Framing your bus conversion subfloor is a mistake, do this instead
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- Опубликовано: 25 июн 2022
- You cant build a home without a solid foundation! In this episode I cover all my favorite methods for building the strongest, highest performing skoolie subfloor possible.
My name's Chuck, I've been professionally converting buses for the last 7 years and was director of operations for a charter bus company before that but it's time for a change.....
IN THIS SERIES, follow along as I build a skoolie for myself, sharing my knowledge of buses and off-grid bus conversions along the way.
Follow me on instagram for more info
/ chuck.cassady
For paid consults, skoolie advice, solar help, and more, email
charlie@chromeyellowcorp.com
Check out my shop
www.chromeyellowcorp.com
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#skoolie #offgridliving #busconversion
As a single female building out her first bus to live in, I've researched ea. Step and watched 1000 of hours if videos.. and I wish i came across u sooner!!! ❤
76 y/o female and I just found this. Luckily before I started my build. 😁👍
I really love the This Old House vibe on the intro and outro's. Very well instructed and " scoolled " video. One TIP for you from 35 years experience gluing glass and mirror to walls and ceilings INSTEAD OF LAYING OUT YOUR CAULKING LIKE A ROPE squeeeze out BLOBS A NICKEL ROUND IN A POLKA DOT FASHON ABOUT 8-12 INCHES APART AND STAGGERED. This will SAVE you 50% in caulking and give you about 400% better adhesion . After years of pulling out others work proves that DOTS OR BLOBS will STICK 100% OF THE TIME and ROPE WILL STICK 20-30% OF THE TIME. The reasoning for this is that when gunning out the caulking in a rope the thickness of the bead is so inconsistant only the thick parts will make contact and the thin parts will not stick to both sides of the objects. You will acheive a better and more level application. With mirrors the reflection must be perfect in order to look good, you dont want to see a reflection of a door ,window or the room itself being crooked . Dots will spread out making perfect contact with both sides and be better to level between each other. Even though you add weight on top there will still be a 1/16" or a 32 of an inch of space between them and some areas of the rope design just dont make contact.
Game changing comment 🎉
As a former tile-setter, I think using a notch trowel to spread the adhesive would make for a better bond, especially between the foam sheets, and between the foam and the subflooring. If there were 4'x8' ceramic tiles, that's how you'd do it!
i was thinking the same thing "this old bus with Chuck Cassady"
I think maybe one of the differences is they are placing a LOT of weight on the boards to ensure good contact and spread of the adhesive, whereas with hanging tile or glass you can only put so much pressure on something vertical.
He even looks like a young Bob Villa.
Man, I’ve watched this one quite a few times now. So damn valuable Chuck! Thank you dude. An in depth video on how you do your cabin area would be massively useful and popular in the bus conversion community. Nobody covers this in depth, and your wealth of knowledge would generate the best version of that build video. Even just an overview and explanation of your methods would be so freaking useful. Just throwing it out there, man! Thanks again for all that you do!
I find all of Chuck's advice tremendously helpful. However, he left one thing out, and I just did it wrong!
When laying the Advantek subfloor, you want the exposed edge of your first panel to have the side with the groove exposed, not the side with the tongue exposed! Sadly, I've just come back to glue down my second piece of subfloor, and discovered that it's going to be very hard to slot the exposed tongue into the groove of the new panel coming in. Once I realized I didn't know how to do it, I went and found a Huber educational video about their product, and they make it clear that I've got it flipped around.
My sorrow, but maybe someone will learn from my mistake!
Great tip to bring to light. I can see how it can be easy to make this mistake if you're not mindful of it before you lay your first piece or making your cuts on your following pieces. Those can be VERY EXPENSIVE mistakes using Advantech. I was luck enough, I scored by Advantech for $32 a sheet. It's back up to $50 a sheet now but still far better than $100 a sheet.
Thank you, I would be that person who missed that detail.
SUBFLOOR MATERIALS:
1) Chassis Saver paint on rusty but clean floor.
2) 11:24 Owens Corning Foamular 250 NGX Extruded Poly Styrene insulation sheets, 4 x 8 x 2” thick X 2 = 4” thick. (This is very dense. Not to be confused w/ Expanded Poly Styrene which has little balls like styrofoam.)
3) 16:05 Advantek Engineered OSB, 4 x 8 x 3/4”. (This is tight and highly weather and warp proof. Not to be confused w/ cheap flaky OSB.).
4). Everything is glued down w/ big tubes of Loctite PL3X. One tube per 4 X 8 sheet. (Dries much faster and is stronger than Liquid Nails.)
