Building a living quarters inside a FRP panel box truck?

timothy rooney · 01-11-2009, 10:51 AM

Looking for some advise on building living quarters (couches, tv, microwave, refrigerator, no restroom) inside the front half of a Hino 20'box truck. The back half will be used to store car racing equipment (tires, tools, fuel barrels, etc). The front and both sides are FRP panel. The rear of box has swinging aluminum doors. I have the following questions:

1) What framing construction is recommended for placing interior walls?
a. aluminum or steel or other
b. what size
c. distance between studs

2) What material should be used for interior wall?

3) What insulation should be used?

4) What kind of bonding should be used to connect FRP to frame to interior wall?

5) Lighting recommendation?
a. ceiling
b. where to purchase

6) Window recommendation?
a. installation
b. location
c. where to purchase

7) What material should be used for the dividing wall between the living quarters and "garage" area. I would like to have a door for access between the two spaces.

I know there are lots of questions but any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Tim

Doc Weaver · 01-11-2009, 04:10 PM

Tim
I can't answer all your questions, but I will tell you what I did.
1) What framing construction is recommended for placing interior walls?
Mine was an aluminum box so I will defer

2) What material should be used for interior wall?
I used plywood, sealed with KILZ on both sides. you don't want your wood to rot from condensation. I then covered the plywood with sheets of plastic from curbell plastics http://www.curbell.com/ 

3) What insulation should be used? Expanded foam board. Styrofoam squeaks. 

4) What kind of bonding should be used to connect FRP to frame to interior wall?
once again aluminum
5) Lighting recommendation?
I just went to the local RV parts department and bought 12 volt lights and wired them to the battery. make sure and use some kind of fuse block. I also have lights connected to the generator. 

6) Window recommendation? I bought directly from Kinro The guys name was Eric at the Indiana plant. I bought my air conditioner/generator doors there too.

7) What material should be used for the dividing wall between the living quarters and "garage" area. I would like to have a door for access between the two spaces.
I used 2x4 wood studs and 3/4 inch plywood, with a prehung door from Lowes. Make it strong. You don't want a load shift coming through the wall.

Just a side note INSULATE INSULATE INSULATE!!! I went back after my first trip and added more insulation to the floor. The wind makes that floor cold when running down the highway. noisy too.

Good Luck
Doc Weaver

geofkaye · 01-11-2009, 10:28 PM

.....DOC WEAVER TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!....that is what he did and that is what he ended up with.....insulate and glue everything....no exceptions. If you have access to Spray Urethane Foam use that instead of sheets....will kill the wind issue and keep even more heat/cool inside the Box....that is the real issue of comfort in a TruckConversion.....LED's if possible or RV type florescent for lights.....electric heaters and A/C unites should be 120 or 220 vac....converters are a PIA and large battery banks are very expensive to buy and will let you down just when you need it....solar is iffy at best....geofkaye

Radman · 01-12-2009, 09:57 AM

Tim,
Here is another helpful hint to avoid drafts and seal the coach after you have done all that was previously discussed.

Choose a good durable vinyl product to be used as an interior wall covering. Send it off to Elkhart IN and get it laminated to 1/4inch foam and do a complete wrap on the interior before you mount any cabinets or cut any holes. Then screw the cabinets directly to the walls over the wall covering. It makes a nice back to open cabinets, seals everything up real tight and cleans up nicely...

Rad

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