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Old 08-08-2018, 08:15 PM   #1
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Seattle
Posts: 29
Year: 2000
Chassis: Bluebird All American RE
Engine: Cummins
Rated Cap: 72
Filling bolt holes

I've already treated rust and primed my sheet metal, but these bolts and heater holes are vexing me! Any ideas?

I've tried at Sikaflex with like washers for the larger holes, but just don't like the sheer amount of fiddling that it's taking.

What about about using flexible window flashing tape?

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Old 08-08-2018, 10:31 PM   #2
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Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Huntington Beach CA.
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Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: T/C 2000 28 foot Handy Bus
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how big is the hole?

https://www.amazon.com/Yongcun-Panel...H8VCJNHSTBPEVZ

They make metal knock out seals with tabs starting at 1/2" and you can bend all the tabs flat with a little sealer dabbed on and it is a permanent flush fit fix.
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Old 08-09-2018, 02:52 PM   #3
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Location: London, UK (Building in Bellingham, WA)
Posts: 31
Year: 2002
Coachwork: Blue Bird
Chassis: TC2000
Engine: 5.9L Cummins ISB
I'm thinking elevator bolts and some sort of adhesive...

https://www.amazon.com/20x2-GRADE-CO...tor+bolt+1%2F4
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Old 08-14-2018, 11:27 AM   #4
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For the skoolie conversion that I'm going to start next month I'm going to use foil tape to go over the bolt holes and then put the flooring down definitely make sure you fix all the rust and there is a converter that you can get that you paint over immediately after it dries it converts all the rust to a mineral and stops the spread of it you just have to seal it right away so that new rust doesn't form
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Old 08-14-2018, 12:21 PM   #5
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Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Year: 2000
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Engine: DT466
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ekyoung View Post
I've already treated rust and primed my sheet metal, but these bolts and heater holes are vexing me! Any ideas?

I've tried at Sikaflex with like washers for the larger holes, but just don't like the sheer amount of fiddling that it's taking.

What about about using flexible window flashing tape?
JB liquid weld and auto seam sealer both work well
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Old 08-14-2018, 12:23 PM   #6
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Yeah, I used the Rustex stuff from Rust-Oleum, it works great. Luckily not much rust to deal with here, my bus was garaged for most of its life, I'm told.

I think I will just use the plastic sheet metal plugs and caulking. They fit really nice and tight and I've already primered and painted the floor, so I think I'll be fine.
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Old 08-19-2018, 05:01 AM   #7
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I have been welding mine.
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Old 08-19-2018, 08:30 AM   #8
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I just used some epoxy to stick nickels over some dime size holes in the outside shell of my bus. So far so good!
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Old 08-19-2018, 03:09 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ekyoung View Post
I've already treated rust and primed my sheet metal, but these bolts and heater holes are vexing me! Any ideas?

I've tried at Sikaflex with like washers for the larger holes, but just don't like the sheer amount of fiddling that it's taking.

What about about using flexible window flashing tape?
I just went through all this. Did some things that I liked and some I would change. I hope my experience will help you decide what you want to do.

For the big holes (heater hoses) weld them up. Never welded? No problem neither had I. Go to Home Depot and rent a mig welder (~$32 for 4 hours). Get a spool of flux core wire (~$12) no gas bottle needed. Not the prettiest welds but good enough below the floor. Pick up a piece of sheet metal (either at depot or somewhere cheaper if you have or cut out of some scrap you have from your bus. Cut squares that will cover the holes. I found it easiest to use the $12 air grinder I got at harbor freight with a cut off wheel but an electric grinder works too for cutting the sheet metal. Just make sure you are using the thin cut off wheel not the thick grinding wheel. Watch some youtube videos on mig welding then zip them up. You can see how mine came out on my build thread here
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/em...n-23234-6.html

You may be able to get away with using seam sealer instead of welding. Just cut the sheet metal and "glue" down with the Dynatron 550 or similar seam sealer. But, hey dont you want to get that welder? Come on you know you want to try it.

For the smaller holes I would use that sikaflex or 550 or the tropicool caulk. I covered mine with aluminum tape after sealing but probably not necessary in all cases. You could also see if you can get scrap metal from a fabricator that does punching (as mentioned by EastCoastCB) and then use the seam sealer to glue them punch outs down.