Thanks! I was just looking for this info ;)
Great summarization. Thanks!
The foam is XPS.
@@samuelfox8126 Yes. Owens Corning Foamular NGX 250 Extruded Poly Styrene is XPS.
@joeblow1942 what about the final primer on top the osb?
I bought a 40' BB All American from Tony at AAA Bus. I'm in the process of doing the build. Your videos have been INVALUABLE to me in this process. THANK YOU ! ! !
Glad to help
Great video,
I used a rust converter on my trailer frame, it was pretty cool watching the brown rust turn black..then paint with a good paint you like..
But you are showing options, and that’s the true value in you’re videos🙋🏻♂️ keep up the great content 👍🏼
I've said it before and I'll say it again... This guy is THE AUTHORITY in all things skoolie. I learn so much with every video! If you want it done right... watch how Chuck does it and follow his instruction.
I’ve started keeping a “Chuck Says” notebook to refer back to on each step such as electric, solar, plumbing, etc. Sometimes I wonder how he manages to keep all this knowledge in his head at one time! Then I remember, oh yeh, he’s just a youngster….they remember everything. I’m 74 and lucky if I remember what I ate for breakfast!
10:23 What a smart man! I agree 100% with this,I never understand why people frame out the subfloor in bus conversions. I’ve seen this foam as the underlay the ramp going down to the garage just before they pour concrete over it. They also use it as a base in swampy areas so they can drive trucks over it. I’ve been doing construction for years, we put this on basement subfloor’s before we pour concrete over it, or put it on a concrete subfloor and put plywood over it, and we never frame it out. I never understood why people did that during RV builds.
Thanks for sharing this stuff man. Great job. Tiny tip from a contractor, whenever I've had to do similar glue-ups I spread the glue with a notched trowel after squirting it everywhere. Probably wouldn't make a huge difference, and yes, it's messy. But like you, I like to take any chance I can to over-engineer, or go the extra step when creating something intended to last for years.
BTW, even with all my experience I'm learning so much from your vids where the general materials I use everyday intersect with bus building. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I'm always looking to learn more from someone who has already been where I'd like to go.
He is so meticulous, careful and detail. Great job and I just love watching the work done.
Thank you betty!
You may already do this, but, cut a plug out of your 2 inch foam, that will fit tightly in the fuel access hole. Then glue that to your cover. Adds a bit more insulation to a cold-well, and will help with rattle sometime down the road. Great Job! Good Ideas and execution! Thankyou for these methods of flooring.
Thanks! I'll be using a piece of 4" i have laying around, thanks for watching! subscribe and stick around :)
@@ChuckCassadyYT question: do you plan to LIVE 24/7/365 in this or just two weeks a year?
Are you designing for ALL climates/seasons or a targeted range?
WHAT are you doing about Moisture/CONDENSATION?
Dead air spaces versus rotating air columns inside insulated or non insulated spaces?
MOLD?
it seems most people that do these do minimal insulation AND sell between 3 to 5 years --- which is the time frame where most major mold is BOOMING ...
have you looked into "VIP" (Vacuum Insulation Panels), ceramic vacuum sphere paint?, wool, and external insulation such as spray foam on the outside and then coverings with a skin/shell...
EDIT: also in terms of full time living all seasons... : how do/do you insulate water tanks/ water tank compartments and control for moisture AND thermal bridging &, Condensation?
@1truthseeking8 he has other videos addressing most of what you are inquiring about
I wish I had seen this before I tested like 10 different adhesives to painted metal/xps/wood. I arrived at the same conclusion! I glued my van floor in with that exact Loctite PL 3x. Holding strong for 2 years now!
Best use for polyiso: the inner layer on your ceiling. This is especially useful where you have unlimited height (ex: you raised your roofline, but aren’t coming close to the height restrictions where you live/drive) as it allows you to use less expensive bulk insulation (like batting) and then have a single polyiso layer on the inside which will both even out your temperature and let you get the full benefit of it as you’ll almost always keep the inside of your bus (or tiny home) above the degradation temperature.
this man speaks with so much wisdom yet humility. forever grateful for you videos Chuck 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
Well shucks thank you so kindly!
I'm right there with you on the floor sandwich and we also like the PL polyurethane adhesive...and I've used that on lots of bus floors. But we've recently switched to the foam polyurethane adhesives, after some strength and coverage testing. Foam cans, used with a screw-on gun, like the Dap SmartBond or Advantech seem to fill voids better and give better coverage per $$. You might look into those. 🙂
Honestly the BEST weatherproofing I've used for years on chasis and metal has been to take a gallon of tar and thin it out with gas or mineral spirits and brush a couple layers on. NOTHIGN gets through tar and it NEVER leaks. Cheap and best. Treat your metal with acid then throw some tar over it and your done. Lay some 30# felt paper down between your subfloor and steel too.
