I have been looking at filon: http://www.rvpartsnation.com/exterior/rv-fiberglass-siding/arctic-white-rv-fiberglass-filon-siding/ (http://www.rvpartsnation.com/exterior/rv-fiberglass-siding/arctic-white-rv-fiberglass-filon-siding/)
It looks like a great economical way to go. I got to see an eagle with similar siding and very much liked the way it looked. Trying to go a cost effective yet structurally sound route. It would be nice to go with a continuous sheet which is one of the perks of the filon.... a continuous sheet 102" wide and 35' long is about $700 and I haven't shopped around for cheaper prices yet.
My question is what gauge and what material is suggested for skinning the sides of the bus?
After the roof raise this spring, I'm using 18 gauge steel plug and seam welded so no rivets.
Bruce
Quote from: PRZNBUS on March 10, 2016, 01:47:44 PM
After the roof raise this spring, I'm using 18 gauge steel plug and seam welded so no rivets.
Bruce
What is your thought behind this? Are you using cold roll or hot roll? My biggest concern with using steel would be corrosion, the price is obviously much better than aluminum.
I used 5052 .080 thick no wrinkles.fwiw.
Dave Rasor
Steel is gonna be heavier for a given thickness. However, if you use aluminium, you can go 3 times as thick for the same weight, Thicker means fewer wrinkles.
Rivets will allow slight a slight amount of flexing without over stressing things.
Welding will be difficult to keep the panel wrinkle free . . .
I suppose if you heated the panel as you went it would shrink tight . . .
What ever you choose to use, I would recommend using something that accepts paint well.
Was the Eagle you saw the red one that belongs to Art and Cindy it turn out good covered with Filon
Quote from: luvrbus on March 10, 2016, 06:02:51 PM
Was the Eagle you saw the red one that belongs to Art and Cindy it turn out good covered with Filon
Yes! It was Art and Cindy's red Eagle. There were some waves in it but honestly I don't mind it at all. I just don't know whether I want to go the aluminum or Filon route.
I think if I go aluminum I will just go thin, I should be able to get a 4' x 8' sheet of 5052 .08 thick for $100 bucks. I could probably get a 4' x 12' sheet for a little more.
Just have to decide the cheapest solution that will work, if it looks nice that is OK too ;D
Bjorn, if you want thin, your best bet is steel. You can't go thin with aluminum, it will oil can a lot. Aluminum has a linear expansion coefficient twice that of steel. So the general rule of thumb is that if you want to go aluminum, you have to go thick to prevent oil canning.
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What do you guys think of this stuff:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/mat/5476354002.html (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/mat/5476354002.html)
It is an interesting concept and pretty darn cheap.
I think I am just going to go with .08" aluminum sheets. I think I can get 4' by 12' sheets for around $120 from a local supplier but still contemplating all of my options.
Most commercial truck freight boxes are now taped with no rivets. And most use .030" or .040". I used .063" aluminum panels 3M taped to the 1.5" square tubing. The two sided 3M tape is so strong, the suggested way to remove a panel is with an air chisel! Just another way. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: TomC on March 12, 2016, 08:48:20 PM
Most commercial truck freight boxes are now taped with no rivets. And most use .030" or .040". I used .063" aluminum panels 3M taped to the 1.5" square tubing. The two sided 3M tape is so strong, the suggested way to remove a panel is with an air chisel! Just another way. Good Luck, TomC
I was looking at 3M VHB #5952 which is the double sided panel tape you are referring to. I am seriously considering using this. for the application, I am just not sure how it will work towards the top and bottom of the sheet. If we go with aluminum we will likely just leave the sheets that are already installed (below the window); I am not sure if I would be able to use the VHB and still get everything to sit right if the bottom portion is riveted and I am not sure if it would look right? Who knows. When you installed it how did you attach the bottom and top of the panel? I am assuming that the top was tucked under the roof panel with a small amount of overlap and the drip rail was installed over it, but did the double sided tape provide any difficulty with this installation? I am just afraid that the tape will cause it to sit higher and therefore cause complications.
Seems like if using tape on the uprights you might have to use it at the top front to back also or a wave action might be visible.
That may be something to consider, I know they are really using adhesive and tape in mfg. now days with great results. I might use a sealant on the bottom overlap edge possibly, have to think on that a bit.
good day there
Floyd
As long as the tape is applied to all of the tubing possible oil canning should not occur... the tape is supposed to provide flexibility to the system and almost float the panels.
