stuck floating between floor and walls, mostly floating floor

[stlthe]

Hi

I am just digging-in to my 2005 thomas Saf-T-Liner MVP EF, 32 feet bumper to bumper.

I have run into an impasse, I am cognitively compromised by a complexity I didn’t properly prepare for.

If it is not too late, let me apologize for a little alliteration.

The following are not really questions, but statements to be read as questions or invitations for advice (much appreciated).

I have torn up my rubber and partially rotted wood floor, which seemed like the thing to do after removing seats. I have treated underlying galvanized sheet metal to a good scuffing where rusted, degreaser, ospho and rustoleum paint, at least the first 3 feet from the front of the cockpit (fe, flatnose, worn doghouse). I have not sealed any bolt/nail/screw holes and do not know where this falls in the process, though I concede it is likely before now.

The doghouse had been removed/replaced so many times that the house and floor metal underneath contain a bunch of holes. Im not sure how to deal with that area because it seems sensitive (holey and subject to ‘fire’ along with all the other elements 😊), wood is cut to fit but I don’t want to move on till I figure a few things out. I’d like to add some angle underneath or flat stock on top to firm-up the ‘doghouse contact platform’, then devise a way to reattach doghouse that is not destructive each time the 'hood' is opened or closed, like I've seen on many a boat, where the 'engine room' is below decks yet almost entirely isolated.

I have not made my mind up about insulation… I wanted 1 inch rigid (neither my local hd nor lowes seems to carry it in a faced version, just maybe Styrofoam with 1 side faced). I have bought a sheet of ¾” marine plywood and ¾ foam trimmed it to fit from the front of the cab to the front of the front wheel wells (with cutout for doghouse).

My bus leaks. I have some unidentified and some assumed window leaks, and the floor of my 2005 showed pitting rust on left side of floor (among other areas) and spots around seat bolts and floor nails. There are some streaks coming down the walls near the (transit-style) windows/frames that are probably telling me my windows leak, some of the rooftop seam sealant is bad and some ceiling screws have the rust to prove it. The top edge of wall panels between the chair rail and window frames is inconveniently sandwiched under the bottom of the window frames. I guess i have no choice but to loosen the screws and pulll the walls down and out

Back in the day I used to use pink rigid foam (don’t remember the name offhand, maybe owens/corning) which was available in a wide variety of sizes. Is this stuff still around?

MOST importantly i guess, is that I do not fully understand the concept of a floating floor, especially where it relates to the doghouse, which seems like it should not float by any means. How do I attach the 'wood over foam' at that juncture? How is a floating floor constucted?

Btw, i have searched some, but would welcome relevant links I have missed. I'm hoping for a concensus, though i know every bus is an individual.

Please help if you can, and thanks.

Evan

[xrolo98]

I have a similar Thomas bus and my question is....how exactly did your get the drivers seat floor brackets off. Mine are very well attached. I can believe how leaky it is, mine is a 2002 and I’ve only got one questionable window leaking. Maybe I got lucky?

[stlthe]

Originally Posted by xrolo98

I have a similar Thomas bus and my question is....how exactly did your get the drivers seat floor brackets off. Mine are very well attached. I can believe how leaky it is, mine is a 2002 and I’ve only got one questionable window leaking. Maybe I got lucky?

i had a buddy underneath for other purposes, and had him verbally guide my wrench to the nuts on the right side (front and back rightmost nearest the doghouse, which had been removed) while I reached through the doghole to hold the wrench and hit the upper end (bolt) with an 18V impact wrench.

come to think of it, the reason he was under there was to put a wrench on the left two nuts while I hit them w impact.

The hardest thing for me was convincing him I should be topside

The only reason I took the seat off at all was I wanted to rip up the plywood behind it, and the seat was blocking my access to 2 screws holding some thin angle iron which in turn was holding the wood down.

now that i have it off i will treat it like the rest of the floor, rigid foam then 3/4 plywood.

I'd love to hear if you deal successfully with leaks, i'm just going to do my best and be thankful it doesnt have to float!

hope this helps

Evan