These highly educational videos of yours are truly improving and enriching people's lives. Thanks for another great video Charlie. :)
Thank you Alyssa. Your videos are so real and honest...they enrich people's lives, I'm sure❤️
Quality work on the floor. I'm on my sixth 40' motorcoach, and currently have three 40'ers, one 35', one 33' and one six window 6x6 bus.
I love your work! Your voice, presentation, expertise, and knowledge reminds me of great times watching This Old House when I was a kid.
Charlie would be great in This Old Skoolie. :)
Thank you soooo much!
The Bob Vila of bus building.
This series is fantastic. Please please keep them coming through this project completion and beyond!
Thank you! That's the plan
Best bus builder on RUclips
Thank you Rich!
I love this approach and the critical thinking involved. I'd like to apply a lot of the processes and ideas here to the installation of a subfloor to my sprinter van.
Unfortunately the floors of my vehicle has a series of ridges and troughs that are about 1 half inch each at different levels. I would love to put XPF right on top, but I'm afraid that although it's compressive strength is adequate for your purposes, that the unequal pressure applied by the shape of the floor could compromise it either by cracking it or compressing it in unpredictable ways where heavier objects placed above it will compress it more.
I THINK this might be why some van converters use battens, even though it introduces such heinous thermal bridging.
I can think of a few approaches to address this potential issue:
- sandwich XPF between two layers of plywood product (I already have the OEM one I could use for the bottom layer)
- Get a more compressable XPF and let it mold to the contours of the surface below it
- Put a layer of XPF in between structural battons and another over the battons and the first layer of XPF
What I'll probably do though, is buy Advantech and some XPF 200, jump on it, and see what happens! Would love to know what you think about how XPF would behave in this type of situation
Keep us posted
@dariuszmrowca1177 still repainting the floor, but I have been able to handle some XPF and it may actually be up to this task.
I have tried to find van-oriented videos about this, but I've only really found instances of people filling in the “valleys” with microcell. This seems fine, and may be optimal because structural issue I mentioned before, but thermally, I don’t think it’s necessary because of the thermal bridge of the XPF contacting the high points of the van floor. So you might as well just provide that support with any other material, like wood (although it probably does have some really solid sound-deadening properties). On another note, the R value of (non-ventilated) air is about the same as that of XPF, so if you could successfully seal it off it would be even more pointless, but I guess pointlessness is absolute so that doesn’t really matter. Then again, that might create a sort of drum, where the reverberations of the floor would bounce around under the XPF, and be noisy.
I’ve been looking for a video just like this. Informative and great job. Thank you! Excellent video
Advantech is an awesome product. Looking at a piece right now. It has been in the weather since 2021. Still good. I am also wearing PL right now, and it has been almost two years since I first installed it on my pants. Do not settle for anything less, everything else washes off eventually, but PL remains. It is also on the bottom of my work boots, which have actually been working. They recently helped put out a forest fire. PL is still there. I rest my case.
hahaha that is one of the best comments ive gotten in a while. i also have a piece of advantech in my backyard since 2021--still looks fine! thanks for making me chuckle
You're a fantastic teacher. Excellent content.
I've watched many many many building videos in many genres of construction, hobbies, gardening, auto, etc. you're a top quality instructor. The "why" you give is salient and reasoned
Please keep up the videos
Appreciate this comment a lot! Thanks for watching
Love this....it looks fantastic!!!
I really appreciate the time you take to explain the products you use.
I really appreciate that you go into detail and the WHY's in your videos. I also appreciate that you give budget friendly options. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your insight and experience
Thank you! I get a surprising mix of folks like you and folks who think I am too detailed....I can't help myself!
You're a natural! Another really helpful video. Thanks for making this series, I'm learning a lot!
Excellent. Just excellent - as usual. Thank you!
Best Skoolie content out there. Keep it up!!!
Just want to say 'thanks!' for this video series. I will be adapting a lot of your ideas and materials to a cargo trailer conversion I'm planning out right now. This flooring video and the one on doing walls to avoid thermal bridging have been real eye-openers. Thanks!!
Thank YOU! All the detail is hugely appreciated!!
Professional looking subfloor! I will definitely follow this method when I start my build. New subscriber!
Wish I had this video available when I did my boxtruck, so many usefully tips and informations!!
