Material List:
– (12) 2″ x 3″ x 8′ studs
-(1) 4′ x 8′ x 3/4” tongue and groove plywood sheathing
-(6) tubes Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive
-(2) boxes of 1 1/2” tap screws
-(1) box of 3” torque screws
-(1) box of 2” torque screws
-(10) Angle Grinder Hard Wheel
Tool List:
– Circular Saw
– Jig Saw
– Sawzall
– Table Saw
– Miter Box
– Tape Measure, Pencil, Tri-Square
– Angle Grinder (with hard wheel)
– Cordless Drill
– Chalk Line,
– Framing Square
To begin, the steel framing needed to be packed out with 2” wide 3/4” plywood strips. This was done so that the tongue and groove wood paneling would have a nailer, and the cabinets would be properly hung. The table saw was set to 2” and the 4’x 8′ sheet of plywood was ripped down. Once the plywood strips were laid aside the lengths and widths of the metal framing were measured. After cutting each strip to its desired length the plywood was fastened with construction adhesive and 1 1/2” tap screws. The ceiling was packed out with plywood strips as well.
The round ceiling corners will make it difficult for finishing off the wood paneling so small strips of plywood were cut on 45 degree angles and fastened to the bracing. This will make sure a seamless finish without much alterations of the tongue and groove panels.
The base cabinets will stand 24” high; the windows and metal framing were packed out with a 4” wide strip of 3/4” plywood. Taking into account that the floor of the bus is 6” wider than the top of the bus, the base cabinet framing needed to be packed out a second time on the bottom. This extra 3/4” plywood on the floor base allows the cabinets to level when they are installed.
Once all the metal framing has been complete it is now time to move onto the framing of the bathroom wall. The design allows the bathroom to be 3′ deep so when framing the 2”x 3” studs, one must take into account the 3/4” plywood packed on the walls, and the 3/4” tongue and groove paneling that will be on either side of the bathroom, as well as the rear wall. The rear of the bus was measured out to 38 1/4” on left and right. With these marks the chalk line was used to show a visual representation of the stud landing on the floor. The floor plate was cut and then fastened to the plywood subfloor with construction adhesive and 3” torque screws roughly 6” apart from each other.
The header was cut to length, as well as the wall studs. The studs are on 16” centers, a standard in residential framing. Side braces were cut and screwed in to allow a nailer for the tongue and groove paneling. There will be a 2′ wide door swinging into the bathroom. Two studs are necessary to be nailed together on either side of the doorway to allow support for the hinged side, and the locking mechanism on the other.