| Author | Message | ||
| Glenn Williams (Glenn)
Registered Member Username: Glenn Post Number: 118 Registered: 6-2006 Posted From: 216.163.57.169 Rating: |
Wow is that COOL! I am so glad I had this done. Here are the details. I needed to do get this done before the end of the year for tax purposes, so, I opted not to remove the lower interior panels that go below the windows. So we foamed from that line from side to side and the fiberglass caps. Dean Clawson (foam guy) did his best to keep the depth of the foam to 1.5 inches so that trimming will be easy. This saved me quite a bit of dough. I drove the bus to him and we did it in his heated shop. It really worked great. Total cost: $650.00. My friend Marty had his coach done as well. He put in three inches (I think) and really made sure the spaces were completely full by over filling them. I understand he also had taken everything out possible. I hope he will add to this post for his details. I thought that it would be nice to reccomend him to other Michigan bus nuts, so here is Dean's contact info: Dean Clawson Clawson Construction Office No. 810-664-5819 Cell No. 810-964-4098 Lapeer Michigan I blew out the old alternator belts on the bus on the way out. Dean took me to 3 different auto part stores to get new ones. As it turned out, they were too short, so he helped me make a bracket to allow the alternator to swing in closer to the engine and still attach to the piston. I can't speak highly enough about the guy. He also does some beautiful electrical wiring. I may have him do the install for the genset and inverter and shore line. | ||
| al olszewski (Happydays)
Registered Member Username: Happydays Post Number: 2 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 69.19.14.36 Rating: N/A |
Hey glenn I'll give him a call this summer. I still got to go down to texas and get my bus. Person I bought it from had new air bags put on, but one of them leaked I guess.Fights are cheaper after first of the year anyway go down next week maybe.Also if your ever traveling up in kalkaska area stop by, plenty parking and you can tell what I'm doing wrong on my bus ha ha I'm just off highway 72 between grayling & kalkaska....later..and happydays to ya | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 164 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 66.90.229.140 Rating: |
Take a scrap piece and hold a match to it! Most burns really well!! So until the entire interior is finished and EVERY bit is covered , remember to have 2 escape routes as a single spark can mean 4th of July. FF | ||
| Glenn Williams (Glenn)
Registered Member Username: Glenn Post Number: 119 Registered: 6-2006 Posted From: 216.163.57.205 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for the invite Al! Several times a year it seems we do shows at the Grand Traverse Resort and drive right by you. What bus are you working on? Fred - Thanks for the warning. I was told that this has a Class A rating. However, I am going to see what happens with a chunk and a lighter. Saftey first! | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1140 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.66.18.80 Rating: N/A |
The methods employed in the ongoing conversion might unwittingly start a fire, if one didn't realize the ease with which some scrap materials, or exposed construction, might ignite! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 797 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.5 Rating: N/A |
Fred, I didn't know you liked Prevosts that much! One good tip anyway is to keep one or two good fire extinguishers handy while you are working on it, and Fred is right about two exits- especially, as burning foam can be real toxic. Not trying to alarm you, just good safety info to keep in mind; like blocking up the coach before going under it. | ||
| Glenn Williams (Glenn)
Registered Member Username: Glenn Post Number: 120 Registered: 6-2006 Posted From: 216.163.57.205 Rating: N/A |
Thanks for all of the warnings guys. I have started shaving the stuff (wearing a respirator and goggles) and have not really needed to heat the bus. We got 6 inches of snow over night, but the temps have been reasonable. I have 7 potential exits in the bus. All of the windows are sliders with plenty of room for me to get out. | ||
| David Dulmage (Daved)
Registered Member Username: Daved Post Number: 186 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 142.46.199.30 Rating: N/A |
Fire retardents are specified in manufactured foam insulated panels (such as a used for walk in refrigerators), I would expect that Prevosts have fire retardent injected in the foam to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. It's posssible that spray foam mixtures can include fire retardent. Fred, as you probably are aware Prevost is owned by Volvo, not the Canadian gov't or taxpayers. I'm sure it takes advantage of whatever tax breaks it can, but it has a history of over 80 years manufacturing in the Province of Quebec and competes quite well on its own merits. DaveD (Message edited by DaveD on January 03, 2008) | ||
| Glenn Williams (Glenn)
Registered Member Username: Glenn Post Number: 123 Registered: 6-2006 Posted From: 216.163.57.205 Rating: N/A |
Ok fellas. I took a hunk of foam to the propane torch and yes, it burns. And as I expected, it will not continue to burn without another source. So in other words, an empty bus with only foam is safer than a completed vehicle. Less stuff to burn to light the foam. | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 383 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.23.106.193 Rating: N/A |
I hadn't even considered the flamability issue, so I tried the flame test on some of the various scraps of foam I had lying around. For some samples, it was a non-event. But for others, wow! it didn't seem to take much for combustion to be self supporting. Thanks Fred, for posting the flamability concern, may save me some unplanned activities as a result of indescriminate use of a grinding disk - which I may not use much inside the interior, but I can see plenty of uses in the bays which will be insulated too. | ||
| Luvrbus (Luvrbus)
Registered Member Username: Luvrbus Post Number: 238 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 74.32.81.73 Rating: N/A |
I have a Doctor friend his Prevost H3 45 burned to ground from a flat tire not because of the foam but the siding he was told.Daved the 417 Setra is killing Prevost in the high end market according to people in that business and would in the conversion market if they would sell just a shell | ||
| Jack Hart (Jackhartjr)
Registered Member Username: Jackhartjr Post Number: 9 Registered: 8-2007 Posted From: 64.12.117.73 Rating: |
I would imagine that if you put a torch to most things in the coach...it will burn...even the aluminum will melt if you leave it there long enough! Jack Hart PD 4501-945 |