Claim the term "World's leading Schoolie conversion expert" - seriously, it's yours for the claiming & your willingness to display & share this knowledge is evidence to support it. Thanks Chuck. Really inspirational & informational. Hey, everyone Chuck is the World's Leading Schoolie Conversion Expert. (there ya go)
Thank you for the help in deciding on what I will do.
Another awesome and very informative video, Charlie! I am so thankful that you started these videos right when I started gutting my bus. You have become my goto person for the best bus building info. Thanks for doing what you do, Charlie!
Thank you Scott! I'm making these exactly for folks like you!
This is the channel ive been looking for
This video is a wealth of information, experience, and advise. Excellent job, Charlie.
Appreciate that james!
love the content and find myself watching all the vids start to finish. well done. would love to find somewhere to do this full time. never done anything like this but am a proud owner of a 40ft pusher bluebird that i plan to convert.
Really excellent video Chuck!! Thank you!
Wow Charlie! What a great video - full of useful tidbits of information, product recommendations and skilled demonstration! While I don't have plans to convert a bus at the moment, I'm sure I will use some of these tips, techniques or products on some of my other projects soon. Thanks for making and sharing these videos! Such a great teacher!
Thank you!
You are a great teacher!! Outstanding job ...
Thank you!
Pro job, Charlie, Dayum!
I appreciate that you explain the 'whys' of your build. I'm also appreciating you explaining why you choose certain materials and tools.
Thank you so much! I want to share it all
You are a great teacher Charlie....Thank you so much
thank you Connie! and thank you for subscribing!
these videos are GEMS!!...thank you for all you do to pass along this information!
getting caught up on your videos after having not watched in a while and as always, a wealth of information. Particularly interested in checking out home applications for the Advantech as I, too, have always thought "OSB is garbage" especially in our rather humid summer/damp winter climate. I keep seeing other build videos where they continue to do the 2x4 framing on the floor and I don't understand it. Seeing your builds makes it pretty clear that it's more economical (both in total materials and heat transfer) to do it your way. Plus not having to cut the foam in a bunch of small pieces to fit in the wood framing to me means less waste and a faster floor - and while faster's not always better, in this case it makes total sense. thanks for continuing to share your knowledge!!
This information is invaluable 🔥 You provide so much information with key details explained thoroughly. Thank you thank you thank you 🙏🏼
Thank you for watching!
Knowledgeable and generous. Thank you, thank you.
just Love your concept. and it work perfectly! great professional job! if I decide to get a Schoolie your the person to look for , for putting in the floor, and probably the electronic systems as well, excellent job!
Please do! Thank you so much for watching
Nice job chuck .looks great
I am so glad to see a floor done right in a bus build!
Thank you!
Looking to build a Skoolie and so glad I found your content. Honestly the most valuable information and such clear and knowledgeable content. Thank you for making these videos!! Will be watching all your videos i can!
Welcome aboard! thanks for tuning in
Fantastic video chuck. Will be reaching out soon for some solar consulting and equipment.
Thank you!
Watched the whole thing! Learned a ton! Love to see your dedication to doing things right the first time. I know it’ll come in handy at gutted haha
Hell yeah I'm really stoked
Great work, sir!
Great job explaining why you build the way you do in your skoolie builds. You may achieve the most consistent bond between layers by blobbing on the adhesive and then using a 1/8" V notched trowel to give a perfect consistent layer of PL adhesive. I was going to use 3" of foam insulation in my overlander build, but to see someone using 4" of insulation - I am impressed!
I love your detail.
You are an innate teacher. Excellent explanations. This is an amazing education. Thank you so much. You should have 1 million subs!
So informative. This is so helpful, Thank you!
I'm sitting in my new tour bus, a 1999 International Bluebird 3800 T444e, listening to the rain patter against the steel. I'm staring at this floor again that I haven't taken any action on because I was sure there was things I needed to know but was worried I would only get them from experience.
Thank you sir. You just simplified everything by sharing the full experience.
These videos are f**king awesome please keep these going!!!
An absolute masterclass. Thank you, Chuck.
Very welcome
Love it. Learning lots. Thank you! 👍🏼🙏🏼
Very nice, very professional
Thank you for sharing the AdvanTech subfloor. Just read up on the specs. Picking it up tomorrow for my van.
Wow, you cover so many important topics related to housing/materials/chemistry. Thanks 😊
My pleasure 😊
Brake air lines don’t like slag either!! Great info and video!
I Love your videos, cause I’m Brazilian and I can understand everything. Your English is awesome
Great soap box...I always learn so much
Thanks for watching
Damn ....i im watching your vids in prepatoey for my truck camper build.....now , ya basta , you got this me wanting a skoolie.....hell fire damn!
