I'm back...we decided to build our own RV from scratch

[IGBT]

Where the sheeting overlaps (about every 16 inches on a stud) we used that blue tape along the previous seam and let the Sikaflex ooze out.&nbsp; It was then easy to score the seam with a razor and peel away the tape and excess Sikaflex.<br><br>The things in the picture holding the last sheet on while the Sikaflex dries are actually 1" square rare earth magnets with about a 60 pound pull.&nbsp; Because our frame is steel, these worked a treat to easily hold the panels up while they dry.<br><br>We did worry about thermal expansion and buckling.&nbsp; The panels are relatively narrow (16" for most of them) and the overlap is 1 inch.&nbsp; The Sikaflex is supposed to be able to stretch 300% to 400%.&nbsp; My hope is that the fish scale type of construction will allow the panels to slightly move over each other as we get thermal cycling.&nbsp; I do think one giant sheet of aluminum would have buckled like crazy.<br><br>

 

[highdesertranger]

thanks igbt.&nbsp; so on the roof did you also use sikaflex to glue the sheeting to the plywood.&nbsp; I am planning on using 4x8 sheets of sheeting do you think the buckling would be acceptable rok guy can chime in too. highdesertranger

 

[IGBT]

Yes on the roof we did use Sikaflex to bond the plywood to the steel truss but we also used screws up there through the plywood into the steel.&nbsp; The aluminum siding is just held on with Sikaflex, spaced off the steel 1/16" by embedding cut sections of nylon tiewraps in the Sikaflex after it has been applied to the steel.<br><br>Expansion from 60 degrees temp to 120 degrees temp is about 0.012 inches per foot IIRC.&nbsp; So not really too bad for a 16 inch panel widthwise, but for a 4 foot sheet it would be about 0.05 inches over the 4 feet.&nbsp; Is that enough to buckle? No idea really.

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">IGBT, The magnets sound like a great idea.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Yes you will still get buckling, 8ft, 4ft, 16inches, glued, pinned, riveted&nbsp;or huck bolted. I actually replaced all the rivets in mine and ovalled out the holes (in the cargosheet)after the next summer to allow for the movement. On the motorhome I didn't get much because I didn't glue it. Its all pop riveted.&nbsp;This does seem to work.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">&nbsp;Heat of alloy on steel is amazing as I thought for sure laying on the panels in the first hot summer 39 deg C would not allow&nbsp;any buckling but it still did. The roof will be worst as its horizontal.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">When I did the second truck sleeper it was&nbsp;Sikaflex glued&nbsp;to the plywood walls ( horizontally on a bench) under weights and built in seperate sections then reassembled.&nbsp;Still had some buckling the next summer.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">My alloy cabin prime mover has a slight ripple effect visible across the back in hot summers and thats 37 years old.<BR></SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Below if you zoom in you can see the 12in section at the rear has buckled slightly from the power of the sun.... just pulled the alloy&nbsp;away from&nbsp;the Sikaflex. <BR>Highdesert your not going to notice it up there on your roof so it shouldn't bother you.Get it up there on the hotest day you can handle ! I've just learnt to live with it<BR><BR>There was a story&nbsp;getting around&nbsp;in the U.S, of a guy whos new&nbsp;professional bus conversion was caught in a hail storm and his&nbsp;insurance wrote it off. It was sold off real cheap to another guy who went to live in Mexico where most of the hail dents just popped out. Nice.<BR>&nbsp;. <BR>Geoff<BR><BR><A href="/file?id=1572625" rel=lightbox target=_blank><IMG class=bbc_img src="http://files.websitetoolbox.com/82529/thumb/1572625"></A>&nbsp;</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[highdesertranger]

thanks again igbt and rok guy.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[zemio]

Excellent project! It's a biggie!&nbsp; I did something vaguely the same with my rig, putting a bigger flatdeck truck under a camper body then filling in the gaps with freezer panel. I keep the cab free for tipping, my mechanic has already thanked me once for that. If you pull the body back on it's bed, you can fill in the cab gap the same way and find yourself the proud owner of cavernous storage. Check my profile. My truck has the nick name 'pammie' for the amount of silicone I've shot into it over the years. Must have worked, it's doesn't to leak <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">

 

[IGBT]

It raises up enough on the jacks for the cab to tilt for quick checks.&nbsp; For extensive service, like replacing injectors, I would remove the camper so all of my stuff and living area doesn't spend days&nbsp;at someone's shop.&nbsp; The cabover is a huge amount of space.&nbsp; Having it over the cab reduces the overall length of needed vehicle by 6 feet.&nbsp; Our vehicle will be about 26 feet long and have a full living area plus a pod capable of carrying 2 snowmobiles AND two motorcycles, all without towing a trailer (when we don't pull the sailboat).<br><br><br>We finished installing the 2 inches of polyisocyanurate fire resistant foam and have sheeted the inside of that with 5mm plywood.&nbsp; Now we need to paint the outside, work on the inside cabinets and install the appliances.&nbsp; Then we load it up on the truck and take it to get Rhino coated.<br><br>

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Hey, this is really neat.&nbsp; If you did want to add an extra door, i just wanted to mention we solved the extra wasted space for the door in my van by making it a sliding door (think japanese doors).&nbsp; If you put one in each pod and they matched up, with a lock on the garage pod you'd be golden.

 

[IGBT]

Yes, well except in the living pod the door would be in the middle of the sink and you would have to step over the fresh water and gray water tanks.&nbsp; In the garage pod the door would be in the middle of the cnc milling machine I plan to have on the forward wall mounted on a workbench.<br><br>Perhaps a transporter might work &nbsp;&nbsp;