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Some folks have used screws from above the floor, going down into the frame members. I don't think it is strong enough to do that alone. I will definitely be installing new elevator bolts in the same configuration as the originals on my safari.
I have taken a different tack on the order of things from most here, I believe. I removed my floor and fixed/ painted the frame from above then put down new plywood flooring. I then screwed down through the C channel into the plywood to hold everything together and aligned. The next step will be to drop the bellypan, install new elevator bolts, then insulate with 3" rigid foam sheets glued to the underside of the plywood flooring. The bottom of the frame will get rust treatment and paint, like the rest already has. Then reinstallation of the bellypan.
Somewhere in there I will be fitting a new gray tank, just aft of the axle.
I could have done it another way, but this is working out fine. I've had the shell and bellypan intact through the winter, and It made it easier to coax myself out to work on it when I could stay warm and dry doing it. Also, I have chickens, and they would have loved to move into my safari if given half a chance.
This is a white cochin. Weighs about ten pounds- Chickenzilla!
Rich
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