Skinning. Tell me why I should or shouldn't please.

[wdtjawshwdt]

Lol Gumpy well it is true...i didn't expect it... Seems like there are a lot of guys from minnesota that have done these conversions...if any of you are bored and need something to do on a weekend... 

[Tikvah]

Three energetic bodies.  That's all you need.  Not a huge job, just take your time and buy a couple dozen high quality drill bits.  Really, there are bigger jobs on the bus - like removing the stock bathroom.

[wdtjawshwdt]

Tikvah I love the window latches in the construction portion of your video.   Brilliant.   I did buy lower cabinets and I forklifted them in.  Said the same thing as you, I will just take it easy when I drive the bus into the shop....well the drawers were on the floor it was pretty aggressive.

[Scott & Heather]

Cliff is a genius in my 31 year old opinion, so this isn't to contradict him, just sharing my experience. We bought 1/8" thick aluminum sheet and installed it on a hot summer day. It has never waved on us even at 105 degrees. That being said, a trip to AZ in the summer might change that but for 90% of where we travel and the temps we see, it has never gotten wavy. And the Fiberglas or filon skinned RV's we pass by everyday are super super wavy so I think we are fine. The thicker aluminum helps. And don't worry about the extra weight. It's negligible. Our coach fully kitted out only weighs 32,000 lbs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk. Clumsy fingers may contribute to mistakes.

[luvrbus]

Lol I don't how you guys do it the thermal expansion of aluminum is almost 2 times that of steel maybe small sections and plenty of rivets is the key

Boomer who owns one of the best looking Eagles on the planet did the whole sides of his Eagle with just one piece of aluminum and he is one for perfection his bus has waves on a hot day

Fiberglass unless you do like the builders of Prevost and MCI which use carbon fibers is the worst one can use. Some where on this board Jim the RV-Safety guy posted the numbers for the thermal expansion coefficients of all 3 materials steel won hands downs

good luck

[Tikvah]

When I did my bus, you almost had me convinced to do steel.  I like a lot of the "Pros" like:
No rivets - smooth side
Simple weld on - no pre-heat
work the metal just like automotive body work
No warp

But, there are some "Cons" too.
Heavy
Potential rust
Heavy
Weld spots visible from outside (lots of sanding)

But, there are some nice "Pros" to the aluminum
Easy to handle
Easy to form and cut
Light weight
Same look and material as the bus builders used
"Everyone Else is doing it"

The "Con" of aluminum is limited only to the potential of waving.  And if installed hot, and we stay out of AZ, that should'nt be a problem.

Also, be sure (this could be a pro for steel), that you protect your steel structure from the aluminum.

Cliff is a genius in my 31 year old opinion, so this isn't to contradict him, just sharing my experience

I'm with Scott - this is a rare experience, so I'm having fun!   

One additional thought:  If I was replacing the lower aluminum, and the aluminum around the windows, then I think the smooth side steel might be the way to go.  You could spot weld the whole thing and even smooth seams if necessary (just like auto body work).  Hmmm, maybe I should have done that...

[bevans6]

MCI bus is already skinned with aluminium above the belt line, so adding a little more won't hurt.  The stock aluminium is thick and doesn't warp, the roof skin doesn't warp, so I guess the thermal expansion isn't that much of an issue.  The thick skin is pretty much the trick.

Brian

[luvrbus]

Lol look at all rivets Brian and the roof is in sections with a double row of rivets, GM are all aluminum they have a rivet ever 2 inches and still wave 

If aluminum is easier for the guys so be it as they own the bus my MCI 8 was skinned with steel from the converter fwiw     

[Jcparmley]

I know this is a old thread but I thought I would resurrect the old thread for us new guys and gals looking to skin our bus.  What are your thoughts about using HDPE (High Density Polypropylene) panels.  They are waterproof, uv stable, strong, and cheap.  I was planing on using ACP panels like Gumpy did but I have been recently thinking about these panels.  I know they expand somewhat but so does everything else.  They would have to be riveted but so does most everything else.  What are your thoughts?

[Jcparmley]

Any thoughts on this HDPE panels for skins?

I know this is a old thread but I thought I would resurrect the old thread for us new guys and gals looking to skin our bus.  What are your thoughts about using HDPE (High Density Polypropylene) panels.  They are waterproof, uv stable, strong, and cheap.  I was planing on using ACP panels like Gumpy did but I have been recently thinking about these panels.  I know they expand somewhat but so does everything else.  They would have to be riveted but so does most everything else.  What are your thoughts?

[Jim Blackwood]

I'd approach that idea with caution. I have HDPE windowsills in our sun room and they move considerably with the weather 1/4" in 10 ft is about normal. I think you'd have to have some sort of lap joints.

Jim

[DoubleEagle]

They would expand and contract at about the same rate as plastic drain pipe, which is noticeably greater than steel or aluminum. I think using it in a bus would cause more problems that it is worth. There is also the factor of what it would be like in the case of a fire.