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Old 02-09-2010, 06:44 PM   #1
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Re: Patching holes in the floor

You must fill each hole using metal filler and a mig welder.......


just kidding.....I'm using polyurethane of some sort.

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Old 02-09-2010, 07:20 PM   #2
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Re: Patching holes in the floor

Quote:
Originally Posted by swhite832
You must fill each hole using metal filler and a mig welder.......


just kidding.....I'm using polyurethane of some sort.
Kidding? And here I thought I was going to have to mig weld all of those stupid seat bolt holes!!!
Of course, welding in the holes would be a more permanant way to seal up the floor, just be careful aroung the fuel tank and other 'meltable' things. I am going to polyurethane the holes in mine, I don't feel like blowing up my propane tank, or melting through a fuel line.
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Old 04-21-2015, 04:41 PM   #3
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Which brand did you end up going with, and did it work?
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Old 04-21-2015, 04:55 PM   #4
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Welding them shut would ruin the galvanizing on the metal floor surrounding the hole, and cause rust.

Epoxy, bondo, fiberglass, ect are all much better choices.

Nat
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Old 04-21-2015, 06:51 PM   #5
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I'd agree with this, don't bother welding the holes in the floor. There are all sorts of ways to do this, but welding seems like it would only open up a new can of worms.
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Old 04-21-2015, 07:56 PM   #6
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Woah...... People fill thoes holes?! I thought thoes were for ventalation, along with the rust!

Just kidding

I used PL construction adhesive from the bottom and expanding foam from the top ( I never removed the old wood).
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Old 04-21-2015, 09:52 PM   #7
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We didn't do anything about the holes...just laid down plywood. I told Clint about all I've been reading here about the need to patch them up and he said, "If we need to I'll just crawl under the bus and caulk up the holes".

Are we on the right track about that move?
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Old 04-22-2015, 07:27 AM   #8
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Water is going to hit that plywood. When will you decide "if you have to"? Don't wait for the wood to tell you or the smell of mold spores. Just use caulk. I use 100 % silicon. Whatever is better than none.
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Old 04-22-2015, 08:39 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Breeze View Post
We didn't do anything about the holes...just laid down plywood. I told Clint about all I've been reading here about the need to patch them up and he said, "If we need to I'll just crawl under the bus and caulk up the holes".

Are we on the right track about that move?
You won't be able to reach 20 % of the holes from the underside.

Nat
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Old 04-22-2015, 10:07 AM   #10
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I used 1/4" closed end blind rivets and a bunch of urethane seam sealer around them to seal mine. No problems yet!
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Old 07-17-2019, 09:16 PM   #11
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Holes in the floor

We have no reason to take up our plywood. The bus is practically new. I was going to use tar and fill in holes from underneath the bus (not sure about the “20%” I won’t be able to get too) Maybe I’ll have to take up just those boards and do them from inside the bus. We are using tar because it is weather resistant. Are we right on about this? For the inside and the holes in the wood we are filling the holes with silicone or caulk and possibly using sheet metal to keep a seal. We have those tracks that the seats sat in that cut into the plywood by 3/8” so I have to patch those. There are the little bolts holes all along these tracks that I was just going to silicone and then patch the plywood. Then just fill in the cracks. Hopes this all make sense. I’ll attach a picture below. This should work right???
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Old 07-17-2019, 09:49 PM   #12
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My bus is nearly 25 years old, and has no rust anywhere on it, except for the floor, which was pretty rusty from water from the windows. There were no rust holes, but there were a few places that looked pretty close.

So I've also been working on my floor for the last while. I spent several days with a 4.5 inch wire brush on my angle grinder, removing every bit of loose rust and as much as possible that wasn't loose. Then came ospho amd rustoleum.

Now I'm patching with patches cut from variously sized pieces of 20-24 gauge galvanized sheet that I got cheap from a local sheet metal shop. I cut patches to fit all the holes, then etched all the patches by soaking them in vinegar for several hours so paint will stick to them, rinsed all the vinegar off and gave all the patches a coat of rustoleum primer on each side and then a coat of rustoleum enamel topcoat on one side.