A very thorough work!
Thank you kindly!
Hugely appreciate your valuable information
I want to do a bus in the future, You're a good instructor!
Thank you!
This video is superior, great job, thank you
THIS OLD SKOOLIE
Keep ‘em comin!
Another enjoyable masterclass 👌🏻👌🏻
Thanks Paul
Awesome job.
You are so Awesome. Thanks for Sharing Your Talent with The World.
Thanks for joining us!
I have been wondering what paint to put on the chassis of my old motor home renovation. Now thanks to your video intro I’m on the hunt for Chassis Saver.
If someone were deadset on filling the floor holes, rather spend the time and tedious work welding, purchase rubber grommits that size and apply the chasis saver over it to create the seal! And anytime you weld you should corrosion protect both sides. That chasis saver should ideally cover both sides of the floor!
BRILLIANT! I will do this to my 12x20 deck that has cedar 11/2 " x 4" sticks which I will remove. And do what you did in your bus. I would like to make it a 4 season covered deck! With ZERO carpentry skills...a steeeep learning curve awaits.Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you!
Hello Chuck, I found your channel a few months ago and have been watching your videos, I started my bus conversion almost 8 years ago and have enjoyed watching you and your team work, my bus is not a schoolie but a 1971 MCI MC7 which I stretched to 45 feet, raised the roof 12 inches and built 3 slideouts in, which is part of the reason it's taken me 8 years to get this far, while I didn't do everything the way you have for various reasons, I can't find anything you have done that I disagree with, though there are things I wish I had done the way you do, MCI buses have a sloped floor so to level that out I did run stringers across the bus in different thicknesses to compensate, not necessary if no slideouts are involved but definitely easier with slides, I've been living in it and continuing the build for the last 3 years in southwestern Canada in temperatures ranging from 115 degrees to -30 degrees and can confirm from experience that your construction methods are sound, I've worked in the custom car industry as well as tugboat industry and we used the same construction techniques in those industries as well so can confirm they are valid, Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.... James.... Oh, and I have my build on a RUclips channel as well if you wanted to check out everything I did wrong...😊😛
Awesome video! I feel confident to do my subfloor now! The roof raise seems intimidating though! Interior height demands it…. Subscribed.
Thank you! So glad it could help
Thanks for the Intel !!!
Any time!
Chuck, I think I would watch your videos even if I wasn't shopping for a bus to covert! I really enjoy them, thanks for your hard work.
Wow, thanks! i appreciate that :)
Learning a lot from you guys keep up the good work 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦👍👍👍👍
Not only a how to but a why to
Video. Very generous of you as a true craftsman to share the hard earned knowledge and experience. Thanks.
As a former Framer if there is one suggestion I could make…
Please wear some knee pads.
After years of crawling around laying out and nailing out I only wish I would have worn what we considered to be back then those Sissy kneepads. So happy they make spare parts I’ve had both knees replaced and crawling around all that time was a real factor in their deterioration.
Thanks for taking the time to make this very practical and informative videos.
Thanks just Mike! And you're dead on. I have some great kneepads, but in the heat of the filming I didn't get them. You should have seen this case of bursitis I got a few months ago....my pants barely fit over my knees!
Thanks. Very informative
as usual.... GOLD!. . . thanks Charlie :D
thank you!
First off thanks for the heads up on the Chassis Saver. I need to touch up some spots on my RV and chassis saver sounds like the way to go. My only other comment is I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to radius the corners on the access panel. I realize there is structure underneath but square corners are just more susceptible to cracking. All in all a great job. Anybody want to buy a pint of Black Rust-o-leum and some rust converter? Keep the good stuff coming.
The chassis saver takes 30-60 days to fully cure, so that window of time while curing allows for whatever you're putting over it to stick better.. Great video by the way!
Thanks for watching!
I just bought a 2006 ce 200 int with the dreaded 6.0 VT 365 medium bud out of Texas got it fully inspected and it purrs just fine and no rust. Anyways after looking for the right person on RUclips to teach me valuable information on my build. You sir are now my teacher. Green or red apple?
Haha thank you! Green!
Hi Chuck, most of the time I do not like google using it’s algorithm on me, now I am glad, I saw another video on insulation and now this one and now I know my doubts on wrong insulation methods and insulation in general. Hopefully the paint product you showed is sold in Europe as well. Many thanks, Albert 🇳🇱
thanks for watching!
A máster i. The making. Awesome brother thank you for the info.
Excellent!
great info. 👍
Outstanding.......