Let The Planning Begin!

[Almost There]

I have no name for the van yet except maybe "Big White Money Pit"

While I wait out the long, white, cold winter that is starting already I can get all the planning and sourcing (and stockpiling funds) done so that come spring I'm ready to roll. The sooner this baby is done, the sooner I can go places...

Rather than start a hundred different threads for each question along the way, I'd like to try to have just one thread with a hundred questions...lol.

First question - bubble wrap - local sources show only my choice of either 3/16 or 5/16. Are either of them thick enough to provide the air space that I need between the metal and reflectix?

Next question - given that I never, ever want or plan to be subjected to too hot or too cold weather once I've won my freedom, is one layer of reflectix plus interior finishing materials (wood, naughahyde, etc) enough?

 

[janncoo]

Welcome to the forum. Lots of helpful threads under insulation topic. Jan

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Next question - given that I never, ever want or plan to be subjected to too hot or too cold weather once I've won my freedom, is one layer of reflectix plus interior finishing materials (wood, naughahyde, etc) enough?

Reflectix is a rather specialized material. Properly applied, with an airspace, it will keep the sun from overheating your interior space. It will offer NO insulating value in cold weather.

Regards
John

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I have no name for the van yet except maybe "Big White Money Pit"

Hmmn. Moby Dick, the great white whale?

Regards
John

 

[Iggy]

Hopefully you come up with a better name than I got saddled with. The local bikers are pissed at me because several of their girls have dated me. So they labeled me RapoVanMan. I really don't care as long as they don't paint that name onto my van.
Insulation probably is important, more so for cold climates and sound proofing. It doesn't help much with heat. My van is naked but I don't stay in extreme temperatures for long. That's why I'm mobile. And I like to hear my surroundings clearly. But that's just me. Do what works for you. Good luck on your planning and future van life!

 

[akrvbob]

If you are going to be in cold areas, no, just Reflectix isn't enough. I'd add one inch of polyiso insulation. Or some other styrofoam if money is tight.
Bob

 

[Almost There]

If you are going to be in cold areas, no, just Reflectix isn't enough. I'd add one inch of polyiso insulation. Or some other styrofoam if money is tight.
Bob

Ha, ha, I'm from Ontario so 'cold' needs to be defined. But no, I don't do cold. Eventual plans are BC summers and somewhere/anywhere in the western US that is NOT winter. I'd rather move than be staying somewhere that nighttime goes below maybe 40 F.

I tried searching for polyiso at Home Depot and came up empty. Is there a trade name I should be looking under.

I can see from pricing that I am going to be doing a whole lot of cross border shopping come spring.

 

[akrvbob]

Here it is at Home Depot:
http://www.homedepot.com/s/polyisocyanurate?NCNI-5

Polyiso:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyisocyanurate

Bob

 

[Almost There]

Alright!!

I finally got started on the demolition of the yucky interior this afternoon.

It's going to take a lot of time to get rid of it all. The PO (previous owner) who is making me quite PO'd right now never used a short screw where a long one would work and I spent more time than enough changing heads in my ratchet driver.

Here's a pic looking of part of the interior BEFORE I got started.



He also used any screw head that was handy so I've been removing two different sized Robertson (it's a Canadian thing...), Phillips and 1/4 nut screws!

I also found water, way more water than I like to find.

Here's one source of the water and I need some advice on how to plug the hold temporarily until I can get the body work done in the spring.

It needs to be done from the inside - course I could just put a pot under it but I'm looking for a better solution. It only has to work until it goes in the shop!



I'm betting that I find another couple of holes before I'm done but right now my shoulders are sore from all that unscrewing and the occasional use of brute force and ignorance...

 

[Seraphim]

It's hard from the picture to see what the hole is through - I'm assuming it's metal. But, if you can a sheet of metal just bigger than the hole, sheet metal screw it in place, then cover the screws and edges of the metal with Dicor lap seal, you'll have a good ugly patch lol. One tube of Dicor should be sufficient, but it's expensive at $14 a tube. But just put a bunch on, and it's self leveling.

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Should work whatever the material the hole is in...

 

[LeeRevell]

It's hard from the picture to see what the hole is through - I'm assuming it's metal. But, if you can a sheet of metal just bigger than the hole, sheet metal screw it in place, then cover the screws and edges of the metal with Dicor lap seal, you'll have a good ugly patch lol. One tube of Dicor should be sufficient, but it's expensive at $14 a tube. But just put a bunch on, and it's self leveling.

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Should work whatever the material the hole is in...

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Or, use JB Weld. A little dab'll do ya!

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

course I could just put a pot under it but I'm looking for a better solution.

This stuff worked well to fix a hole in a shower:
http://www.amazon.com/White-Eternab...d=1417921628&sr=8-9&keywords=mobile+home+tape

 

[Almost There]

Sorry, I should have been more specific about the hole.

It's probably 5/8" diameter in the fiberglass high top. There are mounting blocks for something near it and some kind of black base on the outside. It had a length of tv cable running through the pink insulation that was cut off at the opening so it was probably for some kind of antenna at one point.

I can reach it from the inside by standing on a step stool but I won't be able to get it repaired properly from the outside until spring when the bodywork is done.

Eternabond sounds like the thing for me to use, unless someone has something better to suggest.

I suspect I'm going to find more spots that need temporary seals when I get the rest of the demolition done.

 

[Tinman74]

If you can only reach it from the inside for now and if the hole is perfectly round why not try a cork or cork shaped rubber plug. twist it as you push it in hole. It should stay and swell enough to seal and will probably cost all of 25 cents at Lowes or HD. Could also try to put some caulking or plumbers putty on the plug first.

