A "Little Rust"

DJ'sShortie · 07-16-2018, 02:31 PM

Got my bus a few weeks ago, and demolition began. Seats were already, previous owner used very cheap materials to make it liveable for 3 months, and tore all that out. The floor was covered with plywood and throw rugs. Owner said there may be a little rust. Ripped out the flooring and now we have a bit of work to do on the "little rust". I expected it being in Ohio anyway, and the bus came from Kentucky. Finally got the paint removed from the windows, now onto seriously attacking, sealing and repairing the floor. So excited about this build! Thanks for all the information you all share to the group! You've been a great resource.

Johnny Mullet · 07-16-2018, 05:03 PM

That floor does not look that bad.I have seen some builds where there were huge, gaping holes and the wheel wells were almost rotted away.

DJ'sShortie · 07-16-2018, 05:59 PM

Yea, we'll get 'er done.

plfking · 07-16-2018, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ'sShortie

Yea, we'll get 'er done.

Agree with Johnny.

And you may get lucky......mine looked far worse than yours, but it was all surface rust -- a few hours with the wirewheel and it was good as new.

thrifty1 · 07-16-2018, 08:46 PM

Bro I’d be happy with that amount! Lol. Little grinding and some rust converter you’ll be good as new.

leadsled01 · 07-17-2018, 07:31 AM

Basketball size rust holes are a problem, anything smaller than that and its not too bad. What part of Ohio are you in? I'm from Cuyahoga Falls/ Akron area.

brokedown · 07-17-2018, 07:50 AM

Ospho will solve that rust problem. Don't remove too much, you need rust to convert rust.

DJ'sShortie · 07-18-2018, 06:39 AM

I'm in the Dayton area.

DJ'sShortie · 07-18-2018, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokedown

Ospho will solve that rust problem. Don't remove too much, you need rust to convert rust.

I used a wire brush to remove the loose rust, then painted with 2 coats Rust-oleum Stops Rust Oil Based Protective Enamel. I hope that wasn't a mistake. Hindsight is 20/20. Thoughts on methods of patching large (basketball size) rusted through areas?

Ninjakitty · 07-18-2018, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ'sShortie

I used a wire brush to remove the loose rust, then painted with 2 coats Rust-oleum Stops Rust Oil Based Protective Enamel. I hope that wasn't a mistake. Hindsight is 20/20. Thoughts on methods of patching large (basketball size) rusted through areas?

You'll need a patch that is bigger than the basketball. Cut back the rusted metal until you get to good metal. Cut a patch that is a minimum of 1" larger than the hole. Make sure to prime the edges of hole and patch. Paint bottom of patch. BUy Dynatron 550 Auto Seam Sealer or something similiar. Put seam sealer generously around edge of hole. Place patch over hole. Drill rivet holes through patch and good metal. Rivet patch to floor. Prime and seal with rustoleum or w/e you got. Move on to the next step!

EastCoastCB · 07-18-2018, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ'sShortie

I used a wire brush to remove the loose rust, then painted with 2 coats Rust-oleum Stops Rust Oil Based Protective Enamel. I hope that wasn't a mistake. Hindsight is 20/20. Thoughts on methods of patching large (basketball size) rusted through areas?

The enamel will stop metal from rusting, but its useless on stuff that's already rusted. You need to convert rust first.

Basketball sized hole? I'd get some steel and make a patch. Either weld, rivet, or screw it down.

EastCoastCB · 07-18-2018, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninjakitty

You'll need a patch that is bigger than the basketball. Cut back the rusted metal until you get to good metal. Cut a patch that is a minimum of 1" larger than the hole. Make sure to prime the edges of hole and patch. Paint bottom of patch. BUy Dynatron 550 Auto Seam Sealer or something similiar. Put seam sealer generously around edge of hole. Place patch over hole. Drill rivet holes through patch and good metal. Rivet patch to floor. Prime and seal with rustoleum or w/e you got. Move on to the next step!

Great advice!

BUT- drill the holes first before applying seam sealer.

thrifty1 · 07-18-2018, 12:58 PM

I know a little about large floor patches...(final product on my build thread). My advice is cut out as much as you need because rust will spread like wildfire. I cut all my rust holes out and welded patches in place to cover them after I primed all of the edges with weld through primer. I also used rust converter blah blah... but please do address the rust before patching no matter what road you choose.

Ninjakitty · 07-18-2018, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Great advice!

BUT- drill the holes first before applying seam sealer.

Yeah, that is a better idea

DJ'sShortie · 07-19-2018, 05:20 AM

Thank you all!

yugogypsy · 07-25-2018, 04:16 PM

What you've got is nothing compared to poor Pit Stop's floor. Originally a plywood floor, it got wet and rotted. I got it from a farm and well, there had been a curious cow in it. Guess what size the hole in the floor is??

Uh huh, cow fell through the floor, scrambled around, broke a bit more floor and finally exited via the emergency door. Cows and Buses don't mix

Tango · 07-25-2018, 10:42 PM

"Cows and Buses don't mix".

OH GREAT...NOW you tell me!

yugogypsy · 07-26-2018, 01:20 AM

No Tango, don't park a bus with a plywood floor in a cow pasture.

Right now I've got 2 partial sheets of plywood covering the hole in the floor, before that I had part of a futon frame across it and jokingly called it "The Bridge Across the Hole in the Bus"

Now that Pit Stop is FINALLY almost empty, I will start saving my $ for new plywood. When the plywood is in, then I'll be building a hearth and getting heat shields for my little woodstove.

No cows here so I won't ever have a hole in the floor again. I have to put a hole in the roof for the chimney though!

How is your project going? Between Pit Stop and my 1976 Prowler Wilderness travel trailer, I'm keeping busy. Found out a few modifications have been done to that trailer, one of which is they changed the stove and in order to install it they trimmed the door frame. To get rid of the "Oh DAMN, the pilot light won't stay lit" problem, my friend Rob and I are going to swap the problem stove for the same model stove that is in his motor home. He's living in his 29 ft Fleetwood Yukon so he isn't using the motor home (and I'd rather have a Harvest Gold stove than an Avocado green one

DJ'sShortie · 07-27-2018, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yugogypsy

What you've got is nothing compared to poor Pit Stop's floor. Originally a plywood floor, it got wet and rotted. I got it from a farm and well, there had been a curious cow in it. Guess what size the hole in the floor is??

Uh huh, cow fell through the floor, scrambled around, broke a bit more floor and finally exited via the emergency door. Cows and Buses don't mix

A video of that would be priceless!

HappyInTN · 07-27-2018, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJ'sShortie

Got my bus a few weeks ago, and demolition began. Seats were already, previous owner used very cheap materials to make it liveable for 3 months, and tore all that out. The floor was covered with plywood and throw rugs. Owner said there may be a little rust. Ripped out the flooring and now we have a bit of work to do on the "little rust". I expected it being in Ohio anyway, and the bus came from Kentucky. Finally got the paint removed from the windows, now onto seriously attacking, sealing and repairing the floor. So excited about this build! Thanks for all the information you all share to the group! You've been a great resource.

Congrats on the bus! Looking forward to some conversion pics!

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