| Author |
Message |
tom schlater (Cecilguitar)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 6:46 pm: | |
We are purchasing a 1990 MCI 102A3 for conversion for fulltiming. The salesman recommended just using the already intact ceiling insulation that comes with the bus. What do you think - good idea, bad idea, or what? Alternative suggestions? We plan to mostly avoid extreme climates, but will undoubtedly be in both hot and cold climates at times.
Thanks! |
JimH
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 9:03 pm: | |
I think you will want to do better than that. My Eagle had the factory insulation in it and we used it that way for a while. Had several water leaks. Decided to take ceiling out and foam it. Best thing I ever did. Not only stoped the leaks but made the bus much cooler in summer and made it VERY quiet. It went from all you could hear was the engine when going down the road to wondering if the engine was running! Now is the time to do it -- before conversion or as a part of conversion. I found a insuation guy who spraed it for me for $100! Biggest part of thr job was smoothing afterward.
My .02 worth.
JimH |
Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 - 9:29 pm: | |
Hello Tom.
FWIW, if you like the condition of the existing ceiling, leave it alone. The insulation in the stock coaches is not that bad.
The only way to appreciably improve it would involve removing the ceiling and all the existing insulation, strapping the ceiling in the opposite direction to reduce heat transfer through the ribs and spray foaming a greater depth than was there before.
I'd suggest simply replacing what's there with spray foam is a waste of time and money for any incrimental improvement that you might get and all that work to do.
Doing the big job usually must be coupled with a roof raise, as the loss of headroom is a concern.
The number one issue with living in a converted coach is air intrusion. All the super insulation in the world will not make up for air coming in through the front end, under the driver, through the existing HVAC vents, around the door seals. You are fortunate, a 1990 102A shouldn't have any serious window seal issues.
If you will be removing a few windows, that also helps, as the glass is a conductor of heat in the wrong direction. Double pane is better at resisting that than single, if it is still sealed.
From a economics standpoint, zoning your HVAC systems also helps a full timer keep costs under control: only spend your heating and cooling dollars on the part of the coach you are habitating at any given time.
You don't have to make the big decisions right away. With a little planning, you can rough together a perfectly serviceable coach and experiment for a year and see what works in the way of AC and heat for the lifestyle and environments that you want to operate in. Once you have purchased air conditioners, furnaces, inverters, refrigerators, stoves, batteries, tanks, toilets, sinks and so on, you can relatively cheaply adjust how you deploy them.
Or move them to the next coach....
happy coaching!
buswarrior |
Rich International Bus & Parts
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 01, 2005 - 1:17 pm: | |
One thing that is EXTREMELY hard to change after your conversion is completed is insulation. Some of the people that I have talked to don't have to turn on the AC until later in the day & run for less hours, etc......
Rich
800-468-5287 |
John MC9
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 01, 2005 - 1:35 pm: | |
Tom -
What "buswarrior" mentioned regarding the roof-raise shouldn't
be taken lightly. You'll be lowering the inside height considerably
when you add insulation. If you add anything to the floor, you
may end up with a much too low ceiling height.
While working on my '9 in the hot Floriduh sun, I thought of
adding some roof insulation. But after closing in three windows
on each side, and opening the rest... and using a fan... the
inside was comfy enough to work without added air conditioning.
My OE bus AC unit is gone, and my roof-top airs aren't being
powered yet... But the auxiliary "Welch" air conditioner is. And
with that running while travelling, it is more than cool inside the
bus. And on 90 degree days, in the bright sun... I'm impressed.
It's great to add the insulation, if you want to do it. And as said,
it's best to do it before you go too far with the rebuilding; later,
it may prove to be an impossible task. Try it as-is while you're
doing the other 50 million things to get the bus prepared for
your journey through bank account hell.... And decide for
yourself if you really "have to" do it.
I may live to regret it, but I've been happy so far. And from
I've read here, most others haven't gone the full monty either. |
Richard Bowyer (Drivingmisslazy)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 01, 2005 - 2:26 pm: | |
I have yet to read of anyone that was sorry they went to the added expense and work of adding good insulation.
I have seen comments from several that were sad that they had not done that. FWIW
Richard |
tom schlater (Cecilguitar)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - 6:13 pm: | |
Much obliged for your kind answers. Glad, and not surprised, to see that diverse techniques have worked for different folks. |
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