Is this bad?

[Native-SKO]

I've been stung by nettles too many times!

Having the bus at my house has eliminated that finally.

I am glad I have not had the pleasure.

 

[TheHubbardBus]

Concerning ospho:


It's not a 'fix' for rust or a long-term rust preventative. If you mechanically prep the surface to remove all loose / flaking rust and then apply, it can provide a surface suitable for painting, which - assuming you use a proper paint and apply as required - can stop rust from progressing. At least for a while. It can also act as a short-term rust preventative. But it's not an answer in & of itself.


And, of course, it can't bring metal back.


I'm definitely in the 'cut your losses' now camp, not necessarily because I know any better, but because I've come to trust the knowledge & experience of the guys who are telling you pursuing this build is folly. The guys telling you to 'turn back now' know their stuff, OP.

 

[LankyShaft]

Well it took a bit, but we're gonna stop now and cut those losses. The iceberg was a great analog for the rust. Here's some pics of what I found underneath all that mystery

Now that I've decided to cut my losses, here are the options I see. Keep in mind that the title has not yet been transferred but it has been signed and that I'm not too afraid of coming out in the hole. It's a learning experience. I called ahead and all the scrapers need is a signed title or a drivers license.

1. Take it to a scrap yard for $1000 now without transferring title and be done with it.
2. Transfer the title (for about $300) and try my luck for more money on FB marketplace and craigslist.
3. Do option 2 but if I cant sell it by mid July, take it to the scrapyard where it will most likely go for more due to summer months and supply and demand.
4. Wait till mid July to take to scrapyard without paying to transfer title.
5. Stick it out and fix the thing

What would you do?

 

[ewo1]

Well it took a bit, but we're gonna stop now and cut those losses. The iceberg was a great analog for the rust. Here's some pics of what I found underneath all that mystery

Now that I've decided to cut my losses, here are the options I see. Keep in mind that the title has not yet been transferred but it has been signed and that I'm not too afraid of coming out in the hole. It's a learning experience. I called ahead and all the scrapers need is a signed title or a drivers license.

1. Take it to a scrap yard for $1000 now without transferring title and be done with it.
2. Transfer the title (for about $300) and try my luck for more money on FB marketplace and craigslist.
3. Do option 2 but if I cant sell it by mid July, take it to the scrapyard where it will most likely go for more due to summer months and supply and demand.
4. Wait till mid July to take to scrapyard without paying to transfer title.
5. Stick it out and fix the thing

What would you do?

CRAZY IDEA !

Option # 6

Convert it to a Skoolie Flatbed ?
You can probably use alot of the roof skin that is not rusted for a new floor?

 

[banman]

Still depends on your plan for the build --

Are you keeping it 5 years or 30?

Is this "home" or recreational use?

Cut n' patch of the floor doesn't even have to require welding -- but if welding is something you wanted to learn yourself -- the floor is the easiest place to learn -- welding vertically and overhead is more complicated -- start with basics.
* Where the floor metal gets thin -- what is the condition of the support ribs below it? In other words, would you be patching in 2D or 3D?

What is the mechanical state of the bus?

No end of stories where someone builds their house on a bus that doesn't drive well and then they're committed to getting it mechanically fixed...

So many variables...

Right now I've probably got some bigger holes than yours but really concerns me is the state of my battery box -- couple hundred pounds of battery will test the strength of my rust on bumps so that's probably my first order of business...

 

[EastCoastCB]

The rear walls are also rotted out inside.

 

[musigenesis]

FWIW that floor around the wheel wells is not as bad as mine was, and might not require the entire section to be cut out and rebuilt like mine did (you really don't want to get into that). You could probably get by with small sheet metal patches and angle-steel splints on the underside to shore up where the cross-members are badly corroded. Taking care to keep the underside clean and to make sure no roof or window leaks continue to add to the damage, it could last for some years.

The damage to the rear corners can also be repaired, although it's a bit different since you'd also have to Bondo on the outside to make it look good (floor repair just needs to be functional, doesn't matter at all how it looks).

However, it would still be a lot of extra work to end up with a bus that won't have the same long-term prospects as a bus that wasn't rusted to begin with. I went ahead with my project because a year ago, I greatly overestimated the difficulty of simply acquiring a bus and greatly underestimated (more just refused to estimate at all) the extra work it would require. You seem cool with the idea of starting over, and I think that's still your best option.

 

[Native-SKO]

Additional things to consider:


How did it drive on the trip home?


What engine & transmission? (i.e. could it serve as a donor for others)


What is your level of handiness and/or how much are you willing to pay in repairs to learn?


I think you may be able to get the salvage price on CraigsList. Someone may be looking for a project.

 

[cowlitzcoach]

I think at this point it is time to take your losses and run.


While the sheet metal rust is repairable my concern has to do with the floor joists, frame rails, and all of the running gear under the bus.


It is extremely difficult to stop the rust when you can't get in and scrub the worst off and use a rust converter on what is leftover. If you don't eliminate all of the rust it will come back.

 

[LankyShaft]

I think at this point it is time to take your losses and run.


While the sheet metal rust is repairable my concern has to do with the floor joists, frame rails, and all of the running gear under the bus.


It is extremely difficult to stop the rust when you can't get in and scrub the worst off and use a rust converter on what is leftover. If you don't eliminate all of the rust it will come back.

Yes, this is my concern too. Although I would love to do some quick patches over everything and call it good, with the amount of rust I see on the under carriage I don’t think I’ll have enough clean metal to make decent repairs on. :hide:

 

[Biscuitsjam]

So, sell it or scrap it?

 

[musigenesis]

Yes, this is my concern too. Although I would love to do some quick patches over everything and call it good, with the amount of rust I see on the under carriage I don’t think I’ll have enough clean metal to make decent repairs on. :hide:

I hate to keep arguing this, since even I think your best bet is to scrap it and start over, but the rust on the chassis really isn't much to be concerned about. It can be de-rusted and painted and it's not going to fall apart on you. The rust on the body (floor and back walls) is your only real concern.

 

[dwood443]

If you have the space keep it until you get another bus. Maybe you can use this one for parts?