We are at the stage in the bus build where we find ourselves juggling multiple jobs at the same time. Sometimes we are held up on completing a project because we are waiting for supplies to be shipped to us or waiting for the appropriate weather for the job. While we were waiting for the temperature to rise before installing the CeraTex Insulation, we made our furring strips. However, we then had to wait for the CeraTex to be installed before we could screw the furring strips into the roof. It’s a constant juggle now but there is always something that can be done while you wait.
We had leftover ½ inch plywood from our flooring that we wanted to make use of for our furring strips. Without a roof raise, we also wanted to make sure our ceiling didn’t take away too much height in our bus. So thin yet secure furring strips made sense for us.
We also had 1 inch thick foam board insulation that was leftover from a job, so we made use of it too to create a thermal break.
The basic idea is that the insulation stops the heat or cold from conducting through the roof into the ceiling materials.
For the curved beams that ran from the driver's side to the passenger side, we broke them down into 4 strips as the plywood wouldn’t bend at the corner where the wall and ceiling meet. We realized that this would also allow us to run wiring through these gaps if needed.
We cut down our wood into strips and used a chalk line to draw a line down the center, so we knew where to glue down the insulation plus a line on the outside so we could line it up with the beam and screw into the center of the beam with Teks Wood to Metal Self-Drilling Screws.
It was helpful to have 3 pairs of hands to bend the wood to the curve of the ceiling as we installed them. There was a rubbery tape on some of the ceiling beams which we had left on thinking it wouldn’t be an issue and wasn’t worth the time of removing. However, it actually did matter. Our screws wouldn’t bite into the metal at these areas, they weren’t long enough anymore because of the space this rubber took up. So we ended up cutting it off with a knife. At the very front the beams are actually at a different level, so we had to add an extra insulation so that the furring strips were the same height as the rest of the bus.
The beams that run from front to back were easier as there is no curve. With the help of a floor jack we were able to install long furring strips with just the 2 of us. We installed 98% of the furring strips. We left out a couple at the front of the bus for now as we needed to remove the unnecessary wires from tv’s, speakers and reading lights first.
Up Next
We pick out a paint color for our walls and ceiling then begin making our walls.
Some of the links we share are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, Rehabit8 will earn a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Please understand that we have experience with all of the products we post and share them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.
Chalk Line Reel
We used the chalk line reel to mark off where the center line of the furring strips were to center them on the beams. It is also useful for measuring out our cut lines for various jobs in this project.
TEKS Self Drilling Screws
It seats flush into the wood. The point has precise cutting edges to improve drill performance with less effort. Wafer head design has a large bearing surface ideal for plywood.
Fact Check
