Is this the end for me and my bus?

m00py · 10-21-2015, 04:35 PM

I went to my bus today to begin work on the ceiling. I figured because my bus had so many leaks that I should take care of those first before doing anything else. So I began to remove the spray foam and this is what I found underneath it all..

First look underneath. Super brittle awful rust right away. Not a good start.

After removing one whole panel. Whole thing is rusted. Terrible.

Full ceiling shot after removing several more panels of spray foam. I imagine the entire ceiling is like this.

Fist-sized hole accidentally but easily punched through with my hammer. So brittle.

More holes.

Shot of two of the ribs completely eaten through with rust. They're practically not even connected they're so tenuous.

Weird thing: everywhere there was spray foam there was rust underneath. Spots like these where there wasn't spray foam had no rust at all. This is where a speaker was.

This is where another speaker was.

I decided to chip away a side panel to see what it was like underneath and there was this stuff. A weird flaky wood-like substance with another layer of it underneath.

Closer shot. I didn't peel back the back layer. There's probably rust underneath.

This feels hopeless. What can I do about this without spending potentially thousands of dollars? A guy told me I could check out a scrap yard for a bus like mine and just completely replace the top but what's the likelihood that I'd actually find one that would fit perfectly? This is so awful. I hope I didn't just waste a whole bunch of money and time.

Brie · 10-21-2015, 05:32 PM

Could you get some sheet metal to replace/patch over the parts that rusted through? Weld and seal with silicone? Someone with more experience could probably chime in, but that's my two cents.

EastCoastCB · 10-21-2015, 05:49 PM

Man that's extreme.
What was the root cause of that amount of rot? Leaking roof not repaired or not repaired properly then foamed over?

EastCoastCB · 10-21-2015, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brie

Could you get some sheet metal to replace/patch over the parts that rusted through? Weld and seal with silicone? Someone with more experience could probably chime in, but that's my two cents.

There's structural rot there, some of the ribs are GONE.

Whats your level of fabrication experience, Moopy?

BurlKing · 10-21-2015, 06:03 PM

That sucks. Wish i could help.

m00py · 10-21-2015, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Man that's extreme.
What was the root cause of that amount of rot? Leaking roof not repaired or not repaired properly then foamed over?

I couldn't tell you though I noticed this as I was examining it.

Seems to be a non-rusted piece of sheet metal over top the rusted one, like a half-assed patch job or something. You can see it in better context here:

Also if you notice there's like pine straw and $hit between the bars and the ceiling. I have no idea wtf happened to this roof.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

There's structural rot there, some of the ribs are GONE.

Whats your level of fabrication experience, Moopy?

Zero.

Tango · 10-21-2015, 06:22 PM

Was the foam in place when you bought it or did you have it applied? It is pretty obvious that there was an intense reaction between whatever the foam is and the metal. I'm just guessing, but was it was galvanized?

That is some seriously serious oxidation. So sorry man.

m00py · 10-21-2015, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tango

Was the foam in place when you bought it or did you have it applied? It is pretty obvious that there was an intense reaction between whatever the foam is and the metal. I'm just guessing, but was it was galvanized?

That is some seriously serious oxidation. So sorry man.

It was in place when I bought the bus. There's also spray foam UNDERNEATH the entire bus. I am praying all of that doesn't look the same as all of this. This is some seriously awful $hit.

I have no idea if it was galvanized or not.

Tango · 10-21-2015, 06:40 PM

Whatever was sprayed by whomever...it obviously was never meant to go over metal. It looks like someone sprayed hi-powered acid on it. Real bummer.

Just thought of something...if I remember correctly...that reaction is exactly what you get with "Great Stuff". Maybe that's what they used (?)

bansil · 10-21-2015, 06:43 PM

Interesting, all the champions I have seen have been fiberglass?

So this has metal ribs and roof like a school bus

Sorry to see this, so it wasn't obvious from up top?

Like Tango said some chemical must have reacted with the metal, very weird....wonder what kid of fumes it put into the bus as it was working? Even big leaks at every panel wouldn't do that....every surface was affected

So what does the roof look like? (Minus the hole in it)

Might be better off to sell engine, tranny rear end (whole thing) and find another one, my worry for you was rotten floor wood and worst case replacing some metal floor joists

Again sorry to see this

m00py · 10-21-2015, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bansil

Interesting, all the champions I have seen have been fiberglass?

