Floor weight limit

[MadCompSci]

I have a 2004 Thomas 72 passenger flat-nose, front-engine bus. I was going to install some fairly heavy items under the bus - 8' cargo box (500 pounds or more when loaded?), the generator (150 pounds including mounting frame), 175 gallons of fresh water (1600 pounds including container and frame). So about 2500 pounds total. I will attach to the frame whenever I can, but I would also need to hang some of the weight from the "T" supports that the floor rests on. Most of the weight of the roof and side walls are also supported by these cross supports. I estimate that the weight of the seats & passengers would be about the same load as the weight of my interior build-out.

Is this too much weight to hang on these cross "T" supports?

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by MadCompSci

I have a 2004 Thomas 72 passenger flat-nose, front-engine bus. I was going to install some fairly heavy items under the bus - 8' cargo box (500 pounds or more when loaded?), the generator (150 pounds including mounting frame), 175 gallons of fresh water (1600 pounds including container and frame). So about 2500 pounds total. I will attach to the frame whenever I can, but I would also need to hang some of the weight from the "T" supports that the floor rests on. Most of the weight of the roof and side walls are also supported by these cross supports. I estimate that the weight of the seats & passengers would be about the same load as the weight of my interior build-out.

Is this too much weight to hang on these cross "T" supports?

If you click the "User CP" link up at the top, you can edit your profile and let us know what kind of bus you have and where you're located. Not sure what "T" supports you're talking about, but maybe that's your kind of bus.

Edit: er, I guess I could have read the first sentence of your post. At least I'm not one of those people who only read the first sentence.

[musigenesis]

Still not sure what T supports you're talking about, though - do you have a pic?

[Kubla]

Metal cross pieces that sit on the frame and the floor is screwed to

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Kubla

Metal cross pieces that sit on the frame and the floor is screwed to

I know how the structure of my own bus (an International) is formed (from this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBcUnUCbEsg

) and there isn't really anything like a T-support (the stiffeners could maybe be described that way), but I don't know how Thomases are built. Do you happen to know of any links for something like that?

[Danjo]

Last week I started my conversion by starting on under body storage. I had the idea that I was going to hang the tool boxes from the floor pan. It became apparent that although the pan could support static weight that there was the possibility that dynamic force over time could pull the bolts through. I decided that if I wanted a box that could carry 4 or 5 hundred pounds (insane outside possibly, but keeping in the overbuilt bus theme) that I would need to rethink Support. What I ended up doing was to install longer unistrut to catch the C channel.

The outside all-thread hangs from the C channel. The inside one hold the box tight to the lower unistrut

[lqdchkn]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Last week I started my conversion by starting on under body storage. I had the idea that I was going to hang the tool boxes from the floor pan. It became apparent that although the pan could support static weight that there was the possibility that dynamic force over time could pull the bolts through. I decided that if I wanted a box that could carry 4 or 5 hundred pounds (insane outside possibly, but keeping in the overbuilt bus theme) that I would need to rethink Support. What I ended up doing was to install longer unistrut to catch the C channel.

The outside all-thread hangs from the C channel. The inside one hold the box tight to the lower unistrut

Under side pics?

[Danjo]

Here’s some pics of the other side that I’m working on now. I’m glad you asked. I haven’t been documenting enough.

[MadCompSci]

That is correct.

[Native]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Here’s some pics of the other side that I’m working on now. I’m glad you asked. I haven’t been documenting enough.

That support system looks like the way to go.


What is the diameter of the all-thread and its tensile strength?

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by Native

That support system looks like the way to go.


What is the diameter of the all-thread and its tensile strength?

1/2” all thread. I see a 1100 pound rating for it.

[bubb, the real one]

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Danjo

Last week I started my conversion by starting on under body storage. I had the idea that I was going to hang the tool boxes from the floor pan. It became apparent that although the pan could support static weight that there was the possibility that dynamic force over time could pull the bolts through. I decided that if I wanted a box that could carry 4 or 5 hundred pounds (insane outside possibly, but keeping in the overbuilt bus theme) that I would need to rethink Support. What I ended up doing was to install longer unistrut to catch the C channel.

The outside all-thread hangs from the C channel. The inside one hold the box tight to the lower unistrut

I am being dense... I am not understanding how you are attaching to the bus.

Do you have any pictures that may show the attachment?

Thank you!!

[Danjo]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I am being dense... I am not understanding how you are attaching to the bus.

Do you have any pictures that may show the attachment?

Thank you!!

I think this one shows it well. 1/2” holes drilled into the C channel cross members, washer and nut on each side.

[MadCompSci]

Update:

So after removing the wooden floor covering and exposing the actual metal I was surprised to find how the floor is actually constructed. I was expecting 16- or 18-gauge sheet metal over some sort of cross frame (the "T"s I was referring to). What I found is that the floor is actually a series of 6" X 2" lipped C-Channel positioned side-to-side across the frame. Under the bus, where two of these C-Channels are touching sides, a "T" is formed. That changes things a lot for me since this is a very strong construction. Much stronger than sheet metal over a sparse cross-frame.

[o1marc]

Originally Posted by MadCompSci

Update:

So after removing the wooden floor covering and exposing the actual metal I was surprised to find how the floor is actually constructed. I was expecting 16- or 18-gauge sheet metal over some sort of cross frame (the "T"s I was referring to). What I found is that the floor is actually a series of 6" X 2" lipped C-Channel positioned side-to-side across the frame. Under the bus, where two of these C-Channels are touching sides, a "T" is formed. That changes things a lot for me since this is a very strong construction. Much stronger than sheet metal over a sparse cross-frame.

That doesn't sound like the floor in any bus I've worked on. What bus do you have? Go to the UserCP and fill out your profile with your location and bus info. The floor in my bus is 2' wide flat "C"panels that are welded together