Now I am using epoxy to glue the side of the patches with the topcoat to the floor, which also has one coat of rustoleum primer and one coat of enamel. After the epoxy has cured for a couple of days I will paint all the patches with the same gloss black enamel, and then when that has hardened for a few days, I will paint the entire floor with one more coat of gloss black.

I realize that I am being fussier than a lot of people, but I intend to live in this bus for the rest of my life, and I want a solid floor that is as close to leakproof as I can make it, so that's why I am being so fussy now.
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Old 07-17-2019, 10:14 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn & Ash View Post
We have no reason to take up our plywood. The bus is practically new. I was going to use tar and fill in holes from underneath the bus (not sure about the “20%” I won’t be able to get too) Maybe I’ll have to take up just those boards and do them from inside the bus. We are using tar because it is weather resistant. Are we right on about this? For the inside and the holes in the wood we are filling the holes with silicone or caulk and possibly using sheet metal to keep a seal. We have those tracks that the seats sat in that cut into the plywood by 3/8” so I have to patch those. There are the little bolts holes all along these tracks that I was just going to silicone and then patch the plywood. Then just fill in the cracks. Hopes this all make sense. I’ll attach a picture below. This should work right???
What bus is it? Where is the bus from and you also? Go to the UserCP and fill out your profile with all your bus info and location. Helps us answer your questions.
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Old 07-18-2019, 06:06 AM   #14
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I filled in what I could with what I know without getting chassis number and whatever else. The bus is from Clark County California and has absolutely no rust. I’m guessing cause it’s relatively new and just sat in dry heat for the duration of it’s working career. It’s a 2003 Blue Bird and it’s about 27 Ft long. I’m curious if tar is a sufficient idea and will keep water from getting through those holes under the bus. Also what should I do about the holes that I can’t access from the bottom? Should I just take those specific boards up, tar or silicone with sheet metal then glue the boards back down? Lastly, is it essential to lay down material (rustoleum,etch) or whatever else over the metal? Which would mean taking the hole floor up and glueing it back down eventually.
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:24 AM   #15
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There is no Clark County in California. There is one in Nevada, however, around Las Vegas.


https://ballotpedia.org/Counties_in_California
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:50 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn & Ash View Post
I filled in what I could with what I know without getting chassis number and whatever else. The bus is from Clark County California and has absolutely no rust. I’m guessing cause it’s relatively new and just sat in dry heat for the duration of it’s working career. It’s a 2003 Blue Bird and it’s about 27 Ft long. I’m curious if tar is a sufficient idea and will keep water from getting through those holes under the bus. Also what should I do about the holes that I can’t access from the bottom? Should I just take those specific boards up, tar or silicone with sheet metal then glue the boards back down? Lastly, is it essential to lay down material (rustoleum,etch) or whatever else over the metal? Which would mean taking the hole floor up and glueing it back down eventually.
My favorite hole filler hands down is JB weld. It is an epoxy with part A and part B in toothpaste tubes. Sticks to anything just a bout and will also hold stripped screws in wood and a million other things.
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Old 07-18-2019, 08:53 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by gs1949 View Post
There is no Clark County in California. There is one in Nevada, however, around Las Vegas.


https://ballotpedia.org/Counties_in_California
Yah that’s what I meant... anything about the bolt holes? Lol
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Old 07-18-2019, 08:56 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Rivetboy View Post
My favorite hole filler hands down is JB weld. It is an epoxy with part A and part B in toothpaste tubes. Sticks to anything just a bout and will also hold stripped screws in wood and a million other things.
Awesome I got some of that! Do you think just that will do to seal the holes or should I use some sheet metal or something to “JB Weld” to the floor?
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:10 PM   #19
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I was wondering that too. I've removed all the old heater hoses that were inside the bus and the heaters in the passenger area too. I plan on running the new hoses to the big heater in front underneath along the frame, so several of my holes are about 4 inches across. I don't see how you could patch something like that without putting something in there.
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:27 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Shawn & Ash View Post
Awesome I got some of that! Do you think just that will do to seal the holes or should I use some sheet metal or something to “JB Weld” to the floor?
Pennies work great cheap too
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