 

[Almost There]

If you can only reach it from the inside for now and if the hole is perfectly round why not try a cork or cork shaped rubber plug. twist it as you push it in hole. It should stay and swell enough to seal and will probably cost all of 25 cents at Lowes or HD. Could also try to put some caulking or plumbers putty on the plug first.

That would work for that hole I think.

I've got wet wood and insulation in a couple of other places that showed up once I got the first layer of wood off. At first I thought it was a window seal that was leaking into the high top but there's moisture above the window as well. I suspect that it's from other holes that were drilled in the high top and not sealed properly or vibration has started them leaking. There's a single solar panel up there so there's 4 mounting spots for that plus the hole for the power line to come inside.

Eternabond has a 'emergency repair kit' that's got 5' of tape in it. I'll pick up one of them. It probably should be in my tool box anyways for future emergencies.

 

[sassypickins]

Maybe squares of exterior duct tape up there on clean and dry roof and below if you can reach them. I did that with white tape over a tiny hole on a back corner I made with my trusty drill :-( and so far it is sticking tight. I know, cheapo quickie, but hey, it's a good bandaid for now! Tape residue will come off later with a bit of goo gone or wd40 or whatever.

With fiberglass batt insulation a mold problem could develop behind the walls because of the leaks and it would suck if there was and you got sick from it. Are you thinking you might replace some of that with a moisture resistant insulation like polyiso?

 

[Almost There]

Maybe squares of exterior duct tape up there on clean and dry roof and below if you can reach them. I did that with white tape over a tiny hole on a back corner I made with my trusty drill :-( and so far it is sticking tight. I know, cheapo quickie, but hey, it's a good bandaid for now! Tape residue will come off later with a bit of goo gone or wd40 or whatever.

With fiberglass batt insulation a mold problem could develop behind the walls because of the leaks and it would suck if there was and you got sick from it. Are you thinking you might replace some of that with a moisture resistant insulation like polyiso?

My first challenge in reaching the outside of the van top is that I'm 5' tall (well, that's when I stand up real tall nowadays...). I can't even reach the middle of the windshield to brush the snow off...

When I'm done there will be NOTHING on the roof that I need to reach ever!! I'll beg or borrow a tall ladder once a year to polish the fiberglass and that's it.

And yes, the entire interior is coming out right back to bare walls. It was coming out in favor of bubblewrap/reflectix/polyiso anyways. The crap that was used to build the interior is going straight to the dump!

I started yesterday unscrambling the puzzle of how it was put together...sigh!. What a mess. 3 hours of unscrewing pieces and I'm nowhere near close. I figure another 10 to 15 hours minimum.

I'll pick up disposable face masks tomorrow and do a coverup clothing routine to start pulling out the fiberglass.

 

[sassypickins]

Uh, boy, I hear ya.

I unscrewed sheet metal screws til the cows came home, but then I had a pile of reusable sheet metal screws, so cool! Then I got to fingernail polish each hole so it wouldn't rust -- hopefully.

Good music helps immensely!

 

[Almost There]

Uh, boy, I hear ya.

I unscrewed sheet metal screws til the cows came home, but then I had a pile of reusable sheet metal screws, so cool! Then I got to fingernail polish each hole so it wouldn't rust -- hopefully.

Good music helps immensely!

I only wish they were reusable!

So far I've found 5 different types of screw heads (slot, two size Phillips, 2 size Robertson) plus a whole lot of 1/4" nut screws. This reminds me so much of work my Dad used to do for me, any screw would work, finding 4 that matched was not going to happen!

The other problem is that this guy used 1 1/2" screws to hold 1/4" plywood and 2 1/2" to hold anything thicker. I even found some 3" screws in there.

Oh, and a 4 ft. length of trim needed at least 6 screws, more likely 8.

And somewhere along the line he acquired a countersink bit for his drill. I use a little flashlight to shine down into the hole to figure out which bit THAT screw is going to need!!

I knew the minute I saw the van that it was going to be a gut job but until I started in at it, I didn't realize the immensity of what I was looking at...sigh!!

 

[LeeRevell]

This reminds me so much of work my Dad used to do for me, any screw would work, finding 4 that matched was not going to happen!

I can totally relate! My Dad was a bigtime DIYer, but apparently did not believe in standards. My Mom just had her home's back door/screen door replaced, and I warned the Lowes installers they may find 'anything' in the framework, as Dad followed his own rules. Hehehe...... a couple hours later they had the new doors hung, after having to rip out the entire old framework down to the house's studs! They said it was the hardest replacement they'd ever tackled!

As I begin to dig into my new-to-me 1988 E150 conversion van, I am finding that someone in it's past was channeling my Dad...... multiple screw types used, and little following of any standard procedures. Makes things...... uh.... 'interesting'!

 

[Almost There]

I can totally relate! My Dad was a bigtime DIYer, but apparently did not believe in standards. My Mom just had her home's back door/screen door replaced, and I warned the Lowes installers they may find 'anything' in the framework, as Dad followed his own rules. Hehehe...... a couple hours later they had the new doors hung, after having to rip out the entire old framework down to the house's studs! They said it was the hardest replacement they'd ever tackled!

As I begin to dig into my new-to-me 1988 E150 conversion van, I am finding that someone in it's past was channeling my Dad...... multiple screw types used, and little following of any standard procedures. Makes things...... uh.... 'interesting'!

Maybe it was age related, the previous owner, my dad and likely your dad are all from the same generation.

I'm so glad some that there's someone else out there that can relate.
I don't feel so alone and know that my grousing on the demolition difficulties has some sympathetic ears!

Years ago when Dad built the interior of my work trailer for me, I bought all the boxes of hardware so that they all matched.

If nothing else it's taught us what not to do!