Must it have the side panels ?

[Clan Graham]

OK ... so those sheet metal side panels that are riveted with THOUSANDS of rivets ... They have to come out, so the insulation can be installed. BUT ... it seems like everyone puts plywood back where those metal panels were riveted in. <br><br>Is this absolutely necessary ?&nbsp; Are these necessary for keeping the side walls rigid ?&nbsp; I would like to simply use 3/4" foam board for my new walls, instead of plywood. This OK to do ?

 

[BC Guy]

Foam board will give you very little structural strength.

 

[highdesertranger]

kind of confused as to what you are asking?&nbsp; need more info.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[Unchained]

He means the inside walls on his skoolie, HDR.

 

[dusmir]

I agree with BC, that's the strength to resist lateral forces. Think of it like this, build a plywood box out of single pieces of plywood, then&nbsp;push sideways&nbsp;on one corner. It would collapse right over, but if you build it with double walls on the sides, it's a lot stronger. Bad explaination, but hopefully you get what I mean.

 

[wagoneer]

I would not mess with the integrity of the structure you don't need to insulate the whole coach and though the few inches will decrease the living square ft. adding on would be a lot more doable Please some photo so we can see your question.

 

[rokguy]

<span style="color: #808080;"><strong><em>Considering that most coaches and buses of old have full chassis and welded steel framing.&nbsp; I don't think removing those finishing pressed steel panels are going to effect the integrity of the the structure at all.</em></strong></span><br><br><span style="color: #808080;"><strong><em>If it was mine I would remove them, insulate with Poly batts and resheet whole wall with 9mm (3/8) plywood.&nbsp;</em></strong></span><br><span style="color: #808080;"><strong><em>But thats' me. Geoff</em></strong></span>

 

[cygvan]

<p>definitely replace the panels with plywood if you arent replacing with metal.&nbsp; the plywood will be very strong if you attach it correctly (which shouldnt be difficult).<br><br>and you will be amazed how handy it is to be able to fasten things to the plywood. i would do 3/4" myself but others may think 1/2" is fine.&nbsp; 1/4" or luan would really only be cosmetic. it will return some rigidity as another poster commented because you are "completeing the box" so to speak. but its cosmetic in my opinion.<br><br>there are other materials you could use. but plywood can be painted, stained, polyurethaned, epoxied, covered with carpet, FRP, stainless steel sheets or aluminum sheets, wallpaper...<br><br>its the way i would go.<br><br>good luck man i cant wait to see how you progress.<br><br></p>

 

[highdesertranger]

thanks unchained.&nbsp; I was in the dark on this one.&nbsp; now I understand.&nbsp; so re-sheeting with ply seems like a good idea.&nbsp; highdesertranger

 

[rokguy]

<em><strong><span style="color: #888888;">I agree cygvan, Thicker the ply the better. Makes a great base material. 9mm (3/8) 12mm (1/2) gives strength and some curvature.</span></strong></em><br><em><strong><span style="color: #888888;">In a bus doesn't matter so much as it wouldn't effect the Gross Vehicle Mass much, after all they were design to carry 40 ish people sitting.</span></strong></em><br><em><strong><span style="color: #888888;">3/4 plywood here is used to pour concrete on in formwork so I would consider this overkill somewhat.</span></strong></em><br><em><strong><span style="color: #888888;">Geoff</span></strong></em>

 

[Unchained]

Hey CG<br>If you do decide to go with just foam, you might want to check out the 'Foamies' forum on the TNTTT site:<br>http://www.tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=55<br>Those folks make entire travel trailers out of foam and canvas, so they know how to seal it and make it rigid.<br><br>ETA- and I have to admit, I'm sort of in love with those little foam trailers! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img" title="Big Grin - ">

 

[Simran]

I'm not sure why you would want to just use foam on the sides as one of the reasons for ply is to protect the integrity of the foam for insulation. That said, if you've ever read about why a bus us built the way it is; you would never hesitate to leave the sheeting off the sidewalls on the inside. Buses are so overbuilt for protecting the little passengers that in one instance a bus was T-boned by a Semi and both occupants of the semi went to the hospital and in the bus only one student had a broken arm; the rest were just shook up. <br>Those funny looking ridges on the side of a bus, that make a school bus a school bus no matter what color it is,&nbsp;are designed and place strategically to SPREAD the impact of a crash along the full side of the bus.<br>Those things are built like tanks. Would leaving the sheet metal off the inside diminish the integrity of the bus? As a school bus yes. As a camper? Maybe not so much.<br>I still wouldn't leave just foam board unprotected. It is not designed to be used like that.