So this has metal ribs and roof like a school bus

Sorry to see this, so it wasn't obvious from up top?

Like Tango said some chemical must have reacted with the metal, very weird....wonder what kid of fumes it put into the bus as it was working? Even big leaks at every panel wouldn't do that....every surface was affected

So what does the roof look like? (Minus the hole in it)

Might be better off to sell engine, tranny rear end (whole thing) and find another one, my worry for you was rotten floor wood and worst case replacing some metal floor joists

Again sorry to see this

When I was looking at the bus after I bought it I noticed the roof looked weird. Instead of being a smooth flat curve it had a lot of dips and divots going on like melted cheese hanging between two edges. I assumed it was just the skin since the inner paneling didn't have any of that going on. I took note of it but since I didn't have any experience with buses I didn't think too much of it after that. I guess I figured I would deal with it once confronted, but ****...

CaptainInsaneo · 10-21-2015, 07:32 PM

That sucks, I really don't know if it is worth trying to fix. The time and effort it would take, might just be sell it and start again...

The-Breeze · 10-21-2015, 08:40 PM

THAT SUCKS A BIG ONE !!!!! (Don't do it EastCoast, don't you dare post a pic to go with that statement). LOL

I am so sorry for you. I've just been recently reading about reactions to the various types of spray foam insulation. This just brings it to light big time.

I wonder what caused it and how many others may end up with the same problem.

Trask97140 · 10-21-2015, 08:48 PM

Thats a major bummer. Sorry to see it

m00py · 10-21-2015, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The-Breeze

THAT SUCKS A BIG ONE !!!!! (Don't do it EastCoast, don't you dare post a pic to go with that statement). LOL

I am so sorry for you. I've just been recently reading about reactions to the various types of spray foam insulation. This just brings it to light big time.

I wonder what caused it and how many others may end up with the same problem.

Could you link me to some of those articles? I'd like to read them.

The-Breeze · 10-21-2015, 09:00 PM

Oh...I'm not really sure but I can bet many others can tell you exactly where to look. I just did a search here for "foam insulation" and up came 405 postings.

I just came back from your New Member Post and DAMN that's one nic looking bus from the outside.

I only read a very small amount of your blog there (yes, I have followed it from the beginning, like all of the other skoolies here) but I noticed a couple of comments that on second thought should have been a warning.

One, where you were talking about removing the spray foam (you mentioned having to remove "rusted screws" prior to getting the panels off.

Then this comment below:

Originally Posted by sdwarf36 View Post

Hmmm-on my Champion the windows are mounted opposite-little slider windows up top. I actually turn one over for my dog to hang her nose out.
Look real close at your wheel arches for rust. Champion used spray foam as a filler between their body + the Ford partial chassis' wheel well. It collects water over the years + rots out.

Again...so sorry, I can't bring myself to say what your next step might be.

m00py · 10-21-2015, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The-Breeze

Then this comment below:

Originally Posted by sdwarf36 View Post

Hmmm-on my Champion the windows are mounted opposite-little slider windows up top. I actually turn one over for my dog to hang her nose out.
Look real close at your wheel arches for rust. Champion used spray foam as a filler between their body + the Ford partial chassis' wheel well. It collects water over the years + rots out.

Again...so sorry, I can't bring myself to say what your next step might be.

Yeah but he was making the point that the spray foam will hold water that will rust it, not the spray foam itself.

The-Breeze · 10-21-2015, 09:39 PM

Seeing how you bought this from a church maybe you can mention your problem and they can take up a collection to get you the difference between what you paid for it & what the scrap yard will give you.

If not, attend one of their services and let them know that the devil is just over the line in Georgia.

m00py · 10-21-2015, 10:12 PM

This is what the insulation looked like underneath. Caked with rust:

The-Breeze · 10-21-2015, 11:31 PM

That sure looks like a chemical reaction between the spray foam & the metal. Is there a way to find out who sprayed the foam on or was that factory done?

You may also like: