TheMobileWanderer
Forum Member
Intoducing myself here.
I'm planning a build of a motorhome starting with a luton box.
Suddenly I am weight obsessed.
Hadn't realised that the vans which I prefer come in a heavier kerb weight which means there's more of a constraint on the fit-out weight. I'm already over 500kgs, and have only measured as much as is needed to fit the moisture barrier. Quite how accurate that may be is anyone's guess, but I can't imagine doing the interior (kitchen,shower/wc room, garage, bed, electrical equipment and roof kit, food humans within a 500kgs limit).
Looking for a min 15ft box (excl luton peak). Can't seem to find a max permitted weight for the roof (roof rack/solar panels/fans/skylights/decking/wifi/human weight), so I shall look around here in case someone already has asked that question.
This is already very interesting.
I've done all the required works in a domestic setting (except consumer units/fuse boxes). Love seeing the result of my labour if it goes well and looking forward to being off grid at least for a few days at a time. Can't seem to find weights easily. 50mm foam board (google AI says 5kgs/board), bamboo board (google AI says 30kgs/board [not such lightweight obvs]), marine plywood (not sure about thickness), tanalised wood lengths.
The plan thus far is to begin with installation of the windows, skylights, roof fans, habitation door, garage doors, water filler, gas water heater (tankless) and, then, to run the wiring through the roof/walls, ducting it to the soon-to-become garage area, where the electrical system will be.
(I'm of the opinion that, as with a house, tracking all wiring within conduits/ducting will make any upgrades or future repairs more easily accomplished).
Next; To the inside of the box; Sikaflex some 'spacers' horizontally - 20mm x 20mm tanalised timber lengths - so when I install and sikaflex 3" x 2" batons vertically from top to bottom, they'll not actually be touching the sides. A void will be created for ventilation.
On the top surface of those batons, install a gully made from sliced conduit or square ducting (without the clip-on surface), to act as a gutter.
These will slope downwards so they are lower at the rear of the van than they are at the front.
Each gutter will flow into a downpipe of 20mm diameter to drain into the grey water tank.
(None should require the full capacity of a 20mm gutter, so a 20mm downpipe should be sufficient).
So far, I will have got the basic structure of a stud wall all around the box and over (under) the roof.
Next, 50mm kingspan/other brand, insulating foam board in between all the uprights of the walls. This will also be spaced away from the sides ensuring the cavity remains.
The roof insulation will be 100mm foam boarding because that's where heat will try hardest to escape.
Next, 6mm/12mm marine plywood or bamboo sheeting (whichever is optimum considering strength and weight). Screwing that to the ribcage.
Next, aluminium bubble wrap - the moisture barrier, to minimise condensation in unseen inaccessible places.
Once the moisture barrier is completed, I shall complete the wiring ducting.
From the roof/walls opening downward to the garage, the ducting will be outside the moisture barrier.
At the bottom, it will be brought through that barrier so there will be only one 'hole' to seal/monitor and it should be in the garage, near to the garage door.
Further ducting will run from the electrical system board to the kitchen, shower and toilet and also, waste from those to the gray/black water tanks.
This will (I think) necessitate a further 25mm foam board and the top flooring cladding, so the wiring ducts and pipework will be beneath the floor.
Possibly will need to install joists too.
And then the fit-out will begin.
I ask somebody please to let me know if some of this is incorrect, inadequate or if I would be over-engineering it.
I'll start reading the forums now.
I'm planning a build of a motorhome starting with a luton box.
Suddenly I am weight obsessed.
Hadn't realised that the vans which I prefer come in a heavier kerb weight which means there's more of a constraint on the fit-out weight. I'm already over 500kgs, and have only measured as much as is needed to fit the moisture barrier. Quite how accurate that may be is anyone's guess, but I can't imagine doing the interior (kitchen,shower/wc room, garage, bed, electrical equipment and roof kit, food humans within a 500kgs limit).
Looking for a min 15ft box (excl luton peak). Can't seem to find a max permitted weight for the roof (roof rack/solar panels/fans/skylights/decking/wifi/human weight), so I shall look around here in case someone already has asked that question.
This is already very interesting.
I've done all the required works in a domestic setting (except consumer units/fuse boxes). Love seeing the result of my labour if it goes well and looking forward to being off grid at least for a few days at a time. Can't seem to find weights easily. 50mm foam board (google AI says 5kgs/board), bamboo board (google AI says 30kgs/board [not such lightweight obvs]), marine plywood (not sure about thickness), tanalised wood lengths.
The plan thus far is to begin with installation of the windows, skylights, roof fans, habitation door, garage doors, water filler, gas water heater (tankless) and, then, to run the wiring through the roof/walls, ducting it to the soon-to-become garage area, where the electrical system will be.
(I'm of the opinion that, as with a house, tracking all wiring within conduits/ducting will make any upgrades or future repairs more easily accomplished).
Next; To the inside of the box; Sikaflex some 'spacers' horizontally - 20mm x 20mm tanalised timber lengths - so when I install and sikaflex 3" x 2" batons vertically from top to bottom, they'll not actually be touching the sides. A void will be created for ventilation.
On the top surface of those batons, install a gully made from sliced conduit or square ducting (without the clip-on surface), to act as a gutter.
These will slope downwards so they are lower at the rear of the van than they are at the front.
Each gutter will flow into a downpipe of 20mm diameter to drain into the grey water tank.
(None should require the full capacity of a 20mm gutter, so a 20mm downpipe should be sufficient).
So far, I will have got the basic structure of a stud wall all around the box and over (under) the roof.
Next, 50mm kingspan/other brand, insulating foam board in between all the uprights of the walls. This will also be spaced away from the sides ensuring the cavity remains.
The roof insulation will be 100mm foam boarding because that's where heat will try hardest to escape.
Next, 6mm/12mm marine plywood or bamboo sheeting (whichever is optimum considering strength and weight). Screwing that to the ribcage.
Next, aluminium bubble wrap - the moisture barrier, to minimise condensation in unseen inaccessible places.
Once the moisture barrier is completed, I shall complete the wiring ducting.
From the roof/walls opening downward to the garage, the ducting will be outside the moisture barrier.
At the bottom, it will be brought through that barrier so there will be only one 'hole' to seal/monitor and it should be in the garage, near to the garage door.
Further ducting will run from the electrical system board to the kitchen, shower and toilet and also, waste from those to the gray/black water tanks.
This will (I think) necessitate a further 25mm foam board and the top flooring cladding, so the wiring ducts and pipework will be beneath the floor.
Possibly will need to install joists too.
And then the fit-out will begin.
I ask somebody please to let me know if some of this is incorrect, inadequate or if I would be over-engineering it.
I'll start reading the forums now.
