Having second thoughts on the roof raise... I’m 6’ 2 and a half

[thrifty1]

I had originally planned on raising the roof, but after calculations I am having second thoughts. We will only be living in it two years maximum before our new property is ready to go. Has anyone here full timed and NOT DONE a raise? If so what are pros and cons of your decisions. You’re welcome to comment if you have done a raise as well. We plan on outing 1 1/2 inch foam board on the floor with half inch plywood, and spray foam insulation on roof and sides. Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[Life And Stuff]

I had originally planned on raising the roof, but after calculations I am having second thoughts. We will only be living in it two years maximum before our new property is ready to go. Has anyone here full timed and NOT DONE a raise? If so what are pros and cons of your decisions. You’re welcome to comment if you have done a raise as well. We plan on outing 1 1/2 inch foam board on the floor with half inch plywood, and spray foam insulation on roof and sides. Thanks for the help in advance.

Hey! [emoji12]
I'm planning on converting and full timing for about 2 years as of this summer, too!
I am NOT planning on raising the roof.

My kids are @4', 6" and I'm 5', 6". Headroom should not be an issue.

I do not have the manpower or the know how, let alone welding abilities or tools.
I also do not want to take the added time.
I have no idea what the added cost would be.

I really don't want to spend more money on windows. It already has so many! New ones would be more energy efficient, but that's not that big of a concern as I hate the cold and won't be spending any real amount of time where it's winter-ey. With such a small area it should heat up quickly and easily, anyway.
I quite like the walls of windows that busses have. Bright and sunny! [emoji274]

Wind gusts are a concern, too, albeit a small one. Plus bridges and low overpasses.
My worry is that the bus would not be as sturdy, either. Although, there is no real evidence for this concern as far as I know.

Best of luck with your project!

 

[EastCoastCB]

I had originally planned on raising the roof, but after calculations I am having second thoughts. We will only be living in it two years maximum before our new property is ready to go. Has anyone here full timed and NOT DONE a raise? If so what are pros and cons of your decisions. You’re welcome to comment if you have done a raise as well. We plan on outing 1 1/2 inch foam board on the floor with half inch plywood, and spray foam insulation on roof and sides. Thanks for the help in advance.

Most people DON'T do a roof raise. Its only for the brave lol. Sure makes it nice, though. I think huge raises are a bad idea for a few reasons but 6-12 inches of extra headroom really makes it feel BIG inside.

Just get a high headroom model and you'll be ok for a couple years.

 

[thrifty1]

Well as it stands right now I just went out and measured. From the steel floor to the bottom of the rib I have about 3 3/4 inches of play room. I guess the question is, is 1 and 1/2 inches of XPS enough underfloor insulation for South Carolina heat. I will also have spray foam insulation flush with the ribs.

 

[EastCoastCB]

Well as it stands right now I just went out and measured. From the steel floor to the bottom of the rib I have about 3 3/4 inches of play room. I guess the question is, is 1 and 1/2 inches of XPS enough underfloor insulation for South Carolina heat. I will also have spray foam insulation flush with the ribs.

I'd go with 1" for the floor. Its more than most do, and I've been in a bus with only 3/4" foam in the floor and it was nice, cool, and quiet in that bus and that was in FL heat!

 

[cadillackid]

part also is to think about how much you will be standing up vs sitting down in the bus.. showering, and preparing food on a cooktop would be 2 of the things id think would take up most standing time.. otherwise most people are seated or laying down.. where height isnt as much of an issue... I myself would sooner keep lots of windows to make the interior feel taller and larger than I would to raise a roof..
-Christopher

 

[EastCoastCB]

We were so pleased with our last roof raise we're definitely going to do one again some day. Roxy's even cool with raising our shorty if I want!

 

[thrifty1]

Wow if I can get away with one inch XPs on the floor I may just go ahead and keep the roof intact... I have all the tools and skills needed but I would rather save money for the end goal of the large property. Finished applying seam sealer and flex seal to my floor patches today so I guess I should start looking into skinning windows...

 

[Twigg-SKO]

I put 1 1/2" under the sub-floor. A cold floor is horrible, and I had 78" to play with.

