Bus conversion for tall guy...

[Platypus]

Hi everyone!

Im new on this forum even though i've been reading about van conversion for a while...
So to put it simply, i want to convert a 18 passenger school bus into an adventure mobile. Unfortunatly i am quite tall, 6'1... So i was wondering if anyone knew anything about the maximum interior height for a bus.. I looked it up online but the thing is i need to insulate the floor and the roof pretty well since i live in canada, so i fear that this insulation is going to reduce the height of the bus interior... If someone have any knowledge on this topic feel free to share it with me, it would be really appreciated! I really hope i dont have to raise a bus roof to be honest ...

Anyway, thanks vanlifers!   

[NickJ83]

Hey there.

How important is it for you to be able to stand up in your van?

Not sure what vans you get out there but my van in the UK is a short wheelbase low Ford Transit. I think my load space is 1.45m +/-. I'm also 6'1"

I cant stand up but my cooker etc is at sitting height. I wont lie it can be a bit cramped but I've been living in here full time for over 3 months now.

Plus smaller spaces are cheaper to insulate and convert and easier to heat in the cold.

Just my 2 pence worth or 2 cents 😊

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[kryten]

You can use insulation that looks like foil wrapped bubble wrap and maybe use 2 layers for extra insulation, it is expensive though. The bus ceiling should be ribbed so that might be your minimum insulation space plus 6mm (1/4 inch) ply to cover. For the floor you could lay flooring on top of the same bubble wrap type insulation. That should give you the most amount of headroom. Not knowing how much headroom the bus will have to start with, you might have to forgo standing.

[Platypus]

Thanks for your answers Nick and Kryten!

Well ive considered it, but i would really prefer if i could stand up... And i really dont want to be forced to always have my neck crooked because there is 1 inch of height missing in the bus you know? And yes i've seen some videos where bubble foil was used, i just dont know if it would be enough insulation.. I know i can stand up in a school bus since i've spent all my highschool in one to get home, the only question is how will the insulation affect that.

By the way i am sorry if my english does not always make sense, im french so writting in english is sometimes a struggle..

[NickJ83]

I've used bubble foil in my van admittedly I may have been slopping in areas but it only works if there is an air gap.

In some places I get condensation on my roof and it has occasionally frozen.

My van usually holds at 2°c above the outside temp.

I'm going to be redoing mine in a few weeks with something more substantial and maybe use the foil in the corners etc where flatter material doesnt fit so well.

Over in the UK there is another foil based material that is quilted with about 21 layers of foil. I think I may try this in the roof. But it is super expensive £75 for 5metres. Not sure what this is canadian.

I see what you mean about wanting to stand up and not crook your neck an inch.

Its not a problem I've really had because my van I have to sit down so I have a good 4inches above my head.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

[kryten]

I've never been inside a school bus so I don't know how the ceiling is formed. I'll guess and say that it is double skinned which probably means there is a gap between. If that is the case, and you say you can stand up in a school bus, then would you be able to remove the inner skin, fill the space with insulation of your choice that fits, then reattached the inner skin? This would mean you don't lose any head room.

[Platypus]

You're right Kryten, but i dont think that the roof is the problem, i was more thinking about the floor.. I was wondering if adding insulation to it would cause a problem.

[kryten]

If you afford to lose about 40mm (1.5 inches) the you should be ok to insulate the floor. If not then you could board the floor with something like 15mm (1/2 inch) osb or ply then cover this with carpet. it will give you some protection but not as much as insulation. Yoga mats or rollup camping mats are thin and could be used over the metal floor to provide some insulation.