC-SKO]

Don't forget the bales will attract mice looking to stay warm also.

 

[BlackJohn]

Don't forget the bales will attract mice looking to stay warm also.

True enough unless he waits till it's real old to do this.
Hope his bus is a big CAT!



John

 

[PNW_Steve]

Anything to keep air from moving under the bus is good. Some have mentioned hay being a fire hazard, so consider that.

Loose straw will burn fairly easily. Straw bales not so much.

I have worked two big fires since moving here. Have seen fire burn through a wheat field, on a couple of occasions, and leave straw bales a bit singed on the outside but they wouldn't sustain combustion.

Several years ago I tinkered with straw bales building. A gent that was active in the community made a video of himself trying to get straw bales to burn in various conditions.

Loose straw burns pretty easily. Bales are fire resistant enough that I would not hesitate to put them around my bus.

I do have an alternate that I hope to try out this winter. Instead of straw bales I am going to try and stay warm using a compass and 100 gallons of diesel :biggrin:

 

[DogHouse-SKO]

Thanx

The plan has been made..bales of hay for under the bus..No hot stuff will touch the hay..Im just using it around the bus to block the wind and snow.
I do have the inside walls, ceiling and floor insulated but Im pretty sure its not air tight lol sooo the extra blockage will help.
I am a bit concerned about the hay getting wet
Maybe wrapping plastic around the bus..?? :Thanx:

 

[Sleddgracer]

The plan has been made..bales of hay for under the bus..No hot stuff will touch the hay..Im just using it around the bus to block the wind and snow.
I do have the inside walls, ceiling and floor insulated but Im pretty sure its not air tight lol sooo the extra blockage will help.
I am a bit concerned about the hay getting wet
Maybe wrapping plastic around the bus..?? :Thanx:

we carry straw bales with us when we go to the sleddog races so we can change bedding for the dogs - because they travel on top of the truck or trailer exposed to the weather we use two large black plastic garbage bags to put the bales in - one on either end keeps the bales dry no matter the rain or snow we run into - if I were to make use of a straw shed around my bus I'd wrap the bales rather than the bus

 

[Firepuncher]

The plan has been made..bales of hay for under the bus..No hot stuff will touch the hay..Im just using it around the bus to block the wind and snow.
I do have the inside walls, ceiling and floor insulated but Im pretty sure its not air tight lol sooo the extra blockage will help.
I am a bit concerned about the hay getting wet
Maybe wrapping plastic around the bus..?? :Thanx:

Good morning, I definitely recommend straw over hay. Hay bales are denser and not as much air therefore less insulation. Hay is also a food and has a ton of sugar and will rot and smell to high heaven. Use straw bales, pack them tightly cover with tarps

 

[banman]

I lived in my 14' Fireball trailer through one of the colder winters in CO back in '97...
A couple rows of stacked straw around the trailer made a huge difference in keeping the wind out from under the camper. Our cat kept the mice away...

The straw was free to us as long as we returned the bales in the spring...

 

[1dmpo]

Good morning, I definitely recommend straw over hay. Hay bales are denser and not as much air therefore less insulation. Hay is also a food and has a ton of sugar and will rot and smell to high heaven. Use straw bales, pack them tightly cover with tarps

A lot of folks don't realize there's a difference. You're right, straw would be a much better choice than hay.

 

[PNW_Steve]

Good morning, I definitely recommend straw over hay. Hay bales are denser and not as much air therefore less insulation. Hay is also a food and has a ton of sugar and will rot and smell to high heaven. Use straw bales, pack them tightly cover with tarps

I HAVE seen alfalfa bales set a barn on fire. Hay, if bailed too wet or allowed to get soaked outside then put up, will mold and begin to compost in the middle of the bale. That can generate enough heat to support combustion.

Straw is definitely preferable.

 

[PNW_Steve]

Stolen from another site:



"When thermophilic bacteria are present, they multiply and produce heat, which can raise interior bale temperature to over 170°F. At these temperatures, spontaneous combustion can occur"

 

[OlgaAK]

Get one of those handheld laser thermometers and take the bus up to high altitude where it is colder. Then you can find where the worst leaks are now and fix them before it gets cold where you will be staying.

 

[MacC-SKO]

Stolen from another site:



"When thermophilic bacteria are present, they multiply and produce heat, which can raise interior bale temperature to over 170°F. At these temperatures, spontaneous combustion can occur"

Don't let it get wet

 

[84chevyguyid]

How would it work to take a 2 or 3 foot wide sheet of the foil bubble wrap stuff and go around the bus leaving 6 inches of the wrap on the ground for the straw bale to sit on and push it up against the body to hold it up? Seems like that would really stop the air from going under the bus.