 

[o1marc]

So Skoolies give short people an advantage for a change. I'm 5'9". I see no advantage, other than some added high storage possibilities, to going through the expense and labor involved to do a roof raise. I'm using a 1' piece of rigid foam followed by a 1/2 layer of rigid foam on top, routed for pex water lines. Actually I just realized it might be better to start with the 1/2 and then route the 1" half way through. Once the pex is down I will have the foam vapor barrier and thin (3/8") laminate flooring right on top to keep space loss to a minimum. So from metal floor to finish will be approx. 2", or about an inch less than stock, but have 1-1/2" of insulation.

 

[thrifty1]

Marc, are you cutting out the foam to route your pex under the laminate? Are you laying pex in the first layer and then following up with the other layer?

 

[o1marc]

Marc, are you cutting out the foam to route your pex under the laminate? Are you laying pex in the first layer and then following up with the other layer?

Pex will be in the top layer of foam and just under the laminate and it's vapor barrier.

 

[PNW_Steve]

Most people DON'T do a roof raise. Its only for the brave lol. Sure makes it nice, though. I think huge raises are a bad idea for a few reasons but 6-12 inches of extra headroom really makes it feel BIG inside.

Just get a high headroom model and you'll be ok for a couple years.

When I converted my first bus I was on the fence about whether or not to raise the roof. I visited several other buses and found that the ones with an 8-12 inch roof raise seemed so much more roomy.

I am 5'8" tall. I don't need a roof raise to keep from hitting my head. I am doing a roof raise to make a more comfortable living space.

 

[wendysdrivethrudude]

I'm only 5' 8", so I didn't think a roof raise would be worth it.

But, I did make a shower pan that sinks into the floor 8" so that I can comfortably take a shower.

It just depends on where you plan to do your standing. All mine is in the center of the bus with the exception of the shower.

I'm also going to make other accommodations, like not using light fixtures that stick out far, and putting the RV AC unit in a place where I won't hit my head.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'm only 5' 8", so I didn't think a roof raise would be worth it.

But, I did make a shower pan that sinks into the floor 8" so that I can comfortably take a shower.

It just depends on where you plan to do your standing. All mine is in the center of the bus with the exception of the shower.

I'm also going to make other accommodations, like not using light fixtures that stick out far, and putting the RV AC unit in a place where I won't hit my head.

You really should come out and have some beers and bbq sometime. You're local!

 

[stclea]

I'm 6'5" so raising mine was required to stand up straight. The raising of the roof went much faster than I thought it was going to - six hours or so from first pillar cut to the last weld. However, I was a little off from right to left which is causing problems with the sheet metal work. If everything was level it would be going a lot smoother. If I was to do it again I would follow how the fella on the youtube channel transendce existence did it.

One more thought, I was lucky enough to have a fully tooled shop to do the roof raise in. That undoubtedly made it easier.

 

[EastCoastCB]

I'm 6'5" so raising mine was required to stand up straight. The raising of the roof went much faster than I thought it was going to - six hours or so from first pillar cut to the last weld. However, I was a little off from right to left which is causing problems with the sheet metal work. If everything was level it would be going a lot smoother. If I was to do it again I would follow how the fella on the youtube channel transendce existence did it.

One more thought, I was lucky enough to have a fully tooled shop to do the roof raise in. That undoubtedly made it easier.

If you have any pics, please share em... the whole community can learn!

6'5"? Yeah, that's a definite on raisin that roof!

 

[stclea]

If you have any pics, please share em... the whole community can learn!

6'5"? Yeah, that's a definite on raisin that roof!

I have a few pics that show how I used square tube to stick in the middle of the channel iron and then welded it. I did it months ago so it has some surface rust over the welds.

If I had ever do it again I would follow the youtube channels way a little closer than I did. This is the link to the youtube channel. He begins the roof raise at episode 7 I believe.

Transcend Existence (MuddaEarth)

 

[Jshaul]

Can anyone suggest some unusually tall buses? I'm only 6', but I'm looking to install a generous amount of insulation for extreme heat.

 

[Twigg-SKO]

Can anyone suggest some unusually tall buses? I'm only 6', but I'm looking to install a generous amount of insulation for extreme heat.

The highest you are going to get is 77 to 78". You will then lose some of that to insulation, but not as much as some think.

You can add 1 1/2" of XPS Foam board to the floor and that's a direct loss of height. But when you remove the inner ceiling skin you have almost 2" of space gained.

In all you will lose probably an inch on the ceiling for a finished ceiling height of 74 1/2" if you start with 77".