Also appealing is that enough VHB can be purchased to do the whole bus for $200. I found a site that sells a case for that price (1 case = 2 1" wide x 36 yards long). Being that this replaces rivets, adhesive glue, and drill bits, not to mention the time involved with installing, it seems like a pretty sweet deal.
I just can't picture how to attach the top and bottom with the thickness of the tape preventing the panel from sitting as flush as possible. I am going to have to look into this further.
I just finished Re skin and windows . I used .063 aluminum sheets. 1800 rivets used were blind sealing aluminum 1/4" dia by 1/2" long. I've only driven it a few miles but center windows were skun over with same material for years with no wrinkles. I'm guessing the whole sides will withstand but time will tell thanx . I just checked out your build, very nice!
With truck boxes, there are support moldings at the top that the roof attaches to, and at the bottom where the molding is the floor support. On my box, there are moldings covering up the top and bottom. Good Luck, TomC
If you are going for appearance steel is the way to go, less rivets,harder to work with but final results are worth it IMO.Long runs of aluminum will wave, even Boomers beautiful Eagle has a ripples in the heat with a 1 piece aluminum sheet .Steel is not that hard to work with a little help heat, stretch and tack weld 99% of the Eagle people use steel we have for years. Filon wouldn't be that bad if you had a vacuum system like the RV manufactures use
I will say that we attempted to use filon and it cracked we had to remove it and throw it in the dumpster. Spent $1000 on it on Monday and Tuesday it was in the dumpster. I'm still feeling the sting of that one. FWIW, I'm using sikaflex to adhere my aluminum on our new coach. Might be an idea.
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I have decided to go with aluminum. I found some places that sell 12 foot sheets for pretty cheap around where I live. If I need 3 sheets per side then I should be able to get all the aluminum for less than $900.
Next weekend I am going to take all the windows out and the drip rails off so I can measure how high we can raise the roof with a standard sheet of aluminum. I would like to squeeze as much out of it as possible.
I am guessing most people leave a 1" overlap on the top and bottom (too much/too little or do I have the right idea)? Is it the same amount of overlap on the left/right of the panel or would less than 1" be fine? I am sure there is some room to play and the biggest thing is probably making sure that rivets get a good hold so you want enough meat on each panel to be captured... just wondering what suggestions are out there.
I am hoping we can do as much as a 10" roof raise but we should be able to at least get 8". The following week or two I should be able to pick up all my materials.
Bjorn, you'll want to overlap the beltline but if you can, the right way to reside the coach is to underlap the roof line portion. This means that once you remove your windows and the aluminum window frames/inserts, you'll want to sort of peel back the roof a bit and slide the aluminum underneath, then seal it with your choice of seal, and rivet the roof back down over top the aluminum sheet.
(https://busconversionmagazine.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fuploads.tapatalk-cdn.com%2F20160314%2F28bcef790c4b40dccab59b84a15596db.jpg&hash=40f1121a858fcc30dd7cb07e8bd43dd1d68ffff5)
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I used 18 gage satin coat galvanized steel like mci used on the rest of the bus and for ease of use I put the seams on the side of the coach at windows or at the fridge vent to less the amount of exposed seams . only had 3 seams on each side , over lapped them 3 " with 3 separate beads vertical of caulking per seam 1/2 " apart . riveted top , bottom and did the roof like Scott did
dave
Dave that metal kinda sounds like what we casually call paint stick, getting it from the steel fabricator and industrial tinner shop here. The material had a very light blasted surface, and was a go to for truck and auto body repair/rebuild panels.
Just a guess on that, but when ever the time comes I will head to the same shops for any of the choices and using all your guys experience, thanks.
In using the sealers and or adhesives I know we have some good names, so just wanted to share this. In an interest with these products through searching and watching a few factory type videos and viewing photos of the same, I noticed the same names but differences in some number/model of these sealers/adhesives used in build areas.
Looking just a bit further the videos or photos at factories and understanding now they may use a type or numbered product in volume application, probably one reason and another is heat curing types or factory 2 part.
It sure is a task reading through some product lines, not exactly like reading some cool stuff on the site here.
got to get some coffee
good day there
Floyd