Is my rust too bad?

[Branski]

Whats up everyone. I’ve always read and creeped on the Skoolie forums but haven’t needed to ask a question until now. I’m down to the metal floor in my bus and it’s worse than I expected. I got a buddy who’ can weld just about anything but I just want to get some advice on what you guys think of the severity of the rust and what you would do. The plan as of now is to get some sheet metal and patch it after I treat all the rust beforehand (Pictures attached). Any advice is appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[johnbloem1974]

With body rust like that, I wonder about structural and frame rust. If its contained to just the body/floor/wheel wells, then that can be remedied fairly easy compared to if the frame is cratered...

Good luck and I hope its just contained to the easier bits!

John

 

[Branski]

Underneath the bus is rusted but nothing too bad that I have seen so far. Lots of flaky rust but nothing that doesn’t look like it can’t be fixed with some treatment. But say I do find a spot that has some kind of structural rust issue... do I need to count it as a loss or is it worth the time and money to fix? I appreciate the help.

 

[Johnny Mullet]

If the rust or rot is focused in the wheel wells and the rest of the floor looks good, then cut out and weld in new panels.

 

[banman]

Underneath the bus is rusted but nothing too bad that I have seen so far. Lots of flaky rust but nothing that doesn’t look like it can’t be fixed with some treatment. But say I do find a spot that has some kind of structural rust issue... do I need to count it as a loss or is it worth the time and money to fix? I appreciate the help.

Can't say what's worth fixing w/out knowing about the rest of the bus...

Entirely possible the frame is fine and the floor sections rotted out from leaks from above. MY rust seems to follow a pattern of road-spray from the wheels where the NE salt spray gathered on the folds of metal -- my frame rails being an open C-channel just have surface rust, no flaky rot rust.

Where your floor is swiss cheesed -- don't just lay a big patch over it. Cut the whole area out and replace.

 

[ewo1]

If the rust or rot is focused in the wheel wells and the rest of the floor looks good, then cut out and weld in new panels.

I have to agree with this.

I had to do both front wheel wells on my bus, almost as bad as yours.

Cutting it out is easy!
Creating new panels is easy!

Welding, my welds are ugly as **** but it is holding the two pieces of metal together just fine.

Here are my before and after pics.
Just remember to use ALOT of rust treatment, I used lots of OSPHO, and then seal it all up with some rusty metal rustoleum primer followed by some enamel or epoxy spray paint to seal it all up.

 

[leadsled01-SKO]

That's just a simple patch job. I have seen a lot worse.

 

[Branski]

Thanks everybody!

 

[musigenesis]

It's bad but fixable - if you cut the section out and replace it entirely. I had similar rust in my bus, check out my build thread for how I'm repairing it.

 

[WIbluebird]

Wonder what guage floor steel is typically.

 

[musigenesis]

Wonder what guage floor steel is typically.

16ga (for Internationals, at least).