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Old 08-05-2018, 02:09 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 23
1996 Chevy 4 window short bus

Greetings friends....my first post....I joined last year, and have been lurking for several. Last Friday, I found what I had been looking for for 2 years, a REALLY short short bus. This is a 96 cutaway four window Chevy C30 with the non turbo 6.5 diesel and the overdrive auto. It had fresh plywood on the floor, and looked really clean, all seats already removed. Runs and drives like a charm, 99 K miles, thank heavens I didn't start the build as I didn't trust what was under the floor. I spent all day ripping up the new floor, the old plywood looked rough, and so was removed. There is significant rust on the sides of the floor, but the center strip, which I expect was part of the original van that was cutaway, is perfect...go figure. My question....weld new steel over the bad spots, or would fiberglass cloth after the rust was stabilized suffice. I'll post pictures as the build progresses. I plan on insulating the floor with new plywood over it once the steel is fixed and painted. Second question....would pressure treated plywood over the foam insulation ( painted both sides before attaching) be a good thing, or would the pressure treated be a health issue inside a living area?

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Old 08-05-2018, 03:06 PM   #2
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Greater Boston
Posts: 504
Post pictures, everyones definition of a "little" rust is different. I would lean towards metal patches of some sort, but if its a small area, you can use an adhesive or seam sealer and just glue them down.

Pressure treated wood will eat uncoated metal (at least the older stuff will.) Also it might off gas over time, and most of the stuff i've found tends to be very damp, and a PITA to work with. If you seal the bus properly, an exterior grade plywood should be fine. (EDIT - re-read about using the PT above the foam. Still a hard "NO.")
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Old 08-05-2018, 05:03 PM   #3
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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Thanks for the reply....I won't go with PT. The rust spots are significant on the sides....several inches wide, and up to a foot long. I'm going to a heating contractor tomorrow and buy some duct work galvanized sheet metal, and once I've rust stabilized and painted the edges, I'll go over the sides completely with the galvey, and securely pop rivet it in place. I'm then thinking of spreading some tiger hair Bondo over the seams, then prepping and painting. I haven't stripped the forward seating area up front yet. I'm dreading what might be under there.....got my fingers crossed! I'm borrowing a friends lift once the floor is done inside, and I'll wire brush and Rustoleum rusty metal prime the under side and frame. It was way to hot in Ma for this kind of work today......lot of breaks!
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Old 08-06-2018, 12:55 PM   #4
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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Here are some pictures of the rust...I'm just waiting on the Ospho rust inhibiter ( and the 95 degree heat to cool off) before tackling it. Going to source some galvanized sheet metal today.
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Old 08-06-2018, 12:57 PM   #5
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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let me try that again...first time attaching pics LOL
Attached Thumbnails
bus floor 001.jpg   bus floor 002.jpg   bus floor 003.jpg   bus floor 004.jpg   bus floor 005.jpg  

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Old 08-06-2018, 01:31 PM   #6
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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Another concern I have is the rear heater. I see in many other conversions that they are removed. In all probability, I'm going to only use this three seasons ( not a skier any more since hip replacements) and if I do use it in the winter, will be heading south. What are peoples thoughts on needing the rear heater? I've got to pop it off to replace the plywood and fix the floor..should I just leave it off and reattach if needed later?
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Old 08-06-2018, 05:46 PM   #7
Bus Geek
 
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Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
Most remove both rear and middle heaters, loop the lines to keep heat and defrost to the front.
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Old 08-14-2018, 03:17 PM   #8
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 23
Well Folks....between the heat...and the rain...and waiting for paint to dry....I finally got the drivers side of the bus fixed. I started with Ospho coat to stabilize the rust after grinding and wirebrushing. On top of that was two coats of Rustoleum Rusty Metal primer. On top of that is Rustoleum oil base paint......I used up whatever cans I had open on the shelf. I covered it all with 18 guage galvanized sheet steel from a contractor that does ductwork. Now I'm getting ready to start on the passenger side!
Attached Thumbnails
bus floor 001.jpg   bus floor 002.jpg   bus floor 003.jpg  
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Old 08-21-2018, 03:25 PM   #9
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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Greetings again friends. I've finished the passenger side floors this week, and painted and filled all the drill holes in the center of the floor. Yesterday I laid the plywood over the rear 8 ft of the bus...still have to remove the drivers seat and inspect/fix/paint the forward section of the bus. I decided to forgo insulating the floor.....this will be a day/weekend tripper for me and I don't think the insulation will give a benefit over the loss of head room. I'm not a giant, but it is tight in there. I'm really liking this rig so far...I hope it meets my expectations!....Oh yeah...any suggestions on a co pilot seat?
Attached Thumbnails
piglet 001.jpg   piglet 002.jpg   piglet 003.jpg   piglet 004.jpg  
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Old 08-21-2018, 03:27 PM   #10
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Oh by the way...this is a conversion by Midbus.....I've never heard of this company....are they still converting vans?
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Old 08-22-2018, 05:45 PM   #11
Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 242
The most water resestant wood product is

Advantek. It looks a lot like OSB. But uses a waterproof adhesive. It has a 50 year warrenty I think.
That is what you want for any motor vehicle flooring look it up.
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Old 08-23-2018, 10:26 AM   #12
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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thanks I will....
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Old 09-18-2018, 04:19 PM   #13
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Hey Harold, I know this doesn’t really have to do with what you asked. But that 6.5 can be finicky. Great diesel that can get some great mpg. But watch out for a couple of things like the PMD, and aged crank pulley.
Hope everything goes awesome for you! You have the exact bus I plan on getting!
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Old 09-19-2018, 10:26 AM   #14
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
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Thanks Clark.....I serviced the engine and checked all the fluids and greased the front end....the project is on hold until I get my cranberry bog harvested. I read up on the 6.5 issues and hope that this one won't be a problem. I've heard great things about the fuel economy of this engine and tranny combo...time will tell!
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