| Author |
Message |
Mark Pool (66.43.13.70)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 6:12 pm: | |
Hi!
I just purchased a new bus for my conversion project. It's a Gillig 636 transit coach. (35' deisel pusher) I've stripped out the inside already.
My question is regarding insulating the roof. Can it be done?! I beleive there is about 5" of space between the roof and ceiling. But there is no removeable panels to access this 'attic' area.
I am thinking of 'spray - foaming' the area by drilling a bunch of holes in the ceiling and spraying in the foam. Is this feasable?
By the way, the ceiling is only 6'4" high, so I don't want to install anything on the underside which will sacrifice space.
Any thoughts or advice muchly appreciated!!
Thanks alot!
Mark |
RJ Long (Rjlong) (24.127.74.29)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 10:09 pm: | |
Mark -
There's a couple of Crown guys that lurk and post on the bus bbs's, Henry of CJ and Gary Carter, one of whom, IIRC, has taken the ceiling panels off. Since Gillig's skoolies are very similar in construction, I wouldn't be surprised if removing the roof panels is also the same.
Look in the topic index for the thread "Fun with the Crown", you'll find them there.
BTW, Gillig is located in Hayward, CA. Their number is 510-785-1500.
HTH,
RJ
PD4106-2784
Fresno CA |
R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.173)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 07, 2003 - 11:30 pm: | |
Mark..my Crown Highway Coach is roughly the same inside height as you said, but I do not have 5 inches of space between ceiling panel and roof skin.
My panels were Formica, removable starting at the back, as I recall, and the space between was insulated with 1.5" Fiberglass.
I removed and replaced with ridgid foam. (Lowes) Also have bubble foil in strategic places such as over the sleeping area, Drivers area and a couple other areas. Did the same on the sides all around. Replaced the Formica with Oak 1/8th stained white. Nice ceiling.
HTH
RCB
'64 Crown Highway Coach |
Henry R. Bergman, Jr. (Henryofcj) (63.164.175.146)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2003 - 5:10 pm: | |
Hello Mark;
I have not yet pulled down the ceiling panels on my Crown yet soosssss I am afraid I can not help you yet. Good luck with your Gillig. Henry of CJ. |
Peter Aduskevich (Slowslowpete) (67.75.113.115)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 12:07 am: | |
Has any one tried to put the original ceiling panels back ? I heard that it was next to impossible on the type of buses that are being discussed hear. On the East coast I have not found any one that would foam a ceiling . Would be interested to know if you find out how to do it with the metal ceiling in place. |
Gary Stadler (Boogiethecat) (68.7.217.217)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 10:08 am: | |
Peter, the distance between the old ceiling and the roof interior is not much more than an inch, and even if you could figure out a way to foam it without the foam's expansion buckling everything from the pressure, there would not be enough R value in the end to do much good.
In my Crown, I removed the left and right rear interior ceiling panels (the compound-curved ones) to put in wires and do some body work. Replacing them was a nasty job but time and patience prevailed... I then drilled an array of 1/4" holes every foot or so on the inside thru which I squirted two-part (McMaster) expanding foam. When I was done the whole thing was full, solid, and done...and because the rear area is basically spherical in nature, the foam squirted out of the holes I drilled like crazy as it expanded but couldn't mount enough pressure to distort the interior or exterior metal. Anywhere else on the bus, this process would have been a disaster for the shape of the interior panels.
BUT as compared to everywhere else in the bus it's the least insulated place in the rig... the rear (my bedroom) gets hot faster than everywhere else by a long shot. The inch of insulation is nice to have back there but having removed the roof panels and foamed between 2-3" thick everywhere else has made the remainder of the bus extremely (and noticably) well insulated by comparison.
To get the panels off, you unscrew them, pop the middle of the sheet down into the cabin so now the panel is in a big convoluted curve, and then have a buddie uproot the sides one by one. To put the panels back on again you just do the process in reverse. My wife and I reinstalled a panel up at the driver's end- again a pain in the butt, but it was definitely doable with some patience and a few four letter words..
Cheers
Gary |
R.C.Bishop (128.123.221.140)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2003 - 11:23 am: | |
A tip..on the curved panels front and rear. Take them down carefully and use the old panels as templates for the new.
I used 1/8 th inch oak for the ceiling. Looks great and went in very nicely.
RCB |
Peter Aduskevich (Slowslowpete) (67.75.113.35)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 12:18 am: | |
Thanks for your responses. I have 1 5/8 on most of the ceiling .The compound areas get deeper. I have two problems . One: The bus was partial converted when I got it. Would have to undue a lot to get all the panels down. Two: I go from about 6ft. 3" to less then 6ft. in the back. If I hear correctly the center section 1 5/8 will buckle if I try to foam it. I have a piece of felt in the ceiling. In NM last spring 84 out side , 102 in bus (all windows open) . Turned on my one air cond.(windows closed) for an hour it droped to 101. Peter |
JD-Crown.GA (66.245.143.83)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 5:34 pm: | |
Peter, I have a 68 Supercoach and removed all of the roof panels. I put in two layers of 1/2 inch foam board I picked up free from new house construction sites. Putting the roof panels on was a challenge, so please take your time taking them down. Marking them with a piece of tape or permanent marker might help.
Does it help? You bet it does. It doesn't get nearly as hot on the inside in the summer and it keeps a lot of heat in during the winter. The a/c's don't have to strain as hard to cool it off, especially since I put in the cabinets. You'll need two A/C's to cool the inside of the bus down. One won't cut it.
Jim |
Peter E (Sdibaja) (200.56.105.14)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2003 - 7:04 pm: | |
Did I hear "...picked up free from new house construction sites..."? Could you please post a residence address, I have a warent to serve...
Just kidding, my Dad used to give me hell if I phresed something a little off... Peter |
JD-Crown.GA (66.32.118.136)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2003 - 12:05 am: | |
LOL! I never gave it a second thought! It was no problem talking to the construction foreman and getting all the scap he had. It saved him from having to get rid of it!
Jim |