Pictures of Dynatron 550 seam sealer and aluminum tape method
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f10/fl...-17722-24.html

Pictures of how I did my seat and nail holes.
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/em...n-23234-9.html
Update of how the two products I use look from under the bus
http://www.skoolie.net/forums/f11/em...-23234-13.html
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:34 PM   #10
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for the seat bolt holes use plastic "christmas tree" automotive type trim fasteners cheap an efficient
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Old 08-19-2018, 07:24 PM   #11
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this made me lol, thanks for that
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Old 08-25-2018, 03:33 PM   #12
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Florence Oregon
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Coachwork: Amtran
Chassis: RE 35'
Engine: T444E
Rated Cap: 72 passenger
I used fiberglass body repair cloth cut into small patches and used Permatex Rust treatment as a glue to hold the fiberglass cloth in place. I prepared the floor surface by removing as much rust as I could first using wire wheels and fine grinding wheels on the worst of it. I lightly sanded here and there. My floor wasn't rusted very much. Just mild surface rust spots here and there. I then thoroughly scrubbed the floor with mild dish detergent and rinsed it, and put in a dehumidifier letting it run to remove all moisture in the bus. I used rust converter on the worst spots, I then painted the floor with Zinsser Bullseye 123 water-base Primer for Galvanized sheet metal. Other primers won't stick over galvanized sheet metal I was told by the manufacturer's rep that I called. The coating is also mold and mildew resistant. Important for an RV floor. I live on the coast of Oregon with a lot of humidity so I run a portable dehumidifier in the bus in winter rainy season to keep any mold out.
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Old 08-25-2018, 04:03 PM   #13
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Because I have several thousand pennies in a jar, I used those and epoxied them to the floor before I painted it with Rust-Oleum and metal primer. Worked a charm.
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Old 08-25-2018, 04:10 PM   #14
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Location: Gold Bar, WA
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Year: 1991
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Puggin holes

I used bondo and bondo hair, worked fine.
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Old 08-25-2018, 05:35 PM   #15
Mini-Skoolie
 
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Bondo

I used Bondo. Faster than welding and seems to fill well. There is ever hair bondo for 1" holes.
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Old 08-25-2018, 07:41 PM   #16
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I used flex seal tape (yes, the stuff from the TV commercial) cut into little squares for the larger bolt holes and pounded roofing nails into the smaller holes. I painted over all of it with rustoleum. Seems to be working just fine. Of course there will be insulation and plywood on top of it all.

Good luck!
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Old 08-25-2018, 10:30 PM   #17
Skoolie
 
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Chassis: CE
Engine: DT466E
I used appropriately sized 1" carriage bolts & Liquid Nails for the seat bolt holes, and Sikaflex for the smaller screw holes from the trim edging down the center aisle. When they did my roof raise, for some reason they decided to put a bunch of 3/8" rivets in some of the holes. It doesn't bother me, and it's a decent solution if you don't care that the head of the rivets (and also the carriage bolts) aren't flush with the floor. I'm planning on gluing down foamboard, and may end up having to trim out divots to account for the bolts/rivets.
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Old 08-26-2018, 11:24 AM   #18
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As long as you don't use 1/4" fanfold for your foam board insulation anything thicker than that will accommodate itself to the small shapes underneath I put 3/4"over !/2" bolts in a different project and after three days you couldn't tell the bolts heads were even there. Gene
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Old 08-27-2018, 07:42 AM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Devers, TX
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Year: 1999
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: 3800
Engine: International T444e
Rated Cap: 25,500lbs, 59 passenger
Just a thought, what do you think?

As I need to use my bus to stay in this hunting season, I decided to delay pulling the floor. When removing the seats, I had no rusted bolts or nuts under the bus as it has a heavy application of undercoating. The floor seems solid, so I am thinking of using some cans of expanding foam to fill the seat bolt holes temporarily to prevent bugs and such. Will address them properly when the rubber flooring is out. Just plan to install my portable 5 gallon toilet and putting in my shower and propane instant hot water heater, so will probably weld the holes up under the shower pan.
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