Patching Holes in Metal Floor

[I See Bus]

I have rather thin metal around wheel well and surrounding area along with some holes. All was rusty and was treated with rust paint. Frame and supports are fine I have 7ft by 20inch sheets of metal.
Can I just lay them in that whole area? Should I lay them side to side or long ways?
Would riveting the sheets to the floor be best approach?

Appreciate the help!

 

[ISAF2009]

Look at the bottom of my thread dan the 1995 collins bantam.

 

[ISAF2009]

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f27/dan-the-1995-collins-bantam-34267.html

 

[ISAF2009]

I just riveted new sheet metal and sealed the seams then doused everything else in rust reformer. I dont know if that was the right way to handle it but thats what I did.

 

[ISAF2009]

Literally going downstairs to more of it now

 

[musigenesis]

It looks like you have a bit of metal at the base of the wheel wells (and between them) that is thin enough from rust that it should be cut away. Anywhere you have rusted-through holes, bang away at the edges hard with a hammer until you get to stuff that doesn't bend and cut the rest away with an angle grinder (with a cutting wheel) until you get nice clean edges to the holes. Then cut pieces of your spare sheet metal to fit over these holes with maybe 1.5" overlap all around.

Riveting would work but requires a riveter and rivets. A drill and Teks self-tapping sheet metal screws will also work and make easy quick work of attaching these patches. Then seal all your patches with seam sealant from the top (and from the bottom, if you feel like squeezing yourself under the bus).

My bus was a wee bit worse rusted than yours and I had to rebuild the entire floor section around the wheel wells. I welded everything, but to form the patches around the base of the rusted-out wheel wells I used the Teks screws like I described. This leaves the pointed ends sticking outside above the tires; for aesthetics I cut these off but otherwise it's not necessary.

 

[Samweld]

i would hit the whole area with a wire brush cup on a 4 1/2" grinder and the treat the area with a rust converter (different from a rust encapsulator) and then if your going to lay down something over it it would be best to fill the space with something that won't absorb water. there are undercoatings that would achieve this or even spray on sound deadener. the trick is to treat all the rust you can get to and then prevent air and moisture from reaching the area.

rust converter: ospho is one that i use, which is highly acidic but works amazing follow instructions and open windows.

look at eastwood.com or a similar sight for the undercoating or sound deadening.

i have a bunch of holes that ill be patching in my floor and will post on my process.

also check to see the state of the structure holding up the sheetmetal.

rivets are great but unless they are blind rivets there is still a path for air and moisture through the center of them.

tek screws work well but also introduce a path for moisture.

seal all the things! (holes)

 

[I See Bus]

Thanks guys, that was good info. So NO welding needed?

Floor was osphoed and painted with rust preventer paint. The structures under are fine. All the windows leaked like crazy.

 

[musigenesis]

Thanks guys, that was good info. So NO welding needed?

Floor was osphoed and painted with rust preventer paint. The structures under are fine. All the windows leaked like crazy.

Did you only ospho and paint or did you also screw down some patches? I don't see any holes any more so it looks like you did a damn fine job.

 

[Samweld]

night and day difference! looks great!

 

[I See Bus]

This is better view. This area the metal is thin and holey. It took days of grinding and banging to get the pounds of rust off.

So just screws no weld?

You don’t even want to see my stairs, those are next.

 

[Samweld]

i would pre drill the sheet metal and then where ever the holes land on the floor put a dab of sealant down and screw through the pre drilled sheetmetal into the dab of sealant and into the floor. to seal up the where the screw is going in as its going in.

 

[musigenesis]

This is better view. This area the metal is thin and holey. It took days of grinding and banging to get the pounds of rust off.

So just screws no weld?

You don’t even want to see my stairs, those are next.

Yeah, screws would be fine. You probably do want to "square off" those holes - cut them into rectangular openings that have solid sheet metal all around, then cut slightly larger rectangular patches to go over them.