Please help me understand the basics of walls.

[Oregonconversion]

I have an MC8 and I am starting to plan my conversion.

How do I mount the plywood on the side walls?

How do I attach 2X4s to the walls, ceiling, and floor?


Thanks in advance.

[Blacksheep]

I used 1x2 firring strips on both and used self tapping sheet metal screws. The plywood is then screwed to the firring strips after you insulate. Don't forget wiring for 12v and 110.
Ace

[Melbo]

Planning is good

The time you spend planning will pay off in the long run.

Some say planning is for sissies cause they like to take it apart and do it over.

Proper length self tappers are the best but sometimes I use a drill for a pilot hole and then a screw.

2 by 4 is over kill and takes up precious space inside the bus.

Thin and sturdy but functional walls are the best so you keep your floor space.

Good luck keep reading and keep PLANNING

YMMV

Melbo

[TomC]

I also used 1x2 fir stripping going 90 degrees to the supports-or horizontally on the walls on lengthwise on the ceiling also screwed into the steel support beams by self taping screws.  This does two things.  One, obviously it gives you a nice base to screw your wall covering to.  But more importantly, it brings you wall level out beyond the metal supports so you can spray in insulation to the level of the fir stripping and cover the steel supports.  I've seen many just insulate between the uprights, then you have the steel supports exposed to transmit either the cold or hot from outside.  I have 2.25" of sprayed in foam with 1/4" plywood on the walls and 1/8" plywood on the ceiling since it is flexible to conform to the curve of the ceiling.  I have a 40ft x 102 wide transit with big lightly tinted single pane Peninsula windows.  My bus is so well insulated that in 107 degree weather while driving, my front and back roof top A/C is enough to keep the inside at a comfortable 75 degrees.  In 25 degree weather (the coldest I've been in) my 35,000btu propane furnace will run about every half hour for about 5 minutes to keep the bus at 65 degrees.  A well insulated bus will be insurance that will pay off constantly throughout the life of the bus.  Insulate well. Good Luck, TomC

[Oregonconversion]

OK I am starting to get an idea.

How far do I want these screws to go into the metal of the sides?


I am not planning on taking off the sheet metal on the inside. Do I screw right into the sheet metal? Or do I need to hit any type of support beam or something?

[luvrbus]

Oregonconversion the way you are planing on doing it screw into the cross braces the sheet metal on the inside will not hold screws very well     good luck

[TomC]

I used 1" flush fit phillips head sheet metal screws for the walls.  Drilled a pilot hole then screwed in the screw that ends up counter sunk.   I have driven the bus over 25,000 miles and everything is still tight.  Practically everything inside my bus is mounted this way, and have not had any loosening problems.  Good Luck, TomC

[makemineatwostroke]

Oregon; follow the rivet pattern on the inside panels and attach the plywood there the inside skin on a MCI is so thin it is not going to hold much with metal screws    have a great day

[bobofthenorth]

And don't mess around with those stupid Phillips head screws.  Come to Canuckland and import some Robertson head screws.  You won't regret it.

[Charles in SC]

I framed my walls out of 1 inch square tubing, (I was a welder in past life) and fastened the walls to that. It has worked well. Before doing any of that I drew off the walls on the floor with masking tape. My father said you should live in a house a year or so before you build it. I spent that year building other stuff such as holding tanks and trailer hitches. My father was right, I change several things about the wall locations. I set a chair in there and read a book or whatever it took to spend time hanging out in the bus getting the feel for it before I cut metal. It was time well spent.
Good luck!

[Oregonconversion]

ok so 1" screws with a pilot drilled first. Follow the rivets. Sounds very simple.

What do you use around the windows to make it look nice?

[Blacksheep]

Your Imagination!

Ace

[BG6]

I have an MC8 and I am starting to plan my conversion.

How do I mount the plywood on the side walls?

How do I attach 2X4s to the walls, ceiling, and floor?


Thanks in advance.

Built-up walls are simple -- you have the wall, you have the studs inside, then if you are smart, you have some insulation in there too!

I will be building mine using METAL studs, which are both much lighter and really really hard to burn, and packing the dead space with fiberglass insulation.  I'm also mounting the studs the "thin" way, to save space, and using screws instead of nails, so that I can pull the walls out if necessary.

[Oregonconversion]

OK now that I have the plywood floor in, I am going to start working on the walls.

I am leaving the yellow metal panels on because I do not want to deal with putting all of those rivets back because I have heard that the inside panel is part of the bus structure. I am assuming that there is some fiberglass insulation inside like the ceiling. Am I right?

I plan on 1" foam insulation on the walls and then attaching plywood using the methods stated above in this thread.

One of my friends will help me using a router to make the windows rounded.

This is what I would like to see as the end result.

[Tom Y]

Oregon, If you want that look you need to put more supports on the ceiling. Yours is rounded like mine. Most put 1/2 to 3/4 pywood on the walls and ceiling then attach the cabinets to that. I put 1/2 on the walls and reused the alumium ceiling. I rerolled the alumium ceiling and put the wall paper or contact paper up so I had bare metal to glue to. It is hard to mount the ply wood as your bus is not set up on 4 foot centers. There are no 2x4s in my bus, each to their own. I used a Kreg system and wooden cleats to mount my plywood interior walls.  Good luck  Tom Y