What's on your roof?

[Dawgs]

Some like the clean look, others have rooftop air, in motion satellite, fresh air vents.  Some have covered the emergency exits and some still have them.  Just curious and looking at ideas.  I do like the idea of the mini splits, they are quiet.

[TomC]

On my bus, I have three roof airs, two Fantastic Vents, three drain vents, batwing TV antenna.
On my truck, I have two Fantastic Vents, two drain vents. The roof is too tall for A/C's

If you do use mini splits, make sure you open the condenser/compressor cabinet to see that all freon lines are supported from vibration. Good Luck, TomC

[Iceni John]

Lots!   Between my two roof hatches I built a 26'-long walkway, from which are hinged eight support frames for my eight big grid-tie PV panels that can sit down against the roof or be raised up to 45 degrees from horizontal.   There's still space for two solar water-heating panels, and maybe also two small 12V PV panels for my starting batteries.   For me, the roof merely is some useful space to help make my bus as functional and effective as possible.   An incidental, but probably significant, benefit is that almost my entire roof will be shaded, greatly reducing the sun's heatload on the bus.   My 2kW of PV panels will be more than enough to run a mini-split A/C.

John

[Tikvah]

You've seen my roof.  We love our fantastic vents (4 of them).  And I would never build a bus without the mini-split.  It continued to make heat when we were down to 8* one night....but not enough heat.  We've stayed comfortable to 20*.  But this topic isn't about our awesome mini-splits, even though they use very little power and are very quiet
On the roof I also have my WiFi Ranger Sky unit, four Fantastic vents, and it kept the roof hatches on the outside.



TIKVAH
(Dave Rush)
MCI 102A3   6V92
Full Time On The Road - I couldn't fix my brakes, so I made my horn louder

[bevans6]

One emergency hatch stock, three vents, one AC, one refrigerator vent and a crank up antennae.

Brian

[luvrbus]

All depends how you use the bus it's a wash on all of it,me no way would I depend on electric heat I don't care for the power pole all the time. 

With mini splits I don't care for wall space they use and the ugly unit inside the bus but they are a less expensive route to go than a Aqua Hot and Crusiairs the people I know with mini splits have a love hate relationship with those I kept the top of my bus clean fwiw   

[sparkplug188]

The only thing on my roof is 5 gallons of Liquid EPDM.    The 42,000 btu Mitsubishi Mr. Slim mini split takes up 14" of space in the "house equipment" bay.  It is the ideal solution for me.  I want an empty roof and spend most of the time plugged into a 120/240 50a pole. Boondocking, big water tanks, PV panels and battery banks aren't for me.

[luvrbus]

The sides were important for me also I wanted no vents anywhere on the baggage doors and body and Matt likes that

I am not boon docker but a few days or a week fishing for Salmon or Steel Head in Idaho on a river without a power pole I can handle that  

How is that stuff on the roof working for you Jesse I have a 45 footer I am taking to Albuquerque to have the roof sprayed with the smooth bed liner material in white the 1st of Jan    

[Oonrahnjay]

The only thing on my roof is 5 gallons of Liquid EPDM.    ... 

    Same for me.  But it's not a question - my bus is right at 13'6" -- no way to run even a tv antenna or anything (unless it retracts down below the roof line in the back).

[sparkplug188]

Clifford- The Liquid EPDM looks and feels the same as the day I coated it.  It is still "rubbery soft" like a thick sheet of EPDM.  It has been two years with no signs of chalking, cracking, or peeling.  I fully expect it to last 10+ years before needing a second coat.

I will be the first to throw EPDM coatings 'under the bus' if their product doesn't live up to their claims.

http://www.epdmcoatings.com/

When I had my truck bed Rhino lined it was over $600 for an 8' bed.  How much does it cost to line a bus roof?

[luvrbus]

I have no idea Jesse what it will cost he is a good friend we are going to do the bays with all compartments and we are thinking about doing a round shower stall with the material if he can make it look like tile

[belfert]

I have three rooftops, a vent, two escape hatches, and a Fantastic vent on my roof.  Mini splits were not really an option when I built mine, plus I need the bay space.

I am looking at putting the liquid EPDM on my roof next year.  I talked to places both local and across the country about putting bedliner in the roof of my bus.  Prices were between $3,000 and $5,000.  All were more than I have to spend on the project.

[luvrbus]

Mine won't be anywhere near those prices paybacks are hell 

[eagle19952]

one fantastic fan in the bathroom...

basement air from First Co. out of Dallas TX. with a 24"x24" by 42" closet air handler ducting integral to cabinets overhead..... it is a unit that normally would mount on a high rise condo, a 3 ton unit, R22. so no roof warts for me but I do have bays vented...
Clifford, how are you cooling gen-sets with no bay vents ?

[luvrbus]

Remote radiator and squirrel cage fans, air in and out from the bottom of the bay for the generator. It took me awhile to figure how to make a propane fridge work without cutting a hole in the top and side though but I got done